Researchers at Tufts University in the USA have been studying risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease, and have discovered that people who consumed smaller quantities of certain flavonoid-rich foods are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease.
The Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging studied the long-term risks over 20 years of patients getting Alzheimer’s Disease. This is one of the first long-term studies. Paul Jacques of the Center said, “With no effective drugs currently available for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, preventing disease through a healthy diet is an important consideration.”
Flavonoids are natural substances found in various plants, and are known to reduce inflammation. The test found three particular flavonoid types are beneficial:
- Anthocynanins, found in berries. Take more than 7 ½ cups of berries per month.
- Flavonols, found in apples and pears. Take more than 8 apples and pears per month.
- Flavonoid polymers, found in green tea. Take more than 19 cups per month.
The test looked at the risks of Alzheimer’s between ages of 50 and 70, but even those already in their fifties can benefit from increasing their intakes.
So we would urge you to increase your intake of flavonoids, through these foods mentioned or through supplements with extracts of green tea and berries.
Paul F Jacques, Rhoda Au, Jeffrey B Blumberg, Gail T Rogers, Esra Shishtar. Long-term dietary flavonoid intake and risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2020; DOI:
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa079/5823790