Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Aug 10;11(8):1549.
doi: 10.3390/antiox11081549.

Effect of Polyphenolic Complements on Cognitive Function in the Elderly: A Systematic Review

María José Rodrigo-Gonzalo  1   2 , Susana González-Manzano  1   2   3 , Roberto Mendez-Sánchez  2   3 , Celestino Santos-Buelga  1 , Jose Ignacio Recio-Rodríguez  2   4
Affiliations
Review

Effect of Polyphenolic Complements on Cognitive Function in the Elderly: A Systematic Review

María José Rodrigo-Gonzalo et al. Antioxidants (Basel). .

Abstract

Polyphenols have been shown to be effective against many chronic diseases. These compounds could have a beneficial effect at the cognitive level. The exact mechanism by which they provide positive effects at the cognitive level is not well known, but it is believed that they could counteract neuroinflammation. The objective of this study is to review nutritional interventions that include foods or supplements rich in flavanols, flavonols, or stilbenes to the usual diet on cognitive deterioration in people over 50 years of age. Clinical trials published in PubMed and Web of Science from 1 March 2010 to 1 March 2020 were explored, from which 14 studies were selected. All of them showed some improvement after the intervention. In interventions with flavanols and stilbenes, relevant improvements have been observed both in healthy patients and in patients with established cognitive impairment. Most studies agree that the greatest benefits are found with high doses and longer duration treatments. The changes were fundamentally assessed through cognitive tests, and in some of the studies, through magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The type of cognitive test used to assess the effect of the intervention was revealed to be critical. Several studies have also shown improvements in analytical parameters and blood pressure.

Keywords: cognitive function; cognitive impairment and neurophysicological function; flavanols; flavonoids; stilbenes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flow diagram: search strategy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alzheimer’s Disease International . Informe Mundial Sobre el Alzheimer 2019: Actitudes Hacia la Demencia. Alzheimer’s Disease International; London, UK: 2019.
    1. Livingston G., Sommerlad A., Orgeta V., Costafreda S.G., Huntley J., Ames D., Ballard C., Banerjee S., Burns A., Cohen-Mansfield J. Dementia prevention, intervention and care. Lancet. 2007;390:2673–2734. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31363-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gustafson D.R., Clare Morris M., Scarmeas N., Shah R.C., Sijben J., Yaffe K., Zhu X. New perspectives on Alzheimer’s disease and nutrition. J. Alzheim. Dis. 2015;46:1111–1127. doi: 10.3233/JAD-150084. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Huhn S., Kharabian Masouleh S., Stumvoll M., Villringer A., Witte A.V. Components of a Mediterranean diet and their impact on cognitive functions in aging. Front. Aging Neurosci. 2015;7:132. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00132. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hill E., Goodwill M.A., Gorelik A., Szoeke C. Diet and biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurobiol Aging. 2018;76:45–52. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.12.008. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources