Eating at least three servings of berries or other foods that have flavonoids every day may boost your health as you age, according to new research. Flavonoids promote healthy aging due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
What the Research Says
The new report, published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at how effective flavonoids can be as people age.
“To do that, we developed the ‘flavodiet’ score—a measure of how closely someone’s diet follows a flavonoid-rich eating pattern,” said Aedín Cassidy, PhD, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the Queen’s University Belfast and an author on the new report.
“This helps translate research into real-world advice and shows how whole diets, not just nutrients in isolation, support healthy aging,” Cassidy added.
Using the ‘flavodiet’ score helped researchers understand the benefits of eating different flavonoid-rich foods.
“Just simple or modest changes to the diet, like increasing intake of readily available foods—including tea, berries, and other fruits—can promote healthier aging, allowing us to live a longer life in good health.”
What Counts as Flavonoid-Rich Food?
Flavonoids are compounds found in plants that have been linked to various health benefits.
They may reduce the risk of cancer by reducing free radicals in the body, which reduces overall inflammation. Flavonoids are found in many foods and beverages, including fruits, vegetable, grains, tea, and wine.
“Flavonoids promote healthy aging because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties,” Erin Holley, RD, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Verywell.
“This basically helps slow the aging process at the cellular level,” she added.
How Much Do You Need?
Aim to get three servings of foods with flavonoids daily, as this seems to reduce the risk of frailty, impaired physical function, and poor mental health. However, you should still have no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men.
Cassidy said that flavonoids have also been linked to reduced blood pressure, cholesterol, and oxidative stress. They may also help your body maintain muscle mass and support healthy blood vessels.
However, there are a few study limitations to keep in mind, including self-reported data, which could lead to inaccurate reporting and a lack of diversity in the participant pool, said Holley.
Having one serving of fresh fruit or vegetables is better than nothing. Though the goal should be three servings of flavonoid-rich foods daily, your diet is not all-or-nothing.
What This Means For You
New research has found that adding three servings of flavonoid-rich foods to your diet daily may boost your mental and physical health as you age. Flavonoids are found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tea, and wine.
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