Green veg and fruit may cut the risk of dementia
EATING more leafy green vegetables and fruits including oranges and tangerines may protect against dementia by reducing brain cell damage, a study suggests.
People with higher levels of antioxidants in their blood were less likely to be diagnosed decades later, research found.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli and peas. Betacryptoxanthin is found in oranges, papaya, tangerines and persimmons.
Study author Dr May Beydoun, of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, US, said: “Extending people’s cognitive functioning is an important public health challenge.
“Antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage.”
More than 7,200 over-45s did interviews and blood tests at the start of the study.Their health was tracked for an average of 16 years to see who developed dementia.
Measured
Researchers noted that antioxidant levels were only measured at one point in time, so may not reflect levels over people’s lifetimes.
Dr Beydoun added: “Further studies are needed to test whether adding these antioxidants can help protect the brain from dementia.
“It’s important to note the effect of antioxidants on the risk of dementia was reduced somewhat when we took into account other factors such as education, income and physical activity.
“So it’s possible those factors may help explain the relationship between antioxidant levels and dementia.”
Previous research has suggested that oxidative damage to brain cells may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease and that antioxidants can prevent this. Dr James Connell, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said that while they may have protective effects, studies had mixed results. He said: “The diseases that cause dementia develop over many years but this study only looked at antioxidant levels at one point in time.
“While this research highlights a potentially interesting finding, it is important research takes a long-term view of factors that may affect risk.” Dr Connell said clinical trials would be needed to know for sure whether particular foods or supplements affect dementia risk.
He added: “We know that dementia risk is complex and comprises factors including, age and genetics as well as lifestyle factors such as our diet.
“Making positive lifestyle changes can reduce our risk of developing the diseases that cause dementia.
“There is information on simple steps we can take to do this. Visit www.thinkbrainhealth.org.uk.”
The findings were published online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.