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The benefits of flavonoids in matcha green tea against cognitive decline

As well as being a delicious ingredient in a healthy, balanced diet, matcha is packed with antioxidants.

In fact, the high level of flavonoids contained in matcha green tea powder makes it one of the world’s leading superfoods.

Thanks to this important source of antioxidants, matcha contributes to the anti-inflammatory and antiviral action of our food in the body.

Researchers are now backing up the conclusions of previous studies, which still needed further clarification.

In a study published in April 2020 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers confirm that high consumption of berries, apples and green tea may have protective benefits against Alzheimer’s disease.

Matcha helps slow neurodegenerative diseases

According to the researchers, higher long-term dietary intakes of flavonoids are associated with lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Indeed, they explain that “older people who consumed small amounts of flavonoid-rich foods, such as berries, apples and tea, were two to four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias over 20 years compared with those whose consumption was higher”.

This epidemiological study, based on several thousand people aged 50 and over, examined the long-term relationship between the consumption of flavonoid-containing foods and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

On the other hand, many studies have examined associations between nutrition and dementia, but over short periods of time. This latest large-scale study examined flavonoid exposure over 20 years.

Flavonoids are natural substances found in plants. They are found in fruits and vegetables such as pears, apples, berries, onions and herbal beverages like tea and wine.

For those with a sweet tooth, dark chocolate (minimum 70%) is another important source of flavonoids.

Flavonoids are associated with a variety of health benefits, including reduced inflammation.

As a result, the research team determined that a low intake of three types of flavonoids was associated with a higher risk of dementia compared to the highest intake.

Specifically, they found that: low intake of flavonols (apples, pears and tea) was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; low intake of anthocyanins (natural pigments found in blueberries, strawberries and red wine) was associated with a 4-fold increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; low intake of flavonoid polymers (apples, pears and tea) was associated with a 2-fold increased risk.

This study gives a picture of how diet over time could be linked to a person’s cognitive decline.

Indeed, the authors were able to examine flavonoid intake for many years prior to the participants’ dementia diagnosis.

In the absence of effective drugs currently available for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, prevention of the disease through a healthy diet is an important consideration.

The researchers analyzed six types of flavonoids. They compared long-term intake levels with the number of diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias later in life.

They found that low intake of three types of flavonoids was linked to a higher risk of dementia compared to the highest intake.

In this study, a high intake was equal to around 7.5 cups of blueberries or strawberries (anthocyanins) per month, 8 apples and pears per month (flavonols) and 19 cups of tea per month (flavonoid polymers). This qualitative intake can help you reorganize your diet in healthy ways, preferably including seasonal and organic foods.

Finally, the authors point out that “tea, especially green tea and berries, are good sources of flavonoids, and it doesn’t take much to improve levels. A cup of tea a day or a few berries two or three times a week would be sufficient.”

The approximate age at which the data was first analyzed for the participants (average age 50), is not too late to make positive dietary changes. The risk of dementia really starts to increase from the age of 70.

In conclusion, the take-home message is that as you approach 50, you should start thinking about a healthier diet if you haven’t already, and include matcha green tea in that.

Editor: Jimmy Braun/BNS – July 2020

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