In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), dives into some exciting research regarding the cognitive benefits of incorporating blueberries into your daily diet. Cronquist is joined by NABC/USHBC Senior Director of Nutrition and Health Research Leslie Wada, Ph.D., and Robert Krikorian, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and director of the Cognitive Aging Program at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.

“Now, with the broader scope of activities open to us as our Health Research Committee converts to a Health Research and Nutrition Committee, we are also evaluating nutrition programs and projects that can help us communicate the importance of blueberries as part of a healthy diet.” - Leslie Wada, Ph.D.

“So I think one way to look at what we found was that from a cognitive point of view, we were able to reverse, or at least return to a less severe impairment level of the kind of executive control problems that these people would typically experience..” - Robert Krikorian, Ph.D.

Topics covered include:

• An explanation of the scope, function and impact of the Health Research and Nutrition committee.
• A review of the ongoing research regarding the benefits of blueberries on cognitive function.
• A discussion of the media attention this latest study has received, and what this means for future research in this area.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Brandon Wade in Georgia, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Elizabeth Carranza in California and Matt Macrie in New Jersey. This was recorded on June 15, 2022.

Blueberry Boost

This July, the USHBC will be hosting a nationwide 31-day challenge to encourage consumers to grab a boost of blue. Consumers will be treated to a bevy of activities to celebrate blueberries, engage with the blueberry lifestyle and encourage them to help us grow support for solving childhood hunger with USHBC's partnership with No Kid Hungry. Join the ranks of the great companies that are already working together to wave the flag that drives demand and makes blueberries the world's favorite fruit. Check it out and sign up here.