Infomercials and You

Angie SzumlinskiNews

We are constantly being inundated with infomercials, “if you eat this you will look like Tom Cruise,” “If you drink this you will look like Marilyn Monroe.” At the end of the day, we are who we are, a capsule of beet powder will not change that! That said, there is some good news from the Frontiers of Nutrition that I found interesting!

In a study over a 12-week period, 60 adults aged 50-80 years old, were given a daily cranberry supplement (equivalent to 1 small cup of cranberries). Cognitive assessments, including memory and executive function, along with imaging and blood testing were conducted before and after the 12-weeks of daily cranberry consumption. Lo and behold, after the 12-week period, there was documented improvement in memory performance and neural functioning.

Why is this important? Because according to the WHO, by 2050, 22% of the world’s population will be aged over 60 years (remember when 60 was “old”?) What if everyone started eating cranberries every day, no not cranberry sauce with added sugar and definitely not cranberry cosmopolitans, just cranberries. Guess what? Then there would be a shortage of cranberries! Check out your local health food store and locate a cranberry supplement, maybe in the aisle with urinary tract supplements. Give it a try, see if in 12-weeks your kids comment on how much improvement they noticed (then you can ground them for being rude)! Stay the course, stay well, and stay informed!