HEALTH NOTES

REASON TO POP THE KETTLE ON...

DRINKING a lot of tea could help lower your blood pressure and combat heart disease.

Researchers found people with diets rich in flavanols – a nutrient found in plants – had better levels. The difference in blood pressure between those with the lowest 10% of flavanol intake and those with the highest 10% was between two and four units.

The international team – which included the universities of Cambridge, Reading and California – studied 25,000 people in Norfolk and found this was a similar change to that recorded in people on a Mediterranean diet or special low blood pressure diet.

The biggest difference was in participants with the highest blood pressure. The authors say this suggests that if people increase flavanol intake, there could be an overall reduction in heart disease.

Other flavanol-rich foods and drinks are cocoa, apples, berries, grapes and red wine.

Meanwhile, drinking plenty of green tea and coffee a day lowers overall risk of death in diabetics by 63% over five years, researchers at Japan’s Kyushu University found.

IT’LL BE A SAD WINTER FOR SOME

SEASONAL affective disorder could hit particularly hard this year – especially after months of social distancing. Also known by its apt acronym

SAD, it’s a form of depression.

One of the primary treatments is bright light therapy.

Exposure to fluorescent light for 20-60 minutes can be associated with a significant improvement in mood, according to researchers at the University of Maryland.

MOTIVATION CAN FIGHT DEMENTIA

APATHY in older adults could lead to an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a study by the University of California.

Researchers found that those with severe levels – who were unmotivated and did not care about achieving goals – were 80% more likely to develop the condition, after adjusting for age, education and other risk factors.