Few things leave more long-lasting imprints on carpet as grape juice. Try as they might, cleaning solvents seem impenetrable to Nature’s purple potion. Well, I can’t say that this recent finding will do anything for your rugs, but it may do something for your brain, as research indicates grape juice has other long-lasting effects.

At a recent annual meeting of the American Aging Society in Boulder, Colorado, a research team from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine presented some findings that are sure to be memorable for those in attendance. That’s because the researchers told them that if they want to improve their memory, grape juice might do the trick.

Some of the “hard-of-memorizing” participants – 12 in all – were instructed to drink 15 to 21 ounces of Concord grape juice daily for a period of 12 weeks. The remaining participants were given a placebo.

At the beginning and conclusion of the study, the participants were given various tests to measure the participants’ cognitive abilities. And what do you know? But those who drank the 15 to 21 ounces of Concord grape juice showed “significant improvement” in learning ability over the 12-week period. Though more studies will no doubt be done to further hone in on the cognitive might of Concord grapes, in the meantime, it suggests to the researchers that those who’ve had issues with short-term memory loss would be wise to make grape juice an every day part of their diet.

The study points to the elderly as the prime beneficiaries of this new finding, naturally, as cognitive decline is one of the primary hallmarks of aging.

In a prepared statement, the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Robert Krikorian, said, “A simple, easy-to-incorporate dietary intervention that could improve or protect memory function, such as drinking Concord grape juice daily, may be beneficial for the aging population.”

It’s believed that what makes the Concord grape so beneficial to the memory is its high polyphenol content, which tend to be found in the skin of fruits (like grapes). Previous research has been done on polyphenols and they, too, show how those who drank fruit or vegetable juices with high amounts of polyphenols were at a lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s – a debilitating disease of the brain that researchers estimate some 4.5 million people in the United States are afflicted with.

If you’re looking to juice your own Concord grapes, it’s unlikely you’ll find them in your local grocer’s produce section as they tend to be stocked with the more popular seedless variety. Though the Concord grape variety was originally developed in – appropriately enough – Concord, Massachusetts (pronounced CON-curd, not CON-chord, like the grape), you’re more likely to find Concord grape vineyards in the Pacific Northwest where they grow in abundance. But as far as area dedicated to grape vineyard, you have to travel to Western Europe for that. Spain, France and Italy are the world’s top grape-producing nations. But, as one might expect, those grapes are primarily grown for wine production. And as it so happens, the Concord grape is used in wine production in addition to juice (and jelly). For now, though, stick to the juice.