A new study has brought good news to those concerned about 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 beverages, 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 flavonoid-rich foods may reduce their risk of memory loss by up to 28%.
In particular, this effect is more evident in people with a high genetic risk of memory loss, or those with concomitant diseases such as high blood pressure or depression.
Among the foods studied, tea, red wine, and berries showed the strongest effects in reducing the risk of memory loss.
However, this does not mean that we should focus on these foods alone. In fact, diversifying the sources of flavonoids in our diet is the key to achieving optimal benefits.
Nutritionists recommend adding a variety of flavonoid-rich foods to your daily diet.
This list includes berries like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries; vegetables like red cabbage and red onions; citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit; and, of course, dark chocolate with at least 75% cocoa content.
Nutritionist Lucia Stansbie offers some simple tips for boosting flavonoids in your diet.
She recommends drinking at least four to five cups of tea a day, adding berries to breakfast or making smoothies, eating a salad with red cabbage and red onions, drinking water with a squeeze of fresh lemon, and eating apples with the skin on.
Adding green vegetables and legumes to your diet is also an effective way to increase your flavonoid intake. A cooking tip is to add garlic at the end of the cooking process to preserve the nutrients.
Stansbie stresses that vegetables should make up half of your plate to get the right amount of flavonoids and variety. As for red wine, although it is a good source of flavonoids, it should be consumed in moderation. SCMP recommends no more than one small glass a week.
When preparing food, care must be taken to preserve flavonoids. Cooking methods such as steaming and microwaving are considered the best. Avoid boiling for too long and discard the cooking water as many flavonoids can leach into the water. For long-term storage, freezing is a good option to preserve the flavonoid content of foods.
The above research 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.
