A colorful rainbow of fruits and vegetables, such as rosy red strawberries, dark green spinach leaves, and sunny yellow peppers, is the foundation of a nutritious diet. Flavonoids are potent plant compounds (phytochemicals) that appear to contribute to a variety of health benefits. Flavonoids may also play a role in cognition protection, according to a study published online in Neurology in July. The investigation is ongoing. Over 20 years, scientists analyzed the health data and self-reported food information of more than 77,000 middle-aged men and women.
The researchers wanted to know how often participants ate a variety of flavonoid-rich foods and if they had reported cognition changes in their 70s, such as difficulty.
- remembering recent occurrences or a brief list of objects
- recalling information from one second to the next
- comprehending instructions following a group conversation or a TV narrative navigating familiar streets
Researchers then calculated participants’ intake of six classes of flavonoids:
- flavonols (such as quercetin in onions and kale)
- flavones (such as luteolin in green chile peppers and celery)
- flavanones (such as naringenin in grapefruit and oranges)
- flavan-3-of monomers (such as catechins in red wine and strawberries)
- anthocyanins (such as cyanidin in blackberries and red cabbage)
- polymers (such as theaflavins in black tea).
What the research discovered
After controlling for factors that could have influenced cognition (such as age, weight, physical activity, alcohol intake, depression, and non-flavonoid nutrient intake), researchers discovered that people with the highest daily flavonoid intakes were 19% less likely than those with the lowest daily flavonoid intakes to report memory and thinking problems.
Flavonoid superstars
Some flavonoids, in particular, appeared to have brain-protective properties:
- Flavones were found to be linked to a 38% decreased incidence of self-reported cognitive deterioration.
- Flavanones reduced the likelihood of self-reported cognitive impairment by 36%.
- Anthocyanins reduced the likelihood of self-reported cognitive impairment by 24%.
What makes flavonoids so special?
We don't know why flavonoids might help protect cognition. However, we do know that flavonoids are potent antioxidants that may help battle brain inflammation and amyloid buildup, which is a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
Antioxidants could have a role.
- Maintaining the health of the blood vessels (which keeps blood flowing to the brain)
- Increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factors, which are substances that repair brain cells, improve their connections, promote new brain cell growth, and expand the hippocampus (a part of the brain involved in the storage and retrieval of memories).
- We also know that flavonoids are associated with fighting inflammation and tumor growth, and in lowering blood pressure.
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