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 Researchers followed 921 people without dementia for about six
years, starting when they 81 years old, on average. During the
study, 220 people were diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease.
People who had the most flavonols in their diet were about half as
likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who consumed the least, the
study found.
"Eat your fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens, and
drink some tea every now and again," said lead study author Dr.
Thomas Holland of Rush University in Chicago.
"A healthy diet that contains various fruits and vegetables is
critical for continued health, especially brain health," Holland
said by email.
Flavonols are a type of flavonoid, phytochemicals found in plant
pigments that are known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties, researchers write in Neurology. While some previous
research has linked flavonoids in general to a lower risk of
Alzheimer's disease, less is known about the impact of flavonols
specifically.
For the current study, researchers asked participants to complete
annual questionnaires detailing how often they ate certain foods.
They also did cognitive tests and other assessments each year to
determine if participants had developed Alzheimer's disease.
The study team used the dietary information to tally each person's
total average consumption of four flavonols in particular:
kaempferol, which is found in kale, beans, tea, spinach and
broccoli; quercetin, in tomatoes, kale, apples and tea; myricetin,
also in tea, as well as wine, kale, oranges and tomatoes; and
isorhamnetin, in pears, olive oil, wine and tomato sauce.
People in the study who had the lowest total amount of flavonols in
their diets consumed an average of about 5.3 milligrams a day,
compared with 15.3 milligrams for people with the highest flavonol
consumption.
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While 15% of people who ate the most flavonol developed Alzheimer's
disease, this rose to 54% among those who consumed the least. This
difference remained even after researchers accounted for other risk
factors for Alzheimer's like diabetes, a prior heart attack or
stroke, or high blood pressure.
Overall, people with the highest flavonol consumption were 48% less
likely than those with the lowest to develop Alzheimer's disease
during the study period.
In addition, when researchers looked at the four different types of
flavonols, they found that the highest intakes of either
isorhamnetin or myricetin were tied to 38% lower odds of developing
Alzheimer's, while the highest consumption of kaempferol was tied to
a 51% lower risk. Quercetin intake, however, didn't appear tied to
Alzheimer's risk.
The study wasn't designed to prove whether or how different foods
might impact the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Still, the results add to evidence suggesting that flavonols might
be one way people can try to minimize their risk, said Dr. Glen
Finney, director of the Geisinger Memory and Cognition Program in
Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.
"Eating a healthy and diverse diet along with good socialization,
physical exercise and keeping mentally active are important for
brain health and can make a difference," Finney, who wasn't involved
in the study, said by email.
"Keeping normal blood sugar levels and blood pressure on the low end
of normal range are also important for brain health," Finney added.
"While dementia is an increasing risk as we age, it isn't inevitable
and there are things people can do to reduce their risk."
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2GBkScJ Neurology, online January 29, 2020.
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