Study finds that Flavanols help in Age-related Memory Loss
A diet lacking in flavanols, nutrients present in several fruits and vegetables, has been linked to age-related memory loss, according to a ground-breaking study. The study, which involved more than 3,500 senior citizens, found a link between flavanol consumption and performance on memory tests. Particularly, after resupplying these nutrients, test results for persons over 60 with a slight flavanol insufficiency improved. The results support the idea that, like the growing brain, the ageing brain requires particular nutrients for optimum health. Excerpts from the Study The study discovered that mildly low levels of flavanol in persons over 60 increase performance on tests used to detect memory loss due to normal ageing and that flavanol intake among older adults correlates with results on these tests. According to Adam M. Brickman, PhD, professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and study co-leader, “the improvement among study...