Pelargonidin, an anthocyanidin found in strawberries may have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease.¹

Researchers from the RUSH University examined data of 575 deceased participants, whose average age at death was 91.3 years. They were a part of the University’s Memory and Aging Project.  Dietary information was obtained over two decades of follow-up before death and neuropathological data was obtained from brain autopsies after death. With this study, they aimed to examine the link between intake of berries (pelargonidin) and Alzheimers disease. Patients underwent cognitive evaluation when alive - episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, perceptual speed and visuospatial ability. Amyloid-beta load and phosphorylated tau neuronal neurofibrillary tangle density in the brain were examined on brain autopsy.

Participants whose consumption of pelargonidin was in the highest quartile had the least amyloid-β load and fewer phosphorylated tau tangles compared to those whose intake was in the lowest quartile after adjusting for age at death, sex, education, APOE É›4 status, vitamin E and vitamin C.

Majority of the study participants lacked the apolipoprotein E 4 (APOE4) gene, a well-established genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Among this population, higher strawberry and pelargonidin intake was associated with a lesser amount of phosphorylated tau tangles. No such  association was observed in patients who had the APOE É›4 gene. When patients who had mild cognitive impairment or dementia at the start of the study were excluded, strawberry and pelargonidin intake were strongly associated with fewer phosphorylated tau tangles.

This study shows that higher intake of pelargonidin is associated with fewer phosphorylated tau tangles, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Strawberries are a rich source of the anthocyanin pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (P3G), which has anti-inflammatory properties and is hypothesized to reduce neuroinflammation and have a protective effect on the brain. However, this study has only shown a link between the two and does not establish a cause and effect association.

References

1. Agarwal P,  et al. Pelargonidin and berry intake association with Alzheimers disease neuropathology: a community-based study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2022;88(2):653-661. doi: 10.3233/JAD-215600.
2. https://www.rushu.rush.edu/news/strawberries-may-help-fend-alzheimers#:~:text=The%20researchers%20found%20that%20a,that%20accumulate%20in%20the%20brain.