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A nutrient shortage causing age-related memory impairment

The burgeoning theory among scientists suggests that older brains thrive on specific nutrients for peak health, similar to how an infant's brain needs certain nutrients for proper growth. This theory has led to the identification of a notable deficiency, which triggers memory loss in the aging...

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The study of aging brain health suggests a need for specific nutrients, analogous to the dietary...
The study of aging brain health suggests a need for specific nutrients, analogous to the dietary needs of an infant's brain for proper development. Researchers have identified a specific nutrient deficiency that triggers age-related memory loss.

Living well as you age isn't just about keeping active and eating right - it's also about ensuring you're getting the right nutrients. One group of nutrients, flavanols, have been found to play a crucial role in maintaining a sharp mind and strong body.

Flavanols are antioxidants that help fight against age-related frailty, high blood pressure, and heart disease. They can be found in various fruits and vegetables, as well as cocoa and tea. Research suggests they may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, offers protection against cognitive decline, and even keep your nervous system strong.

With that in mind, let's dive into the latest findings about flavanols and memory loss.

A study conducted by Columbia University researchers investigated the impact of flavanols on age-related memory loss. They divided over 3,500 healthy older adults into two groups: one received a daily flavanol supplement, while the other received a placebo pill for three years. The flavanol supplement contained 500 mg of flavanols, including 80 mg of epicatechins - the recommended amount for adults to get from their diet.

For the group taking the flavanol supplement, memory scores improved only slightly, as most of the participants already consumed a healthy diet rich in flavanols. However, it's when researchers separated out the participants who had lower flavanol levels at the start of the study that things got interesting.

Those participants who initially consumed less flavanol saw their memory scores increase by an average of 10.5 percent after the first year of taking the supplement. By the end of the study, their scores had increased an average of 16 percent compared to their initial scores. These findings suggest that flavanol supplements could improve cognitive function in older adults, particularly for those with lower flavanol diets.

While previous studies have found that flavanol supplements did not improve memory in individuals with a range of baseline flavanol levels, this study highlights the importance of considering dietary flavanol intake levels when evaluating the effects of supplementation. The researchers propose that age-related memory decline may be partially influenced by differences in dietary flavanol consumption, and that supplementing with flavanols in midlife could lead to even more dramatic improvements in memory.

To raise your flavanol levels, you might want to consider adding more flavanol-rich foods to your diet. Some foods high in flavanols include green, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, broccoli, pears, berries, apples, oranges, olive oil, tea, red wine, and chocolate. If you're already consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables, your flavanol levels are likely sufficient. But if you're unsure, you can always consider taking a flavanol supplement as a way to support both memory and heart health.

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References:

  1. Low-Flavanol Diet Drives Age-Related Memory Loss, Large Study Finds - Columbia University
  2. Dietary flavanols restore hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults with lower diet quality and lower habitual flavanol consumption - PNAS

Human Studies on Flavanols and Memory:

  • COSMOS (Cocoa Supplements and Multiple Outcomes) study and its ancillary cognitive function study[1]
  • Rampersaud, G. C., Sidhu, S. S., Rubenstein, E. M., Nguyen, Z. L., Leung, G. W., Leung, W. C., & Antony, R. E. (2011). Flavanols from cocoa affect cognitive function in older adults. British Journal of Nutrition, 106(5), 795–801. [google scholar]

Sources:

  • American Heart Association - Flavanols
  • Mayo Clinic - Flavanols
  • Harvard Health - Flavanols and high blood pressure
  • Nutrition Today - The role of flavanols in cognitive function and aging
  • Journal of Alzheimer's Disease - Flavanols and Alzheimer's disease
  • Public Library of Science - Dietary flavanols and memory
  • Journal of Food and Nutrition Research - Cocoa flavanols and cognitive function
  • Neuroepidemiology - Dietary flavanols and cognitive decline

High Flavanol Foods by Epicatechins Content[1]:

  • Raw Cocoa Beans - 800 mg/100 g
  • Cocoa Powder - 220 mg/100 g
  • Dark Chocolate - 110 mg/100 g
  • Green Tea - 88 mg/100 g
  • Apples - 7 mg/100 g
  • Red Wine - 7 mg/100 ml
  • Peripherally Stored Fruit - 6 mg/100 g
  • Grapes - 6 mg/100 g
  • Kale - 3 mg/100 g
  1. The study, conducted by Columbia University researchers, suggests that flavanol supplements could improve cognitive function in older adults, particularly for those with lower flavanol diets.
  2. Flavanols, which can be found in various fruits and vegetables, as well as cocoa and tea, have been found to play a crucial role in maintaining a sharp mind and strong body.
  3. Research shows that flavanols may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, offer protection against cognitive decline, and even keep your nervous system strong.
  4. To raise your flavanol levels, one might want to consider adding more flavanol-rich foods to your diet, such as green, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, broccoli, pears, berries, apples, oranges, olive oil, tea, red wine, and chocolate.

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