Author: Britanny Holand
A new health study executed by researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago reveals that people who take foods rich in antioxidant flavonols—including vegetables, fruits, and grains aside from tea and wine—are proven to have a slower rate of memory decline. To be more specific, the cognitive score of participants who ate more antioxidant is 0.4 units per decade. That’s a significantly slower rate compared to participants who ate fewer flavonols.
The other influencing factors are also considered, so the results are is reliable.
Remarkably, the most exciting highlight of the study is the simplicity of solving memory loss issues.
It is impressive to know that something as simple as drinking more tea or wine and eating more fruits and vegetables can significantly help in maintaining brain health. At the same time, the study also opens up more of the importance of overall diet quality.
More relevant details about the study
Based on the press release about the study, the total number of participants is 961, with an average age of 81—all have no dementia. After the research, the participants are asked to answer a questionnaire about how often they consume certain foods.
Furthermore, there were also cognitive and memory tests conducted. Participants were also questioned about their level of education, time spent exercising, and time spent doing mentally stimulating activities.
As for the results, it is revealed that the study participants had an average dietary intake of total flavonols, which is about 10 mg per day. Also, a group ingested an average of 15 mg daily. Essentially, the overall global cognition score is used when scoring.
For those people with no cognitive issues, the average score is 0.5; 0.2 for those who showed a mild cognitive impairment; and -0.5 score for those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Overall, the researchers discovered that the cognitive score of the participants with the highest intake of food with flavonols scored at a pace of 0.4 units.
The link between taking more amounts of flavonols and slower cognitive decline
Part of the study also involved breaking the flavonol into its four components; kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, and isorhamnetin. The researchers have discovered the top food contributors for each flavonol category:
- Kaempferol – broccoli, tea, spinach, beans, and kale
- Quercetin – tea, tomatoes, apples, and kale
- Myricetin – kale, tea, wine, tomatoes, and oranges
- Isorhamnetin – wine, tomato sauce, pears, and olive oil
With flavonol natural substance in wine and tea, it is unsurprising that the health study has made headlines and captured attention. The link between taking more amounts of flavonols and slower cognitive decline is something that needs to be studied further. We never know, but the answer to effectively slower cognitive decline might be simpler than we imagine.
Takeaway
Even though there is an apparent strong link between the impact of flavonols on cognitive health, it is quite convincing that the study needs to be examined further. Nonetheless, it is hard to deny that the study contributed something significant, including the awareness of overall diet quality and the need to focus on it. Ultimately, flavonols were also introduced as essential components that people need, and it is good news that foods with these ingredients are highly accessible.