What Fruits and Vegetables to Eat to Reduce Cognitive Decline, New Scientific Research Finds

Research conducted by the TH Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University has shown that People who eat foods rich in flavonoids, such as strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples, will have a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline in adulthood. The study was carried out with the participation of approximately 75,000 people for 20 years.

Flavonoids are a series of compounds with strong antioxidant capacities found in fruits and vegetables, he said. the author of the study, Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition andn Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The study showed that the benefits of consuming at least half a daily serving of foods rich in flavonoids, such as strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples, will reduce the risk of cognitive decline by 20%. The research was published yesterday, July 28, in the medical journal Neurology, from the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at various types of flavonoids and found that both flavones and anthocyanins may have the most protective effect.

Flavonoids are natural compounds found in plants and are considered to be powerful antioxidants. The study is consistent with previous ones who found that having too few antioxidants can influence cognitive decline with age.

According to the authors, strawberries contain about 180 mg of flavonoids per 100 gram serving and apples about 113 mg. Peppers contain about 5 mg of flavones per 100 gram serving. Blueberries approximately 164 mg of anthocyanins per 100 gram serving. Blueberries and oranges also contain it. Peppers and celery are some of the vegetables with high amounts of the compound.

The study followed the diet and development of 49,493 women with an average age of 48 and 27,842 men with an average age of 51 at the start of the study, so they are currently in their sixties. During the 20 years of follow-up, people completed various questionnaires about how often they ate various foods. Their consumption of different types of flavonoids was calculated by multiplying the flavonoid content of each food by their frequency. Study participants tested their own cognitive abilities twice during the study, using questions such as “Do you have more trouble remembering recent events than usual?” “” And “Do you have a harder time remembering a short list of items than usual? This assessment captures early memory problems when people’s memory has deteriorated enough for them to notice it, but not necessarily enough to be detected in a drug test.

People in the group that made up the highest 20% of flavonoid consumers had an average of about 600 milligrams (mg) of antioxidant in their diet each day, compared to those in the lowest 20% of flavonoid consumers, who ‘they had about 150 mg in their diet each day. The group with the highest number of flavonoid users had a 20% lower self-reported risk of dementia than those in the lowest group.

The researchers also looked at individual flavonoids. Las flavonas, que se encuentran en algunas especias y frutas y verduras amarillas o naranjas, tenían las cualidades protectoras más fuertes y se asociaron con una reducción del 38% en el riesgo de deterioro cognitivo, que es el equivalente a tener a tres o menosatro of age. Anthocyanins, found in blueberries, blackberries and cherries, were associated with a 24% reduction in the risk of cognitive decline. Blueberries contain around 164 mg of anthocyanins per 100 gram serving.

“The people in our study who had the best results over time ate an average of at least half a serving per day of foods such as orange juice, oranges, peppers, celery, grapefruit. , grapefruit juice, apples and pears, ”said Willett. “While other phytochemicals may be at work here, a colorful diet rich in flavonoids, and particularly flavones and anthocyanins, seems like a good bet for promoting long-term brain health. Yes It’s never too late to start, because we’ve seen these protective relationships people consumed flavonoids in their diets 20 years ago or more recently. “

One aspect detailed by the study is that people who ate around 600 milligrams of flavonoids per day had a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline than those who ate only 150 milligrams per day.

Damage to “the blood supply to the brain is a major contributor to cognitive decline,” Willett explained, adding that The anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids help protect this blood supply, which in turn slows cognitive decline. Cognitive decline can be the first step in diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, he added.

People’s brain functions start to decline between the ages of 20 and 30, but people usually don’t notice it until they reach 70, the researcher said. Eating foods rich in flavonoids could make “the downward slope less steep,” he added.

After following the participants’ diet for 20 years, the researchers asked them to take a questionnaire several times over a four-year period to determine cognitive decline, Willett said.

Because the study took place over decades, the results are much more valid than other studies that took place over a few years, said Daniel Potts, member of the American Academy of Neurology and assistant neurologist in the ministry. of Health. Tuscaloosa, Ala., veterans who did not participate in the study.

Willett explained that there is no specific amount of flavonoids that people should eat every day and recommended against counting or measuring intake. In addition, Feeding on flavonoids plays only a small role in potentially slowing cognitive decline, the study’s lead author said. People should also lead healthy lifestyles, he noted, which includes regular physical activity and not smoking.

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to be effective in preserving cognitive function, Potts said, and many foods included in the diet are high in flavonoids. “Nutrition has a lot to do with our cognitive health, and the choices we make today about the things we consume have an important role to play later in life in protecting our brains,” he said. .

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