A recent, long-term study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health1 has shown that drinking 100% orange juice daily was associated with substantially lower odds of cognitive decline in U.S. men than those who consumed orange juice less than once per month. Fruit juices showed a strong dose-response and orange juice was the main contributor to this association.
The research findings support the idea that higher long-term intake of fruits and vegetables can have an important role in maintaining cognitive function. Subgroups of fruits and vegetables that appeared particularly important included green leafy vegetables, carotenoid-rich vegetables, berry fruits and orange juice.
This finding was part of a large study that evaluated the prospective association of long-term consumption of fruits and vegetables with late-life cognitive function. The study had many strengths including a large sample size, careful control of other variables that influence cognitive health, and more than 20 years of follow-up in order to best represent long-term diet.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that long-term consumption of 100% orange juice across the life span plays a positive role in cognitive function and supporting brain health. This is likely due to the nutrients and plant compounds such as hesperidin, vitamin B6, thiamin, vitamin C and the carotenoid -cryptoxanthin found in 100% orange juice.
For more information, please go to https://www.floridacitrus.org/oj/health-nutrition/orange-juice-health-benefits/cognitive-function/
References
- Changzheng Yuan, Elinor Fondell, Ambika Bhushan, AlbertoAscherio, Olivia I. Okereke, Francine Grodstein, Walter C. Willett. Long-term intake of vegetables and fruits and subjective cognitive function in US men. Neurology Nov 2018, https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000006684
