Director of Dietetics and UGA Online professor Dr. Emma Laing shared advice for creating a balanced diet to combat the effects of aging in a recent article published by HealthDay. The article focused on the importance of incorporating flavanols into an everyday diet.

Berries, dark chocolate, and the peels of many fruits are rich in flavanols. The research discussed in the article focused on flavanols’ potential to benefit memory.  Moreover, the research showed that a dietary increase in flavanols had a greater impact on participants who began with a poor diet. Overall, the trial showed an association between the intake of flavanols and memory but did not rule out all potential causes of the effect. The data helped show that key nutrients are important as we age, just as when we are developing as infants.

Laing suggests intentionally adding one or more servings of nutrient-rich foods to your diet weekly to proactively combat the effects of aging on memory.

Dr. Emma Laing teaches in the Online Nutritional Sciences program.