Fisetin: a Natural Compound that Fights Memory Loss

Posted May 26, 2014

Researchers at the Salk’s Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory have
found that fisetin, a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables can stop the
memory loss in mice that typically get Alzheimer’s disease within 1 year of
their birth.(1)

Focusing on preventing Alzheimer’s, the mice were given a
daily dose of fisetin, which was shown to prevent progressive memory and
learning impairment. This is despite the
fact that fisetin did not change the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain,
which are commonly blamed for Alzheimer’s disease.

These exciting new findings suggest the possibility of
treating Alzheimer’s symptoms without targeting the amyloid plaques.

Ten years earlier, the Salk team found that fisetin helps
protect the brain from the effects of aging and determined that it has both
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on brain cells. Future areas of study may determine that
fisetin can slow or even reverse memory loss once it has occurred.

Here’s how you can benefit from the brain-protecting
benefits of fisetin right now.

Eat at least nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day to
ensure that you are getting the fisetin you need along with other important
vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The
amount of fisetin that was used in the study was approximately the equivalent
of four cups of strawberries a day, which is quite a lot of strawberries! But eating at least nine colorful servings of
fruits and vegetables daily will also provide the same memory-protecting
effects.

Strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, apples, persimmon, kiwi,
onions, grapes and cucumber are all fisetin-rich foods. Be sure to eat the skins of your fruits and
vegetables whenever possible because that’s where the highest amount of fisetin
and other nutrient-rich flavonoids are usually found. If your budget permits it, consider spending
a little more on organic produce that you know is herbicide and pesticide free.

How you prepare your fruits and vegetables to eat also affects
the amount of flavonoids and other nutrients you consume. You can get the most nutrition out of all your
fruits and vegetables by remembering these healthy tips:

·
Raw unpeeled fruits and vegetables will have the
most nutrients

·
Steaming is the best method of cooking because
the nutrients are not leached out

·
Slow cooking at temperatures below 200 degrees
can preserve nutrients and enzymes

·
Rapid boiling can leach out many of the
nutrients

·
Overcooking by any method results in the
greatest loss of nutrients

To discover more about Pillar 1 of Alzheimer’s prevention:
Diet and Supplements, click
here

Reference