A recent study has brought good news to those interested in brain health. The results show that consuming foods rich in flavonoids can significantly reduce the risk of memory loss.
Flavonoids are plant compounds found in many familiar foods and drinks such as berries, tea, red wine and dark chocolate.
According to SCMP, the study was conducted on more than 100,000 participants and the results were "surprising".
People who increase their consumption of foods rich in flavonoids can reduce the risk of memory loss by up to 28%.
In particular, this effect is more clearly seen in people with a high genetic risk of memory loss, or people who are suffering from concomitant diseases such as high blood pressure or depression.
Among the foods studied, tea, red wine and berries show the strongest effect in reducing the risk of memory loss.
However, this does not mean that we should only focus on these foods. In fact, diversifying the sources of flavonoids in the diet is the key to achieving optimal benefits.
Nutritionists recommend adding a variety of flavonoid-rich foods to your daily meals.
This list includes berries such as blueberries, strawberries, goods for the week; vegetables such as red cabbage and red onions; citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits; and cannot be without dark chocolate with cocoa content of at least 75%.
Nutritionist Lucia Stansbie offers some simple suggestions for increasing flavonoids in your diet.
She recommends drinking at least 4-5 cups of tea a day, adding berries to breakfast or smoothies, eating salads with red cabbage and red onions, drinking water with a little fresh lemon, and eating whole-skinned apples.
Adding green vegetables and beans to your meals is also an effective way to increase flavonoid intake. A little cooking tip is to add garlic at the end of the cooking process to preserve nutrients.
Stansbie emphasizes that vegetables need to take up half of the plate to get enough flavonoids to be necessary and diverse. Regarding red wine consumption, although it is a good source of flavonoids, it should be consumed in moderation. SCMP recommends not drinking a small glass more than 4 times a week.
When preparing food, you need to pay attention to preserve flavonoids. Cooking methods such as steaming and microwaving are considered the best. Avoid boiling for too long and discard the boiling water because many flavonoids can dissolve in water. If you want to preserve it for a long time, freezing it is a good choice to keep the flavonoid content in food intact.
The above study provided by SCMP opens up new prospects in preventing memory loss through diet. This is also a simple but effective measure to protect the health of yourself and your loved ones.
