Dr. Noa Bergman explains what causes Alzheimer's, is there a way to prevent the disease, and how to treat someone who is already ill (Walla system!)
Dementia has long become a very common disease in the world, one of the reasons being the aging of the population.
This is why quite a few studies deal with the subject.
A recent study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that people who eat or drink more foods with flavonol antioxidants, which are found in several fruits and vegetables, as well as tea and wine, may experience a slower rate of memory decline.
"It is exciting that our study shows that specific dietary choices may lead to a slower rate of cognitive decline," said the study authors from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
"Something as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more tea is an easy way for people to take an active part in keeping their brains healthy."
Flavonols by the way, in case you were wondering, are a type of flavonoids, a group of phytochemicals found in plant pigments known for their beneficial effects on health.
961 people with an average age of 81 without dementia participated in the study.
They filled out a questionnaire every year about how often they ate certain foods.
They also completed cognitive tests and memory tests every two years, including remembering lists of words, remembering numbers and putting them in the correct order.
They were also asked about other factors, such as their level of education, how much time they spent on physical activities, and how much time they spent on mental activities such as reading and playing games.
The subjects were followed up for an average of seven years.
The people were divided into five equal groups based on the amount of flavonols they had in their diet.
While the average amount of flavonol intake among US adults is about 16 to 20 milligrams per day, the study population had an average dietary intake of total flavonols of about 10 mg per day.
The lowest group consumed about 5 milligrams per day and the highest group consumed an average of 15 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to one cup of dark leafy greens.
To determine the rates of cognitive decline, the researchers used a general cognitive score that includes a summary of 19 cognitive tests.
The average score ranges from 0.5 for people without thinking problems to 0.2 for people with mild cognitive impairment and up to 0.5 for people with Alzheimer's disease.
Not just for diet.
Salad (Photo: ShutterStock)
After adjusting for other factors that may affect the rate of memory decline, such as age, gender and smoking, the researchers found that the cognitive score of people with the highest intake of flavonols declined at a rate of 0.4 units per decade more slowly than people with the lowest intake.
The researchers noted that this is likely due to the inherent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the flavonols.
Spinach, wine, tea and olive oil
The study also broke down the flavonol class into the four components: kaempferol, quercetin, myricin and isoramantin.
The top food contributors for each category were: kale, beans, tea, spinach and broccoli for kaempferol;
tomatoes, kale, apples and tea for quercetin;
tea, wine, kale, oranges and tomatoes for myricin;
and pears, olive oil, wine and tomato sauce for isoaramantine.
People with the highest intake of kaempferol had a 0.4 units per decade slower rate of cognitive decline than those in the lowest group.
Those with the highest intake of quercetin had a slower rate of cognitive decline by 0.2 units per decade compared to those in the lowest group.
And people with the highest myricin intake had a slower rate of cognitive decline by 0.3 units per decade compared to those in the lowest group.
Dietary isoramantine was not associated with cognition.
The researchers noted that the study shows a relationship between higher amounts of dietary flavonols and slower cognitive decline, but does not prove that flavonols directly cause a slower rate of cognitive decline.
Other limitations of the study are that the food frequency questionnaire was self-reported, and most people do not accurately remember what they eat.
health
Nutrition and diet
Preventive nutrition
Tags
Alzheimer's
dementia
tea
wine
fruits
vegetables
diet
