Peas and broccoli can cut dementia risk
EATING peas, broccoli and spinach could cut your risk of developing dementia, research suggests.
People with higher levels of the nutrients found in the vegetables kept their mental faculties for up to decades longer than those who did not, scientists discovered.
The research published in the journal Neurology found that three kinds of antioxidants were key to fending off dementia.
These were lutein and zeaxanthin – found in green, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli and peas – and betacryptoxanthin, which is contained in fruits such as oranges, papaya, tangerines and persimmons.
Researcher Dr May Beydoun 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.’
The study involved 7,283 people who were at least 45 years old when it started. Those involved had a physical exam, interview and blood tests for antioxidant levels at the beginning of the study. They were then followed for an average of 16 years to see who developed dementia.
Dr Beydon added: ‘It’s important to note that the effect of these 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 that those factors may help explain the relationship between antioxidant levels and dementia.’
Dr James Connell, head of research at Alzheimer’s research UK, said: ‘research suggests that oxidative stress can contribute to damage to brain cells in the diseases that cause dementia.
‘While this research highlights a potentially interesting finding, it is important that research takes a long-term view of factors that may affect risk.
‘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 potential benefit from antioxidants, the only way to know if particular foods or dietary supplements containing these could help reduce dementia risk is through careful clinical trials in the future.’