Dietary flavonoids: a novel strategy for the amelioration of cognitive impairment through intestinal microbiota

Abstract The chances of people suffering from cognitive impairments increase gradually with age. Diet and lifestyle are closely related to the occurrence and development of cognitive function. Dietary flavonoid supplementation has been shown to be one of the protective factors against cognitive decline. Flavonoids belong to a class of polyphenols that have been proposed for the treatment of cognitive decline. Recent evidence has shown that intestinal flora in the human body can interact with flavonoids. Intestinal microbiota can modify the chemical structure of flavonoids, producing new metabolites, the pharmacological activities of which may be different from those of the parent; meanwhile, flavonoids and their metabolites can, in turn, regulate the composition and structure of intestinal flora. Notably, intestinal flora affect host nervous system activity through the gut‐brain axis, ultimately causing changes in cognitive function. This review therefore summarizes the interaction of dietary flavonoids and intestinal flora, and their protective effect against cognitive decline through the gut‐brain axis, indicating that dietary flavonoids may ameliorate cognitive impairment through their interaction with intestinal microbiota. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.