Ward off Alzheimer’s with tea

Drinking three cups of tea every day could cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s, according to a study.

Researchers in the United States have identified a link to flavonols, an antioxidant found in plant pigments that is present in nearly all fruits and vegetables, as well as tea. For an average of six years, they tracked what more than 900 elderly people ate and drank and monitored who went on to develop Alzheimer’s. They were divided into five groups based on flavonol in their diet.

Those in the group, which had an average age of 81, who ingested the most were 48 per cent less likely to succumb.

The average amount of flavonol intake is about 16-20 milligrams per day.

In the study, the lowest group had an intake of about 5.3 milligrams per day and the highest group consumed an average of 15.3 milligrams per day. Previous research puts the quantity of flavonols in an average size cup of tea at between eight and 15 milligrams.

Of the 186 people in the highest group, 28 people, or 15 per cent, developed Alzheimer’s, compared to 54 people, or 30 per cent, of the 182 people in the lowest group. The results were the same after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia, such as diabetes, previous heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure.

‘‘Eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more tea could be a fairly inexpensive and easy way for people to help stave off Alzheimer’s,’’ said Dr Thomas Holland, who led the research at Rush University in Chicago.

The study also broke the flavonols down into four types: isorhamnetin, kaempferol, myricetin and quercetin.

The top food contributors for each category were: pears, olive oil, wine and tomato sauce for isorhamnetin; kale, beans, tea, spinach and broccoli for kaempferol; tea, wine, kale, oranges and tomatoes for myricetin; and tomatoes, kale, apples and tea for quercetin.

Various flavonols were monitored.

Those with a high intake of isorhamnetin were 38 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Those with a high intake of kaempferol were 51 per cent less likely to develop dementia.

And those with a high intake of myricetin were also 38 per cent less prone to dementia.

The authors said the data could not prove a link between flavonols and Alzheimer’s.

Dr Ada Garcia, a lecturer in public health nutrition at the University of Glasgow, said: ‘‘Following a ‘healthful diet pattern’, which includes a variety of foods such fruits, vegetables, oily fish, seeds, nuts, legumes, is known to be a good approach to chronic disease prevention.’’