Eating foods high in flavonoids could slow the decline of your brain

Eating colorful foods high in flavonoids could slow the decline of your brain as you age. In a new study published in the American Academy of Neurology journal, researchers at Harvard found that people who ate about 600 milligrams of flavonoids per day had a 20 percent lower risk of cognitive decline than those who ate one-fourth that amount. Flavonoids are compounds with strong antioxidant abilities commonly found in many fruits and vegetables. Foods high in flavonoids include strawberries, blueberries, oranges, peppers and celery. Since damage to the blood vessels that supply the brain is an important contributor to cognitive decline, eating foods rich in flavonoids might help protect that blood supply, slowing cognitive decline. Still, eating these colorful, healthy foods doesn't negate the need to also avoid smoking and to exercise regularly.