Praise be and pass the fruit bowl.
Older people with diets heavy into flavonols - antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables and tea - may be less prone to develop Alzheimer’s, according to a new study.
The paper, found in neurology.org, said the study was conducted among 921 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project .
Researchers found that among 921 MAP participants who initially had no dementia in the analyzed sample, 220 developed Alzheimer dementia. The study found that individuals with the highest intake of flavonols had higher levels of education and more participation in physical and cognitive activities.
Bottom line, dietary intakes of flavonols (read colorful fruits and vegetables) were inversely associated with incident Alzheimer dementia in models adjusted for age, sex, education, according to the abstract.
“The top food item contributors to the individual flavonols in our cohort were kale, beans, tea, spinach, and broccoli for kaempferol; tomatoes, kale, apples, and tea for quercetin; tea, wine, kale, oranges, and tomatoes for myricetin; and pears, olive oil, wine, and tomato sauce for isorhamnetin.
“In this community-based prospective study of older persons, we found evidence that higher flavonol intake through food sources, and kaempferol and isorhamnetin in particular, may be protective against the development of Alzheimer dementia. The associations were independent of many diet and lifestyle factors and cardiovascularrelated conditions.”
TK: This is a great time of year to celebrate a study like this, when consumers know they should reform their ways. And here is yet another reason!
Find consumer media coverage of the study here and here.
