November 15, 2007 – Beta-carotene, an antioxidant that colors many fruits and vegetables1, would protect against the decline of cognitive faculties (memory and intellectual alertness) associated with aging. However, its action would only appear in the long term.
These results come from a large trial2 conducted by researchers at Harvard University with a cohort of 6,000 men, followed over a period varying from three years to twenty years.
Subjects who took a supplement of 50 mg of beta-carotene every other day for at least 15 years performed best on cognitive tests. The effects of beta-carotene – which turns into vitamin A in the body – on cognitive faculties are thought to be modest, but significant in the long term, the results show.
From 40 years old
Senile dementia is a disorder associated with aging that sets in very gradually and subtly, the researchers say. So that even a small reduction in cognitive decline can have a significant positive impact on mental health after about 15 years. From the start of your forties, you should therefore consider increasing your beta-carotene intake in order to benefit from its protective effects against the decline of cognitive faculties, they believe.
Scientists attribute this protective effect to the antioxidant action of beta-carotene, which would help counter the phenomenon of oxidative stress, which is believed to be the main cause of the progressive decline of cognitive faculties.
The effect of beta-carotene is said to be similar to that of donepezil, a synthetic drug used to improve cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the study authors note.
It would also be relevant to study the effects of other substances, in particular omega-3 fatty acids, on the long-term maintenance of intellectual faculties in aging people, the researchers conclude.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. It is found in carrots, apricots, mangoes, dark green vegetables, sweet potatoes, parsley, etc.
2. Grodstein F, Kang JH, et al. A Randomized Trial of Beta Carotene Supplementation and Cognitive Function in Men: The Physicians’ Health Study II. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Nov 12; 167 (20): 2184-90.
