Scientists find a compound that can lead to age-related memory loss if missing from diet
Consuming more flavonols may lead to improved memory function
Flavanols are found in foods like apples. Photo: Stock image
A cup of tea could be a handy source of the compound. Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA
A diet low in compounds called flavanols – found in plant-based foods such as green tea, apples and berries – may drive age-related memory loss, scientists say.
The research, published in the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is based on adults around 71 years of age who were assessed over a three-year period. The team found that among those who had a poor diet at the start of the trial, consuming 500mg of flavanols a day in the form of a supplement improved memory function.
First author Adam Brickman, professor of Neuropsychology at Columbia University, said the findings “raises the possibility of using flavanol-rich diets to improve cognitive function in older adults”. For the study, funded by food manufacturer Mars Incorporated, more than 3,500 healthy adults were randomly assigned to receive a daily 500mg flavanol supplement or a dummy pill for three years.
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The participants took several memory tests during the study period and filled in surveys that assessed their diet. The researchers said memory scores improved only slightly for the group taking the flavanol pill.
A cup of tea could be a handy source of the compound. Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA
But within that group the team found that a subset of people who had poor diet and low flavanol consumption at the beginning of the study, showed bigger improvements in memory.
This small group of participants saw memory scores increase by an average of 10.5pc compared to placebo and 16pc when compared to their memory at baseline, the researchers said.
‘The doses required for these improvements in brain health are readily achievable’
They stressed that flavanols have no effect on people who do not have a flavanol deficiency.
But the team added that for people who have low flavanol intake, consuming foods rich in flavanols may improve memory function in these individuals.
Commenting on the study, Professor Aedín Cassidy, chair in Nutrition & Preventative Medicine and director for Interdisciplinary Research, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, said: “This is a really important study showing that a dose of flavonoids called flavanols, present in tea, cocoa, apples, berries is key for improving memory in the ageing brain.”
“The doses required for these improvements in brain health are readily achievable,” she said.
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