319 A diet low in compounds found in apples and berries may contribute to age-related memory loss.
Army.az reports, citing AZERTAC, that researchers found that memory function improved in older adults who were malnourished at the beginning of the study after they took 500 mg of flavanols as a daily supplement.
In the study, more than 3,500 healthy adults, aged about 71, took 500 mg of the supplement for three years. During that time, they took memory tests and completed dietary questionnaires.
The researchers said that memory scores improved slightly in those who took flavanols, but that the group with the lowest dietary intake and the lowest intake of flavanols showed more significant improvement.
In this group, the results increased by an average of 10.5 percent compared to the placebo group, and by 16 percent compared to baseline memory.
“Flavanols do not affect people who are not deficient. Consuming foods rich in them can improve memory function in these people,” neurologist Alexandra Alyokhina told MedikForum, commenting on the results of the study.
The results suggest that “flavanols in the diet are likely to be at an optimal level, around 500 mg per day.”
“This is a really important study that shows that the dose of flavonoids found in tea, cocoa, apples, berries, called flavanols, is the main way to improve memory. The dose needed to improve brain health is easily achieved, for example, a cup of tea, a few servings of berries and an apple together will amount to about 500 mg,” the doctor emphasized.
