The NHS says that around 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia.
That makes sense – as they say, your risk of developing the condition roughly doubles every five years after 65, and we’re living longer.
If that sounds like a cause for despair, though, it needn’t be.
Medical journal The Lancet shared information this year which suggests that “around 45% of cases of dementia are potentially preventable by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors at different stages during the life course.”
In a recent study, scientists think that one such preventive measure could show up in your glass, cup or dinner plate.
How?
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast found that consuming food and drinks that are high in flavonoids (typically found in plants) may reduce dementia risk.
The study, led by Professor Aedín Cassidy, has been published in JAMA Network Open. It looked at dietary data for 120,000 adults, aged between 40 and 70, in a population-based cohort study.
Participants were drawn from the UK Biobank, which describes itself as “a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing de-identified genetic, lifestyle and health information and biological samples”.
“Our findings show that consuming six additional servings of flavonoid-rich foods per day, in particular berries, tea and red wine, was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia,” Professor Aedín Cassidy shared on Queen’s University Belfast’s site.
“The findings were most noticeable in individuals with a high genetic risk as well as those with symptoms of depression.”
Why do flavinoids help?
Researchers think that their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and potential anti-cancer properties may also help to protect your brain.
Flavonoids have also been linked to decreased cognitive decline, and a reduced risk of chronic heart conditions, Queen’s University says (untreated heart conditions have been associated with a higher dementia risk).
If you think the flavonoids present in red wine mean going on the lash will dementia-proof your brain, however, that’s very unlikely.
Neurologist and author of How To Prevent Dementia, Dr Richard Restak, said that alcohol is a “direct neurotoxin”, especially when consumed in large quantities. He pointed out that there’s even a form of dementia specifically created by the overconsumption of booze.
Korsakoff’s syndrome is “marked by a severe loss of recent memory” and “results from the direct effect of alcohol on the brain,” Dr. Restak says.
“I strongly suggest that if you are 65 years old or older, that you completely and permanently eliminate alcohol from your diet,” he added.
Tea, though? I reckon we’re safe to keep that one in our routine.