Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In a study with 447 patients at high cardiovascular risk, those with the highest intakes of polyphenols had 20% higher delayed memory recall scores.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among older adults. It affects parts of the brain that control thinking, remembering and making decisions. The serious impairment of a person’s ability to complete daily activities are a significant contributor to Alzheimer’s annual cost of $100 billion per year (1).
Alzheimer’s Disease becomes much more common with increasing age, including 5% of men and women aged 65 to 74 and nearly half of those aged 85 and older (2)), making early detection a priority. While research has identified 3 markers in blood that may help early detection (3), a new study (4) suggests walnut consumption as a way to help maintain mental health.
In the study, 447 patients between the ages of 55 and 80 with no symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease but at “high cardiovascular risk” (defined as having a prior diagnosis of diabetes or at least three cardiovascular risk factors that included smoking, high blood pressure, blood lipid problems, being overweight (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2) and family history of premature cardiovascular disease) and participating in the PREDIMED study (5) provided information on diet, submitted urine samples, and underwent neuropsychological tests to evaluate cognitive function.
By the end of the study, the researchers cited two “novel findings”. The first was that both virgin olive oil and walnut intake were directly correlated with improved memory function. The second finding was that high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols in the urine were independently associated with memory function. Specifically, those in the highest 20% of polyphenol levels in the urine samples had 9% higher immediate memory recall scores (6) than those in the lowest 20% of polyphenol levels (41.5 vs 38, p = 0.018) while also having 20% higher delayed memory recall scores (7.2 vs 6.0, p = 0.003) (6).
Unfortunately, the researchers did not provide information on the exact polyphenol levels nor the intake of either walnuts or olive oil that produced the beneficial memory effects. Rather they gave the middle intake of olive oil at 4 milliliters per day with amounts ranging from 0 to 70 mL/day while average walnut intake was 1.10 grams per day with amounts ranging from 0 to 30 grams/day.
For the researchers, “Taken together, these results suggest that antioxidants in the usual diet might counteract age-related cognitive decline” and specifically that “Mediterranean diet components might counteract age-related cognitive decline.” Posted April 9, 2012. r/mk
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
Source: Valls-Pedret, Cinta, et al. “Polyphenol-rich foods in the Mediterranean diet are associated with better cognitive function in elderly subjects at high cardiovascular risk.” Journal of Alzheimer’s disease 29.4 (2012): 773-782.
© 2012 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved
Posted April 9, 2012.
References:
- “Alzheimer’s Disease” – posted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- Ernst, RL; Hay, JW. “The U.S. Economic and Social Costs of Alzheimer’s Disease Revisited.” American Journal of Public Health 1994; 84(8): 1261 – 1264.
- Bowman GI. Nutrient biomarker patterns, cognitive function, and MRI measures of brain aging. Neurology® 2012;78:241–249.
- Valls-Peret C. Polyphenol-Rich Foods in the Mediterranean Diet are Associated with Better Cognitive Function in Elderly Subjects at High Cardiovascular Risk. Jou Alzheimer’s Disease 2012 Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2012; 29: 1–10. DOI 10.3233/JAD-2012-111799.
- PREDIMED Study – from the Predimed website.
- Rey A (1964) L’examen Clinique en Psychologie, Presses 593 Universitaires de France, Paris.
