Berries and other foods that are rich in antioxidants known as flavonoids are known to be good for you for a range of health reasons. These foods are known to reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, and even diabetes. Now a new study has shown that they also reduce risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease but it seems that one type of flavonoid is better at this than others.
Parkinson’s Disease is relatively well understood in the sense that we know it is caused by a loss of specific cells in the brain that produce a chemical called dopamine. The problem is that in most cases the cause of that cell loss is not so well known. The good news is that flavonoids seem to be able to reduce the loss of those neurons.
This evidence comes from a study involving more than 129 000 people who were followed for between 20 and 22 years. The researchers gave the participants questionnaires to establish their flavonoid consumption and then correlated this with the incidence of Parkinson’s Disease.
The results showed that among men those who were in the top twenty per cent for flavonoid consumption were 40 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease than those who were in the bottom twenty per cent for flavonoid consumption.
Unfortunately, these results only held true for men. However, when the researchers looked into sub-classes of flavonoids it was found that a type of flavonoid called anthocyanins did protect against Parkinson’s risk for both men and women.
Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments that give plants and fruits a red or blue colour.
In flowers, the colourful anthocyanins of petals attract pollinators whereas in fruits, like brightly colored berries, they exist in the skin to attract animals that eat the fruit and later disperse the seeds in their droppings. Anthocyanins also serve a protective role much like a “sunscreen†by absorbing the ultraviolet light that plants face from constant sun exposure. When humans eat anthocyanin-rich foods, we receive the benefit of the antioxidant qualities.
The best food sources of anthocyanins are blueberries, blackberries, red grapes, raspberries, acai berries, and cherries. A good rule of thumb is that any dark blue, purple, red or black fruits that can stain your fingers are good sources of anthocyanins. Brightly coloured vegetables like purple cabbage and eggplant are also good sources.
So while chocolate and tea as flavonoid rich foods may help the men out there when it comes to Parkinson’s prevention, it is the berries that will help everybody.
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