Low Nutrient Diet Linked to Memory Loss in Aging

A new study led by researchers at Columbia University found that a diet low in flavanols, a type of flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, grains, flowers, tea, and wine, could be linked to age-related memory loss. Flavanols can improve memory by enhancing the growth of neurons and blood vessels in the hippocampus, a brain structure associated with memory and learning. Adding flavanols into a diet only improved memory in people with low-flavanol diets. People who were already consuming foods and drinks with high levels of flavanols were not affected by an increase in the nutrient.