Summer is a time when fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables can be used all day long for a variety of dishes (fruit shakes, salads, quiche). Yet besides the taste, produce has many health benefits, one of which is for our brain function.
A new Harvard University study on brain function, considered one of the largest to date, has found that flavonoids which are natural compounds that have very strong antioxidant properties and give produce their colors, may help slow the development of forgetfulness and mild confusion that people often complain about as they age; (these signs) can sometimes (signal the onset) of dementia.
The scientists used data from two wide-ranging, continuous health studies that began in the late 1970s and early 1980s, in which participants periodically completed nutrition and health questionnaires over a 20-year period. Study participants included 49,693 women whose average age was 76, and 51,529 men, average age 73.
They calculated the consumption of more than 20 commonly consumed nutrients such as beta-carotene in carrots, flavonoids in strawberries, anthocyanins in apples and many other types of fruits and vegetables. The study was published in the journal Neurology.
The degree of subjective cognitive decline is judged by “yes” or “no” answers to seven questions which are:
Do you have difficulty remembering recent events, remembering things from second to second, remembering a short list of items, following spoken instructions, following a group conversation, or finding your way through familiar streets?
Also, have you seen a recent change in your ability to remember things?
Researchers found that people who consumed more flavonoid-enriched foods had fewer "yes" answers to these questions.
When compared to the 20% of those with the lowest intake of flavonoids, the 20% with the highest intake found a 19% lower chance of reporting forgetfulness or confusion in the top percent. We must emphasize that this study was observational and therefore couldn’t prove cause and effect, yet the numbers of participants and the study length add to the growing evidence that what we consume affects brain health and function.
According to senior research editor Professor Deborah Belker, a prominent epidemiologist at Harvard University School of Public Health, these long-term findings suggest that eating flavonoid-enriched produce when we’re young may be important for brain health as we age.
In addition to nutrition, flavonoid intake and exercise, alcohol consumption, age and body mass index were investigated as other factors that may determine the risk of dementia. It’s important to note signs of depression can present like dementia, and older people may be misdiagnosed.
The researchers examined not only the total flavonoid consumption but also many specific foods containing flavonoids. More use of sprouts, strawberries, pumpkin and spinach (in daily diets) were connected to better scores on the subjective cognitive decline test. The correlation with eating onions, apple juice and grapes was significant as well, but weaker.
Dr. Blacker pointed to broader policy issues and stressed that “if we can create a world where everyone has access to fresh fruits and vegetables, it should help solve many health problems and extend life expectancy.”