Lowering The Risk Of Cognitive Decline May Start With This Type Of Food

One of the key lessons in adopting healthy habits is to start with small, easily attainable goals and grow from there—and of course having a bit of guidance can be helpful, too.

Researchers from Harvard University looked at nearly 50,000 women around 48 years old and more than 27,000 men around 51 years old at the start of the study.

Over the course of 20 years, participants answered survey questions about their food intake. The data was used to determine how many and what type of flavonoids the participants were consuming on a daily basis. 

The participants were also asked to evaluate their cognitive abilities twice during the study to see how their memory and brain function changed over time.

At the end of the trial, researchers found people who ate half a serving of flavonoid-rich foods per day had a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline. 

While "flavonoid" might sound like an unfamiliar word, if you're eating fruits and veggies, you're already getting this antioxidant. "The people in our study who did the best over time ate an average of at least half a serving per day of foods like orange juice, oranges, peppers, celery, grapefruits, grapefruit juice, apples and pears," Willett said. "While it is possible other phytochemicals are at work here, a colorful diet rich in flavonoids—and specifically flavones and anthocyanins—seems to be a good bet for promoting long-term brain health."