It's believed that the anthocyanins (phytochemicals belonging to the flavonoid family) found in blueberries, not only combat free-radical damage linked to heart disease and cancer, but boost brain power. A study by USDA Human Nutrition Research and Tufts University found that elderly mice fed a blueberry-enriched diet performed as well in memory tests as younger mice. Blueberries even helped out mice with Alzheimer's disease.

So if you are a mouse who likes blueberries, it’s pretty certain you’ll be the first to navigate through the maze and get the cheese. And, you’ll even remember the next day how you did it.

Ginkgo Update

The extract from the leaves of the Chinese Ginkgo tree has long been touted as a cure for memory loss, even if scientists dismissed it. Science may be doing an about-face. Britain’s Alzheimer’s Society announced a major review of clinical trials provided “promising evidence” that dietary supplements containing ginkgo biloba can improve memory and function in people with dementia. The researchers based this conclusion on a review of 33 clinical trials, deciding that ginkgo is safe and has no excessive side effects.

To further test the herb’s ability to boost memory, the British Alzheimer’s Society announced a large placebo-controlled study on 400 peoples with dementia would be conducted by the imperial College and the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. It is not yet known what components of ginkgo make it work medicinally, and that is what this study hopes to determine. But scientists do have their theories. “The medicinal effects of ginkgo are believed to be gained by causing blood vessels to dilate, improving blood flow to the brain, and through thinning the blood and making it less lkely to clot, “ Dr.James Warner, senior lecturer and consultant in old age psychiatry at Imperial College London, told Reuters. “Ginkgo probably also has some antioxidant effects, protecting nerve cells against biological ‘rusting.’ All of these effects would suggest that ginkgo might slow down a degenerative process.”