Citrus fruits, oily fish and black TEA: Follow THIS diet to stave off dementia

These foods can stave off the effects of dementia

IT'S the disease cruelly claiming millions of British lives every year - but what if we told you there was a diet to help beat dementia?

 

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, and worryingly by 2021, this figure will rise to a million and to two million by 2051.

New research has shown there are several foods one can include in their diet which helps lower the risk of the disease. 

 

Firstly, citrus fruits are said to be invaluable to anyone's diet. Oranges, grapefruit and tangerines are the richest source of brain-protective flavanones - a compound found in the fruits. 

The chemicals in the flavenoids are thought to help protect areas of the brain involved in perception and recognition - thus protecting against some of the affects of dementia.

 

Tea drinkers are less than half as likely to exhibit early signs of age-related dementia

Research fellow at the Centre for Global Mental Health, Matthew Prima spoke about the link to the Mail Online. 

He said: "Antioxidants work by limiting oxidative damage, which is core to the development of dementia."

While adding a serving of citrus to your diet every day has clear advantages, the same cannot be said for citrus-based fruits which can be heavy in sugar and not much else. 

Alongside your extra portion of grapefruit a day, try to squeeze in some lovely oily fish to stave off dementia. 

Research has shown those who eat fish of any type - oily or white - tend to have larger brains.

 

This is due to the high level of omega-3 in a fishy diet, which is thought to almost halve the risk of degenerative disease dementia.

Professor Martha Clare Morris, who developed the Mind diet at Chicago's Rush University, said: "Oily fish, especially salmon and herring are good because they have high Omega-3 content."

Dr Laura Phipps of Alzheimer's Research UK added: "Eating a healthy and balanced diet is one of the things people can do to help maintain a healthy brain as they age.

"A Mediterranean-style diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, low levels of sugar and saturated fats and a moderate amount of meat and fish has previously been linked with a reduced risk of dementia as well as other health benefits."

 

Citrus fruits are said to be invaluable to anyone's diet

Love a cup of tea? Scientists found those who drank two or three cups of black tea a day were less than half as likely to exhibit early signs of age-related dementia. 

The key ingredient that made the difference was the polyphenol compounds, found mainly in green tea.

It is believed polyphenols prevent oxidation of brain cells, as well as blocking the build-up of brain deposits in the brain, called plaques, both of which have been shown to inhibit brain function and could lead to age-related decline. 

Drinking two to three cups daily reduced the risk of illness by about 55 per cent, while for those on six to 10 cups a day it was 63 per cent.