New Ways to Fight Dementia

Recent evidence is suggesting that consumption of vegetables is much more helpful in battling dementia and Alzheimer’s than was previously thought. Most individuals who have a passing interest in the subject hold a belief that certain diets such as the Mediterranean Diet, which are high in vegetable intake, produce significant reductions in the rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The latest research reveals that there is a specific compound from plants that can slow or even halt the progression of these diseases: flavonoids.

What are Flavonoids?

Flavonoids are technically known as vitamin P and citrin and are a chemical compound found in the human diet as a result of ingestion of plant foods. They are promoted largely because of their inherent medicinal properties, which boost the body’s ability to fend off against allergens, viruses, and carcinogens. These also have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Food manufacturers have become obsessed with flavonoids in recent years because of these properties, and various food groups have been associated with the compounds themselves, such as red wine, tea, fruit and vegetables. Research performed at the Linus Pauling Institute and the UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center have shown that the antioxidants in flavonoids are specifically responsible for fighting cancer.

Studies into Flavonoids

Scientists have understood this for quite some time, but research into whether or not flavonoids could fend off dementia is a relatively new field of research. Initially, it fell out of favor when early studies showed that most flavonoids broke down very quickly in the body and therefore were not able to cross the blood-brain barrier. However, the latest research is showing that these wonder chemicals might actually be operating through an entirely different mechanism that benefits individuals suffering from some form of dementia. According to Robert Williams of Kings College London, “There have been some intriguing epidemiological studies that the consumption of flavonoid-rich vegetables, fruit juices and red wine delays the onset of the disease.”

Furthermore, when they presented their findings at the summer meeting of the British Pharmacological Society in Edinburgh, they showed that the catechin family of flavonoids reduced the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. According to him, “We have found that epicatechin protects brain cells from damage but through a mechanism unrelated to its antioxidant activity, and shown in laboratory tests that it can also reduce some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.”

Their findings specifically support the theory that regular consumption of flavonoid-rich foods or supplements can actually impede the development and progression of various forms of dementia. While the research itself is far from conclusive, it was sufficiently inspiring to spark interest in additional research.

A similar study into green tea has shown that senior citizens ingesting high quantities of green tea have significantly improved cognitive function as a direct result of the catechin in the green tea. More studies are being conducted to discover additional clues in the ongoing fight against Alzheimer’s and other debilitating forms of dementia.

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