2024-10-03 18:04:35
It is well known that nutrition plays an essential role in disease prevention. Now a study examined their role in dementia.
1.8 million Germans suffer from dementia. The term dementia encompasses more than 50 clinical pictures. It is estimated that around 2.8 million Germans will be affected by 2050. There are currently no medications that cure the disease. But their progression can be slowed. Prevention is required.
A new, large observational study from Belfast examined the connection between diet and dementia. Using data from almost 122,000 adults aged between 40 and 70, the Northern Irish researchers assessed diets, particularly with regard to foods rich in flavonoids.
In their study, scientists focused on these foods:
They linked diet to the occurrence of dementia, as determined using hospital and death data. They also took genetic risk and previous illnesses such as high blood pressure or depression into account.
During the observation period of just over nine years, 882 of the test subjects developed dementia. It was found that people who ate the most flavonoid-rich foods were more physically active and had a lower body mass index.
Participants with the highest flavonoid intake, who ate an average of six additional servings of flavonoid-rich foods per day, had a 28 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to participants with the lowest intake.
The greatest protective benefit would be the daily consumption of at least two of these foods:
These reduced the risk of dementia by 38 percent compared to people who did not eat these foods. In the medical journal “Medical News Today,” nutrition expert Thomas M. Holland explained that while tea and berries have been shown to support brain health, the effects of red wine remain controversial. He also referred to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that alcohol should generally be discouraged due to the associated health risks.