Scientists from National Institute on Aging found that people with higher levels of antioxidants in their blood may be less likely to develop dementia.
They found that people with the highest levels of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin in their blood were less likely to develop dementia decades later than people with lower levels of the antioxidants.
The research is published in Neurology and was conducted by May A. Beydoun et al.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in green, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli and peas. Beta-cryptoxanthin is found in fruits such as oranges, papaya, tangerines and persimmons.
In the study, the team examined 7,283 people who were at least 45 years old at the beginning of the study.
They 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.
The participants were divided into three groups based on their levels of antioxidants in the blood.
The researchers found people with the highest amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin were less likely to develop dementia than those with lower levels.
Every standard deviation increase in lutein and zeaxanthin levels, approximately 15.4 micromols/liter, was linked to a 7% decrease in the risk of dementia.
For beta-cryptoxanthin, every standard deviation increase in levels, approximately 8.6 micromols/liter, was linked to a 14% reduced risk of dementia.
The team says antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage.
Further studies are needed to test whether adding these antioxidants can help protect the brain from dementia.
It is also 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.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about common food that could increase your dementia risk, and how to use a healthy lifestyle to prevent dementia.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about drug that could increase dementia risk, and results showing these 2 health issues may double your dementia risk.
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