Foods and drinks high in flavonoids may reduce dementia risk, study finds
A study found that consuming more foods and drinks rich in flavonoids, such as berries, tea and red wine, could reduce the risk of dementia by 28%.
The number of people living with the disease worldwide is expected to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050, posing a rapidly increasing threat to global health and social care systems.
Age and genetics remain the biggest risk factors, but experts say nearly half of cases can be prevented or delayed. And there is growing evidence that diet plays a role in the risk of developing the disease.
Research from Queen’s University Belfast shows that increasing the intake of foods and drinks rich in flavonoids could reduce the risk of dementia by more than a quarter.
Academics said flavonoids, found mainly in plant foods, have a range of health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. They have also been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, as well as improved cognitive function.
The findings were published in the journal JAMA Network Open. The study’s lead researcher, Prof Aedin Cassidy, said: “The global prevalence of dementia continues to rise rapidly. In this population-based cohort study, we analysed dietary data from more than 120,000 adults aged 40 to 70 from the UK Biobank.
βOur findings show that consuming six additional servings of flavonoid-rich foods per day, particularly berries, tea and red wine, was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia. The findings were most noticeable in individuals with a high genetic risk, as well as in individuals with symptoms of depression.β
The study’s lead author, Dr Amy Jennings, also from Queen’s, said the results suggest that a simple step such as increasing daily consumption of flavonoid-rich foods could reduce the risk of dementia, particularly in people at high risk.
βThere is currently no effective treatment for the disease, so preventive interventions to improve health and quality of life β and reduce social and economic costs β must remain a key public health priority,β she said.
Last month, a landmark report from the Lancet Commission on Dementia concluded that by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, starting in childhood and continuing throughout life, 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed.
The report added two new risk factors that are associated with 9% of dementia cases. About 7% of cases are linked to high low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol, in middle age, starting around age 40, while 2% are attributable to untreated vision loss in later life.
These new risk factors add to the twelve identified by the Lancet Commission in 2020, which together account for about 36% of dementia cases.
These include: lower educational level, hearing loss, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution and social isolation.