You already know that fruits and vegetables are good for your health. New research suggests some may delay dementia. You need to figure out what to include on your daily menu.

In practically every life stage, diet plays a critical role in how we might live our healthiest lives, both mentally and physically. According to a recent study, those with high blood levels of three key antioxidants are less likely to develop dementia. Lutein and zeaxanthin, two of the components, are present in a variety of vegetables and leafy greens, as well as peas and spinach. The third element, beta-cryptoxanthin, is primarily found in oranges and papaya.

Dr. May Beydoun, the study’s lead researcher and an aging expert at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, said that improving people’s cognitive functioning is a major public health challenge, and that “antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can damage cells.”

She did add, though, that additional research is needed to see if antioxidants may truly “help protect the brain from dementia.”

What role does food have in dementia?

Beydoun and his colleagues evaluated blood samples from over 7000 Americans in a study published in the journal Neurology. At the start of the study, all participants were at least 45 years old and were physically evaluated before being questioned. They were then followed up on for an average of 16 years in order for researchers to see if they got dementia. The antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin levels in the blood were used to split the participants into three groups.

The researchers discovered that an increase in lutein and zeaxanthin levels of 15.4 micromoles per liter was linked to a 7% reduction in the risk of dementia. A 14 percent reduction in the risk of dementia was seen when beta-cryptoxanthin levels were increased by 8.6 micromoles per liter.

The effect of antioxidants on dementia was lessened when other things like education, income, and exercise were taken into account, the study found. “These factors may help explain the association between antioxidant and dementia levels,” Beydoun said. The findings are limited since they are based on a single blood test conducted at the start of the trial, which means “they may not reflect people’s levels during their lifetime,” according to the team.

Dozens of studies have shown that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of dementia, which affects tens of millions of people around the world. Experts believe that a specific diet may impact the biochemical mechanisms that lead to dementia.

So, what are your options?

What a person consumes can also be linked to dementia indirectly by raising the risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, all of which have been associated to dementia in the past. A Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and seafood has been shown in previous research to lower blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

Previous studies on the link between antioxidants and the incidence of dementia have “mixed” results, according to Dr. James Connell, an Alzheimer’s researcher in the United Kingdom. The lowered risk found in the new study was smaller when lifestyle characteristics, socioeconomic level, and physical activity were taken into consideration. Connell went on to say that it’s critical that researchers continue to look into antioxidants’ protective benefits in the context of other risk factors and try to figure out how they’re linked.

“The diseases that may cause dementia to develop over many years,” Connell continued, “but this study examined only antioxidant levels at one point in time.”

Even though this study shows a possible interesting finding, it is important that it look at the risk factors over a long period of time.  

“We know that the risk of dementia is complex and includes factors like age and genetics as well as lifestyle factors such as diet,” he continued. “Making positive lifestyle changes can reduce our risk of developing the diseases that cause dementia.”

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