People who regularly eat flavonoid-rich foods, especially blueberries, have a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, researchers in the United States found.
They intend to inform about the results of their research during the April Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Honolulu, and a report on this subject is published by the EurekAlert online research website.
Flavonoids are a group of compounds found in plants and fruits. Their pro-health effect is mainly due to the antioxidant properties, i.e. antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
A rich and easily available source of flavonoids are, among others blueberries, apples, strawberries (especially their skins and seeds), red wine, as well as good-quality chocolate and citrus fruits, e.g. oranges and grapefruits.
Dr. Xiang Gao and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston studied over 49 men and over 80 women. Project participants were asked to complete questionnaires concerning, inter alia, eating foods rich in flavonoids and having their health monitored for 20 to 22 years.
Researchers analyzed the relationship between flavonoid consumption and the risk of developing parkinson’s disease. The effects of 5 main flavonoid-rich foods – tea, blueberries, apples, red wine, oranges, and orange juice on the risk of developing the disease were also investigated.
During the course of the study, 805 people developed Parkinson’s. It found that the 20 percent of the men who consumed the most flavonoids of all participants had a 40 percent lower risk of developing parkinson’s than the 20 percent of the men who consumed the least flavonoids.
Among women, the reduction in the risk of the disease was mainly associated with eating blueberries rich in anthocyanins.
Researchers suspect that the beneficial effects of blueberries may be due to the fact that – like apples – we eat them whole – with the peel in which the concentration of flavonoids is highest.
The authors of the report conclude that this is the first study of the influence of flavonoids on the risk of Parkinson’s disease in humans. Preliminary results show that a group of flavonoids called anthocyanins (found mainly in red and purple fruits such as blueberries) have a protective effect on nerve cells in both women and men.
If the test results are confirmed, it will be a natural, tasty and healthy way to lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Although it is too early to say that eating blueberries reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease, the health benefits of blueberries have been proven in several previous studies. () We know for sure that blueberries reduce the risk of hypertension. It would be good if we regularly eat 2 to 3 cups of this fruit a week – says Dr. Xiang Gao. (PAP)