Tea, wine and veg: The key to preventing dementia

A cup of tea with breakfast, a leafy spinach salad for lunch and a glass of red wine for dinner could slash the risk of developing dementia, according to new research.

People who have a higher intake of food or drink containing antioxidant flavonols – plant compounds linked to a variety of health benefits – appear to have a slower rate of cognitive decline, researchers say.

Scientists from Rush Medical Centre in Chicago recruited 961 people with an average age of 81 and who didn’t have dementia for their study, which lasted seven years.

Participants filled out a questionnaire each year on how often they ate certain foods and completed annual cognitive and memory tests including recalling lists of words, remembering numbers and putting them in the correct order.

They were then divided into five equal groups based on the amount of flavanols they had in their diet.

On average, participants had an average dietary intake of approximately 10milligrams (mg) of total flavanols per day.

The lowest group had an intake of about 5mg per day, while the highest group consumed an average of 15mg per day – the equivalent of one cup of dark leafy greens or three to four cups of tea.

To measure cognitive decline, researchers used a global score system which includes 19 different tests.

Analysis revealed people who had the highest intake of flavonols had a 32 per cent reduction in their rate of cognitive decline compared to those who had the lowest.

The study also found those who got most of their flavonols from the likes of kale, beans, tea, spinach and broccoli had the slowest rate of cognitive decline.

However, those who also consumed of the likes of tomatoes, apples, tea, wine and oranges also saw a benefit.

Study author Thomas Holland said: ‘It’s exciting that our study shows making specific diet choices may lead to a slower rate of cognitive decline.

‘Something as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more tea is an easy way for people to take an active role in maintaining their brain health.

‘At the end of the day, I would want people to know it is never too early or too late to start making healthy lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to diet.

‘The research presented here adds to the ever-growing body of evidence that what we eat matters.’

Commenting on the findings Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Strategic Initiatives at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘Our diet is just one factor that can affect our brain health, and researchers are still trying to pin down to what extent specific dietary components like flavonols affect our memory and thinking abilities.

‘Previous studies indicate that flavonols can help protect brain cells from damage, which has led to researchers investigating their potential role in slowing cognitive decline. 

‘This new study also looks at how different types of flavonols could affect our brain health – something that has not been researched in detail before.

‘While the researchers tried to establish how flavonols play a role in slowing cognitive decline, it is always difficult to rule out other factors that could influence the results of this type of research. 

‘As the participants were, on average, 81 years old at the start of this study, their lifestyle in the years leading up to the study is likely to have affected their risk of cognitive decline.

‘What we can say for now is that there is a wealth of evidence which points towards eating a balanced diet as a way to reduce risk of cognitive decline. 

‘A diet rich in fruit and vegetables, along with plenty of exercise and not smoking, contributes to good heart health, which in turn helps to protect our brain from diseases that lead to cognitive impairment or dementia.

‘If we manage our diet and physical activity throughout our lives, that is a crucial step towards better brain health in later life.’

The findings were published in the journal Neurology.