People with a history of cancer may be more susceptible to cognitive issues, according to research presented at the Science of Cancer Health Disparities conference.

For the trial, more than 9,800 people aged 40 years and older were surveyed about their dietary regimens and overall health, and among the group, a total of 1,305 previously had cancer. The researchers then conducted physical exams and memory analysis on each participant.

The team discovered that 14 percent of individuals with a history of cancer had cognitive issues, while 8 percent of the disease-free patients suffered similar problems. Also, the results showed that the cancer patients were 40 percent more likely to develop cognitive setbacks later in life, including complications that interfered with daily tasks.

“One of the most important parts of cancer treatment is management of symptoms, such as impairments in attention, memory and fatigue, in order to improve a patient’s quality of life,” stated Pascal Jean-Pierre, lead author of the study. He concluded that these findings suggest that “memory issues are more common than had been recognized before, and should be assessed in all patients with a history of cancer.”

A natural alternative to protecting oneself against these health problems is eating an antioxidant-enriched diet, which removes free radicals from the body that are linked to cancer and memory loss. Some of the best sources of antioxidants includes blueberries, almonds and whole grains.