Society for Neuroscience - A natural flavonoid - epicatechin - found in blueberries, tea, grapes, and cocoa enhances memory in mice, according to newly published research.社会神经-天然黄酮-儿茶素-发现蓝莓，茶，葡萄，可可和增强小鼠记忆，根据新近发表的研究成果。 This memory-boosting benefit was increased further when mice also exercised regularly, indicating that this particular combination of a natural phytonutrient with exercise might protect against cognitive decline and dementia in aging people.这种记忆增强效益进一步提高小鼠时，也经常运用，表明这个特别结合了自然与皱纹可能行使防范认知衰退及痴呆衰老的人。

“This finding is an important advance because it identifies a single natural chemical with memory-enhancing effects, suggesting that it may be possible to optimize brain function by combining exercise and dietary supplementation,” says Mark Mattson, PhD, at the National Institute on Aging. "这一发现是一个重要进展，因为它确定了一个自然化学记忆增强作用，这表明它可能被优化脑功能结合运动和膳食补充说： "马克mattson ，博士学位，在国立老化。

The compound, epicatechin, is one of a group of chemicals known as flavonols and has been shown previously to improve cardiovascular function in people and increase blood flow in the brain.大院时，儿茶素，是其中一组化学物质称为黄酮，并已表现出以前，以改善心血管功能的人，增加血流量，在脑。 Flavonols are found in some chocolate.黄酮发现一些巧克力。 Henriette van Praag, PhD, of the Salk Institute, and colleagues there and at Mars, Inc., showed that the combination of exercise and a diet with epicatechin also promoted structural and functional changes in the dentate gyrus, a part of the brain involved in the formation of learning and memory. henriette车praag博士的萨尔克研究所，并有同事在火星公司，显示结合运动和饮食与儿茶素也促进结构和功能变化的齿状，其中一部分脑参与形成学习和记忆。 The findings, published in the May 30, 2007 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience , suggest that a diet rich in flavonols may help reduce the incidence or severity of neurodegenerative disease or cognitive disorders related to aging.调查结果刊登在2007年5月30日发行的杂志神经病 ，显示饮食富含黄酮可以帮助减少发生或严重性，神经退行性疾病或认知功能障碍有关的老化。

Van Praag and her team compared mice fed a typical diet with those fed a diet supplemented with epicatechin.车上praag和她的研究小组对小鼠相比，联储的一个典型饮食与喂饲料添加儿茶素。 Half the mice in each group were allowed to run on a wheel for two hours each day.半数小鼠各组获准开办对车轮两小时每一天。 After a month, the mice were trained to find a platform hidden in a pool of water.一个月后，老鼠被训练成找到一个隐藏的平台，在一池的水。 Those that both exercised and ate the epicatechin diet remembered the location of the platform longer than the other mice.那些既行使吃儿茶素饮食记住位置平台长于其他小鼠。

When studying their brains, van Praag and her colleagues found that these mice had greater blood vessel growth in the dentate gyrus and had developed more mature nerve cells, suggesting an enhanced ability of the cells to communicate.学习时，他们的大脑，车上praag和她的同事们发现，这些小鼠有较大的血管生长在齿状，并制定了较成熟的神经细胞，暗示增强能力的细胞沟通。 Further analysis showed that the epicatechin and exercise combination had a beneficial effect on the expression of genes important for learning and memory, and decreased the activity of genes playing a role in inflammation and neurodegeneration.进一步分析显示，儿茶素和运动结合进行了有益的影响基因表达的重要的学习和记忆体，以及酶活性降低的基因发挥作用，炎症和神经。

The researchers found that sedentary mice fed epicatechin showed enhanced memory, blood vessel growth, and gene activity, but these benefits were even more evident in mice that also exercised.研究者发现小鼠久坐美联储儿茶素显示增强记忆，血管生长及基因活性，但这些好处更明显，在小鼠也行使了。

The work was a supported by a grant from the US Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.工作是一个支持赠款，从美国国防部的国防先进研究项目局。 Mars, which markets a flavonol-rich line of chocolate, supplied the epicatechin.火星，而市场黄酮丰富线巧克力，供应儿茶素。

“A logical next step will be to study the effects of epicatechin on memory and brain blood flow in aged animals,” says van Praag, “and then humans, combined with mild exercise.” "下一步将研究影响儿茶素对记忆和脑血流老年动物" ，说praag车" ，然后人，加上温和的运动" 。