What you choose to eat can lower your odds of developing frailty and this could be the most potential “dietary strategy for frailty prevention.”
Frailty, a geriatric syndrome affecting approximately 10% to 15% of older adults, increases the likelihood of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization, and mortality. While current dietary recommendations for frailty prevention primarily emphasize protein intake, it is important to consider the potential health benefits of various other food options as well.
According to a new study, consuming plant-based foods rich in a group of dietary compounds known as flavonols has been associated with a reduced risk of developing frailty.
Among these flavonoids, quercetin, found in fruits like apples and blackberries, may play a crucial role in preventing frailty.
Frailty affects approximately 10% to 15% of older adults and is characterized as a geriatric syndrome that significantly increases the likelihood of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization, and even mortality. While current dietary recommendations primarily emphasize protein intake for frailty prevention, it’s important to recognize that there are numerous other foods that offer potential health benefits beyond protein.
“There may be some validity to the old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor (or frailty) away,” remarked the authors.
The results of this new study showed “that for every 10 mg higher intake of flavonols per day, the odds of frailty were reduced by 20%. Individuals can easily consume 10 mg of flavonols intake per day since one medium sized apple has about 10 mg of flavonols.”
While the overall intake of flavonoids did not show a significant association with frailty, the study revealed that higher consumption of flavonols, which is one of the subclasses of flavonoids, was linked to a reduced risk of developing frailty. In particular, the intake of quercetin, a specific type of flavonoid, demonstrated the strongest association with the prevention of frailty.
“This data suggests that there may be particular subclasses of flavonoids,” added coauthor Shivani Sahni, with Courtney L. Millar, PhD, of the Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, and the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, “that have the most potential as a dietary strategy for frailty prevention.”
The authors recommend that forthcoming studies prioritize investigating the potential of dietary interventions involving flavonols or quercetin as a means to address frailty. Furthermore, there is a need for research that includes participants from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to broaden our understanding of the subject.
The results of the study were published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
According to the authors, this study represents one of the initial community-based investigations that thoroughly explore the impact of dietary flavonoids in preventing frailty.
Source: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.04.013
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