Eating more foods rich in digitalis flavonoids such as celery and pepper can help reduce the risk of memory decline in old age, a new study has found. The mechanism is that digitalis flavonoids can directly inhibit the release of inflammatory molecules in the brain, thus helping to reduce the risk of aging related inflammation and memory loss in the brain. The researchers focused on microglia, specialized immune cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Infection stimulates microglia to produce the signal molecule "cytokine", which leads to a variety of chemical changes in the brain.
Some signaling molecules inflammatory cytokines can induce "sick behavior" - sleepiness, loss of appetite, memory loss and depressive behavior often accompanied by various diseases. Rodney Johnson, a professor of zoology at the University of Illinois, said inflammation in the brain is also a major cause of memory problems in old age. Early studies found that microglia were dysregulated during normal aging and began to produce excessive inflammatory cytokines.
Then it leads to cognitive decline and even neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, degenerative heart disease and other senile diseases. Professor Johnson has been engaged in the research on the anti-inflammatory properties of nutrients and a variety of active plant compounds such as celery digitalis flavonoids for nearly 10 years. His early studies showed that digitalis flavonoids have anti-inflammatory effects in the human body.
This new study shows for the first time that digitalis flavonoids can improve cognitive health by directly acting on microglia and reducing inflammatory cytokines in the brain. The researchers found that inflammatory cytokines produced by microglia exposed to bacterial toxins can kill neurons. Senile diseases, and once microglia have been exposed to digitalis flavonoids before, and then exposed to bacterial toxins, they will not lead to neuronal death. The reason is that digitalis flavonoids can inhibit the production of neurotoxin inflammatory factors.
The new results show that digitalis flavanone does not directly protect neurons, but celery plays a protective role by acting on microglial cells. In addition to celery and pepper, carrots, olive oil, mint, rosemary and chamomile are also rich in digitalis flavonoids, the researchers said. Eating more of these foods can help protect memory and prevent a variety of senile cognitive diseases and degenerative diseases.
