An international team studied bergamot and found that the flavonoids and polyphenols in its fiber help protect brain cells from damage.
The experiment stands out for another reason: it used food industry waste left over after bergamot processing. Byproducts like this are often a good source of useful bioactive compounds.
Bergamot fruit is made into juice and oil. The solid residue, called pastazzo, goes to livestock feed or pectin production. The scientists found that pastazzo holds a lot of bergamot fiber rich in flavonoids and polyphenols. These compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering effects and protect cells from reactive oxygen species.
In the study, bergamot fiber protected lab-grown brain cells from the harmful effects of beta-amyloid proteins, which drive Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most common forms of dementia. The scientists plan to keep studying bergamot and move on to animal tests. If those succeed, bergamot could become the basis for new Alzheimer’s drugs.
A special “brain diet,” the MIND diet, helps prevent age-related dementia. It includes green leafy vegetables, fruit, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish. Researchers have found that six or more servings of leafy greens a week are linked to fewer amyloid plaques in the brain.
