The daily sweet snack that could help with depression in older adults

A small pilot study found that older adults who consumed blueberry powder daily for three months reported improved depressive symptoms. However, the placebo group improved by a similar amount, so the study does not show that blueberries caused the change.

Researchers observed subtle shifts in gut bacteria among those eating blueberries and suggested these might affect mood-related brain chemicals such as GABA. The trial included just 18 people, mostly white women, and the researchers said a larger, more diverse study is needed to assess any effect.