Berries protect the nervous system from radiation damage, research reveals

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(NaturalNews) A new study by Tufts University researchers has found that following a diet rich in berries may slow down the aging process of the brain and keep it sharp.

A team of researchers led by Barbara Shukitt-Hale studied a group of 60 young male rats by splitting them up into three groups. The first group was fed a diet with no berries, the second was fed a diet with strawberry extract and the third group was fed a diet with blueberry extract. After the rats had been on the diets for two months, half of the rats were subjected to radiation to quicken the aging process. [Editor's note: We do not condone irradiating any living creatures, including rats. But this is what the heartless researchers did, so we're reporting what was observed.]

After half the rats were irradiated, the entire group was put through tests that included a maze test and a chemical test for dopamine. Low levels of dopamine point to poor memory and attention, and other poor mental skills.

The researchers found that the rats that had been irradiated and were on a diet with no berries performed the worst in the maze of the three groups, and also tested the lowest for dopamine levels. The rats that had been irradiated and were on a diet with berry extract performed as well as the group that had not been irradiated.

"What this cruel experiment seems to indicate," explained Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and holistic nutritionist, "is that the natural medicines found in berries, including antioxidants and other phytonutrients, substantially protect the nervous system from radiation damage. This helps explain why people who follow poor nutritional habits get sunburned so easily," he added.

"The study also indicates that berries can even help protect lab animals from researchers intent on harming them via inhumane medical experiments," Adams noted.

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