In particular, increased consumption of polyphenols was positively associated with better language and episodic memory in middle-aged healthy adults (45–60 years old) (Kesse-Guyot et al., 2012) and with a greater cognitive performance at baseline and less decline across the follow-up assessments in non-demented adults Feb 24, 2017.
Are polyphenols good for the brain?
Dietary polyphenols have been observed to protect the brain against such cellular alteration through the modulation of neuronal function against endogenous neurotoxins and inhibition of glial-induced neuroinflammation..
How do polyphenols help the brain?
The neuroprotective actions of dietary polyphenols involve a number of effects within the brain, including a potential to protect neurons against injury induced by neurotoxins, an ability to suppress neuroinflammation, and the potential to promote memory, learning, and cognitive function..
What effect do polyphenols have on cognition?
Therefore, polyphenols may be contributing to cognitive benefits via mechanisms associated with insulin sensitivity [42, 64–66]. For example, the brain has a high degree of insulin receptors [67, 68], and rodent models show that increased insulin resistance in the brain can impair cognition [69]..
What polyphenols do to brain?
The neuroprotective actions of dietary polyphenols involve a number of effects within the brain, including a potential to protect neurons against injury induced by neurotoxins, an ability to suppress neuroinflammation, and the potential to promote memory, learning, and cognitive function..
Which polyphenols are best for mental health?
Found in foods such as oranges, berries, and cocoa products, a specific group of polyphenols called “flavonoids” have been associated with a decreased risk of depression. A recent study found that women who consumed diets high in several types of flavonoids had a lower risk of depression..
Why are polyphenols good for the brain?
The neuroprotective actions of dietary polyphenols involve a number of effects within the brain, including a potential to protect neurons against injury induced by neurotoxins, an ability to suppress neuroinflammation, and the potential to promote memory, learning, and cognitive function..
Found in foods such as oranges, berries, and cocoa products, a specific group of polyphenols called “flavonoids” have been associated with a decreased risk of depression. A recent study found that women who consumed diets high in several types of flavonoids had a lower risk of depression.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight off the free radicals that can damage brain cells. Plus, vitamin C supports brain health as you age and may protect against conditions like major depressive disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease ( 63 ).
Polyphenols can be found in plant-derived food, and are promising anti-ageing molecules, especially for the brain, because they have the ability to cross the BBB; exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [104,105]; and generate positive effects on the preservation of monoaminergic neurotransmitters [106],
Rather, it has become evident that polyphenols are more likely to exert beneficial effects in the brain (at low and physiological concentrations) by preventing neurodegeneration, inhibiting neuroinflammation and reducing age-related cognitive decline (Vauzour et al., 2008; Vauzour, 2012).
The consumption of polyphenol-rich foods throughout life holds a potential to limit neurodegeneration and prevent or reverse age-dependent deteriorations in cognitive performance.
Are dietary polyphenols neuroprotective?
8. Conclusion The neuroprotective actions of dietary polyphenols involve a number of effects within the brain, including:
a potential to protect neurons against injury induced by neurotoxins
an ability to suppress neuroinflammation
and the potential to promote memory
learning
and cognitive function.
Are polyphenols a brain-friendly intervention?
Additionally, recent reports recognize (poly)phenols as a brain-friendly intervention that may prevent and delay age-associated decline in cognitive function [ 20, 21 ].
Does phenol supplementation improve cognitive function?
These results indicate a beneficial effect of an acute (poly)phenol-rich supplementation on the majority of the assessed cognitive functions and suggest an acute dose of 250 mg (poly)phenols is sufficient to generate an immediate improvement in SS-7s and MF, while a higher dose is needed to observe a significant effect on SRT.
Is polyphenol consumption associated with cognitive benefits?
A requirement for inclusion was assessment of a behavioural cognitive outcome in humans. Results:
A clear and consistent theme emerged that whilst there is support for an association between polyphenol consumption and cognitive benefits
this conclusion is tentative
and by no means definitive.
Polyphenols for brain and cognitive health
Potential health effects resulting from drinking wine
The health effects of wine are mainly determined by its active ingredient – alcohol. Preliminary studies found that drinking small quantities of wine, particularly of red wine, may be associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases, cognitive decline, stroke, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and early death. Other studies found no such effects.
Polyphenols are a large family of naturally occurring phenols
Class of chemical compounds
Polyphenols are a large family of naturally occurring phenols. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some of which have been used historically as dyes and for tanning garments.
