Flavonoids and the Brain; Blueberries, blackcurrants, chamomile and Shiso!

A recent meta-analysis, in October 2023, found that higher flavonoid intake was associated with a 17% lower risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Mild cognitive impairment is the mild decline in memory and functioning that can often be seen several years before any dementia diagnosis.

This meta analysis looked at 13 observational studies (cohort and cross sectional) , and a further systematic review looked at a total of 27 studies. It looked at the general population aged 47-81.

Notably the flavonoids Anthocyanins and Flavones were found to confer the greatest reduction in risk (27 and 23% respectively). But in which foods do we find these and how can we include them in our diet?

Anthocyanins are most commonly quoted as found in blueberries. But it is important to remember that blackcurrants, Açai berries and pomegranates (fresh, rather than juice) are also particularly concentrated sources.

Flavones are particularly concentrated in chamomile, a great reason to get drinking the chamomile tea! In addition there are a number of herbs containing high levels: Oregano, Mint, Parsley, Rosemary and Shiso top the list, so even a small sprinkle of these to dishes can make an impact. Shiso is an aromatic leaf, related to the mint and basil family. Traditionally used in Japanese dishes, it can be easily grown in the summer months in the UK from seed and sprinkled into salads. It is also known as perilla leaf in English.

This study also showed a dose response relationship; the higher the intake of flavanoids the better- up to 250mg/day, which is quite difficult to achieve!

The drawbacks of this analysis include the common problem with many nutritional studies- that the flavonoid intake was estimated by dietary questionnaires, and some of the studies included did not adjust for confounders. In addition the studies that looked at cognitive impairment and dementia were not separated.

Dietary (Poly)phenols and Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Justyna Godos et al. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2024 Jan.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/QHIEC6AWD97BZDCKAJYR?target=10.1002/mnfr.202300472

Andrew Fisher

May 2024

Tomatoes and Astaxanthin for blood pressure reduction

A study published in January 2024 caught my eye in the past month regards to dietary and supplemental carotenoids.

A meta-analysis of RCTs looked at 1151 adults aged 23-68 with no co-morbidities. They found that lycopene in a dose of 5-30mg, or astaxanthin in a dose of 6-18mg daily (note the FDA does not recommend taking over 12mg astaxanthin for more than a month) reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 2.5mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.6mmHg. Although these sound like small gains, from experience I know that many individual factors like this can add up to significant reductions for patients with high blood pressure.

Lycopene is well known to occur in large amounts in tomatoes. Ketchup contains 9.9–13.44 mg lycopene/100 g, whereas fresh tomatoes contain anywhere from 0.88-7.44mg lycopene/100 g.

As for Astaxanthin, it's the pink pigment found in fish and shellfish (salmon and rainbow trout are the most concentrated sources with approximately 3mg per portion) but it can also be found in vegetarian sources such as lentils and one of my personal favourites , blueberries! Astaxanthin also has evidence it has a positive effect on dry macular degeneration and also activates NRF2 and AMPK- two well study pathways in longevity research.

The largest reduction was using 15-20mg carotenoids daily.

A reason to get eating those tomatoes!

Behzadi M, Akbarzadeh M, Mohammadi Sartang M, Rabiee M, Bideshki MV. Effect of carotenoid supplementation on blood pressure in adults: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev. 2024 Jan 14

Dr Andrew Fisher, April 2024

The Problem with Advice...and how Health Coaching Helps

There is a lot of advice out there, both from those around you and from the infinite source of information in the digital world. It seems straightforward and has often been made accessible into clear steps or bullet points. But in today’s often frantic world, it isn’t easy to change habits or make space for healthier living. The more times you resolve or promise to change and don’t manage, the more it undermines your self-belief in being able to change. We struggle to follow even those simple steps “made easy”: how demoralising is that?!

Health Coaching provides a way to escape that vicious circle with a constructive framework to support and motivate your initiatives towards your goals and healthier lifestyle.  It isn’t about finding another set of rules or someone else’s guidebook, but helping you articulate your own approach, a new stance to hold fast in the fray of life’s challenges.

I came to coaching after a period of stress and burnout 18 months into the pandemic working as a NHS GP. I was surprised how quickly a nihilistic mood could sweep through me and dispel any hope for the future, and in particular how it could wipe out any confidence I had in myself to reach a happier situation. Coaching allowed me the space to pause and feel this pain without blame or recrimination. Through a supportive interaction with my coach, I was able to build back my confidence in a nurturing way, and rather than feeling solutions were imposed on me from outside, I found my own answers with the strategies to implement them. Instead of being driven, I was still at the steering wheel myself; even if I didn’t know the exact road yet, I had a clear picture of where I wanted to drive.

The road ahead

The main reassurance was that in order to become healthier, I could hold on to what is important: being able to have fun, to feel free to make my own choices and to keep a broad perspective on what health means. Because I wasn’t following someone else’s rules, I didn’t feel restricted or limited by tiresome obsessions over what I couldn’t eat or drink, or how I had to exercise. I could build in what I loved doing in a way that made sense to me, while also guarding against unsustainable and unhealthy habits.

Health Coaching can build your self-belief and confidence to make changes towards your personal goals that coaching will help you articulate and describe. This positive spiral will truly ignite the change in your life that you have been seeking and give you a fresh and effective approach to live by.

Support yourself in a new Health Coaching approach in your New Year Resolutions for 2024 with The Longevity Docs- book a session for yourself and/or for your loved ones!

https://www.thelongevitydocs.com/book-online