BOSTON, July 3 (UPI) -- A study of gerbils found that food nutrients like infant formula or eggs increase brain synapses and improve cognitive abilities, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Richard Wurtman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says gerbils were given various combinations of three compounds needed for healthy brain membranes -- choline, found in eggs; uridine monophosphate, found in beets; and docosahexaenoic acid, found in fish oils.


The gerbils were checked for cognitive changes four weeks later. The scientists found that the gerbils given choline with uridine monophosphate and/or DHA showed cognitive improvements in tasks thought to be relevant to gerbils, such as navigating mazes.

After the tests were concluded, the researchers dissected the mouse brains to determine a biological cause for the improvement. Wurtman finds biochemical evidence that there was more than the usual amount of brain synapse activity, which was consistent with behaviors indicating higher intelligence.

"I hope human brains will, like those of experimental animals, respond to this kind of treatment by making more brain synapses and thus restoring cognitive abilities," Wurtman says in a statement.

The findings are reported in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.