New research suggests a simple dietary change-by reinforcing flavonoid foods-can help older adults remain stronger, more intense and more durable as they grow older.
Study: Correlations between flavonoid foods and flavonoid intakes and incidents unhealthy effects of aging in larger American males and females. Credit Picture: Diva.photo / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in The American Nutrition JournalResearchers evaluated the correlations between the intake of flavonoids and rich in flavonoid foods and aging in elderly adults.
Aging results from the accumulation of cellular and molecular damage, leading to a gradual reduction of physical and mental capacity, the highest sensitivity of diseases and death. While life expectancy has increased over time, the percentage of these added years spent in good health was stable. Determination of the decisive factors of healthy aging is critical to strategies based on evidence aimed at longer and healthy life.
Flavonoids represent a group of bioactive compounds in vegetable foods and have gained significant attention to their effect on healthy aging. Plenty of apples, tea, citrus fruits, berries, red wine and black chocolate, flavonoids have oxidative stress, anti -inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, suggesting that these foods can help relieve normal decline.
For the study
In the present study, the researchers investigated the correlations between the intake of flavonoids and rich in flavonoid foods with aging. They used data from two large groups: Nursing Health Study (NHS) and HPFS. NHS recruited female nurses aged 30-55, while HPFS attracted male health professionals aged 40-75 years.
Participants completed questionnaires about their medical history and lifestyle. Based on the questionnaire data, NHS and HPFS people were attended by 1990 to 2014 and 2006 to 2018, respectively. Participants with missing data or extreme levels of energy were excluded. Only those aged 60 or above were included in the analyzes. Participants completed the Food Food Questionnaires (FFQS) at the start and every four years.
Mounted and changes in the recruitment of a FDS, which brings together the intake of basic rich in flavonoid foods and drinks (tea, apples, oranges, crankshafts, strawberries, grapefruit and red wine) and up -to -date time and updated time. Flavonoids and sub-categories were calculated by FFQs. In addition, participants undertook a small form research (SF-36).
The weakness was evaluated by the SF-36 using the fragile scale, which examines five criteria: weight loss ≥ 5%, reduced aerobic capacity, fatigue, poor strength and presence of five or more chronic diseases. Mental health was evaluated using multiple tools, including the SF-36, the scale of gerial depression (GDS-15) and the Center of Epidemiological Studies (CESD-10) and not just SF-36. Physical function was evaluated by SF-36. The team used multitudic customized coxal -risk models to evaluate associations with weakness, poor mental health and bodily harm.
Findings
The detailed sample included 62,743 NHS and 23,687 HPFS people. During the follow -up, there were 11,369, 8,944 and 22,419 cases of incidents of weakness, poor mental health and bodily harm to NHS. In HPFs, there were 1,957, 1,669 and 4,165 cases of incidents of weakness, poor mental health and bodily harm, respectively.
In NHS, people with the highest FDS were never smokers, more physically active, more likely to receive multivitamins, and had lower alcohol intake, but higher energy intake than those with the lowest scores. Similarly, HPFs also showed similar trends, except that those with the highest FDS had a lower body mass index (BMI) and body weight, higher alcohol consumption and were less likely to have hypertension.
The highest FDS in NHS was associated with 15% reduced risk of weakness, 12% lower risk of poor mental health and 12% lower risk of bodily harm compared to those with the lowest FDS. The highest intake of total flavonoids was associated with a reduced risk of weakness 14% and 11% lower risk of poor mental health and bodily harm. However, in HPFs, the compounds were weaker, with the strongest link between a higher FDS and a reduced risk of poor mental health.
The highest recruitment of flavonoid foods (especially tea, apples, blackberries and red wine) in NHS were associated with lower dangers of all results. Men (HPFS) observed less compounds, but tea and raspberries, as well as moderate intake of red wine, were associated with a reduced risk of poor mental health. Unlike women, no significant correlations were found between the intake of flavonoids and the weakness or bodily harm to men.
In NHS, the highest recruitment of each sub-category of flavonoids were associated with reduced risks of all results. Continuously, there were fewer compounds for sub-categories of flavonoids in HPFS. In addition, the increase in FDS by three servings a week on the NHS was associated with an 8% lower risk of poor mental health, 11% lower risk of weakness and 7% lower risk of bodily harm.
In contrast, the decrease in FDS by seven servings a week was associated with an increased risk of weakness by 18% and 7% higher risk of bodily harm to women. In men, the decrease in FDS by at least seven servings a week was associated with a 60% increased risk of poor mental health. In contrast, the increase in FDS by three servings a week was associated with a 15% lower risk of poor mental health in men.
Conclusions
In summary, the usual high scores of Flavodiet (FDS) and increases in the intake of rich in flavonoid foods have been associated with moderate reduced risk of bodily harm, poor mental health and weakness in women. However, in men, the primary benefit observed was a reduced risk of poor mental health rather than improvements in weakness or physical function.
The results indicate that rich in flavonoid foods such as tea, apples, raspberries and red wine could be a simple strategy to support healthy aging. It is important that the study suggests that maintaining or increasing flavonoid intake over time, and not only usual intake, can be vital to the prevention of mental and physical decline, especially in women.
A key impact on the public health of this research is that increasing the intake of food rich in flavonoids from three servings a day could translate into a 6-11% reduction in weaknesses, bodily harm and poor mental health in women and a reduction in 15% in poor risk of mental health in men. This highlights a practical and feasible dietary strategy to support healthy aging.
