Tea and red wine are among the foods linked to lower risk of dementia

Important points:

• Eating more flavonoid-rich foods reduced the risk of dementia.
• This risk reduction was greater in some people, such as those with higher genetic risk and those with high blood pressure.

Adults who consumed flavonoid-rich foods more frequently, such as berries and black tea, had a significantly lower risk of dementia, according to an analysis published in . JAMA network open.

Researchers found that certain people, such as those with depression or high blood pressure, may benefit even more from consuming more of a flavonoid-rich diet.

Flavonoids and flavonoid-rich foods have previously been associated with a lower risk of several diseases and health outcomes. Including type 2 diabetes and mortality rate For colorectal cancer patients.

On the other hand, in cases of dementia, Dementia-related mortality rate The number of cases continues to increase and finding interventions for this disorder is a “major public health priority”. Dr. Amy Jennings, and colleagues from Queen's University Belfast in Ireland.

“Because the major food sources of flavonoids are similar in different regions, developing a composite score of flavonoid-rich foods provides a clear public health guide to the range of foods that may reduce dementia risk. “This could provide an opportunity to convey this message,” the researchers explained. .

In this study, researchers investigated the effects of increased flavonoid intake on dementia, depression, high genetic risk, and hypertension among a cohort of 121,986 UK Biobank participants aged 40 to 70. We investigated the interaction with the following factors.

The researchers determined a flavodiet score, which reflects participants' compliance with flavonoid intake and flavonoid subclass intake, based on a 24-hour dietary assessment.

Over a mean follow-up of 9.4 years, 882 cases of dementia occurred.

Jennings et al. found that consuming six additional servings of Flavonoid R foods each day (the difference between the highest and lowest FlavoDiet scores) reduced the risk of dementia in people who:

• All participants (adjusted HR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57-0.89).
• Participants at high genetic risk (aHR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.42-0.78).
• Participants with depressive symptoms (aHR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.33-0.81). and
• Participants with hypertension (aHR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.52-0.94).

Among the flavonoid subclasses, anthocyanins (aHR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62-0.97), flavan-3-ols (aHR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58-0.89), flavonols (aHR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.59-) 0.91) and flavones (aHR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.9) all reduced the risk of dementia.

Participants who consumed at least two of the three ideal intakes (5 cups of tea, 1 glass of red wine, and 0.5 cups of berries) were less likely to develop dementia compared to participants who did not achieve either intake. risk was low (aHR = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46-0.84).

Regarding the reduced risk of dementia seen in patients with depression, “Depression is associated with many known targets for flavonoids, including increased proinflammatory cytokines, decreased cerebral blood flow, and changes in vascular risk factors.” activating mechanistic pathways,” Jennings et al.

The researchers identified multiple study limitations. The UK Biobank population is healthier, consumes more tea, and has lower rates of smoking and obesity than the general population, so the findings may not generalize to the wider population.

Furthermore, although participants self-reported dietary data, researchers were unable to examine associations between those who consumed flavonoids and those who did not.

Still, based on their findings, “minor changes in diet may increase flavonoid levels to levels needed to reduce dementia risk,” the researchers wrote.