New research has shown that people who consumed an anti-inflammatory diet, which includes more vegetables, fruits, beans, and tea or coffee, had a lower risk of developing dementia later in life, according to Medical Xpress.
The research, published online Wednesday in Neurology, looked at more than 1,000 people in Greece with an average age of 73 who had no dementia.
Study author Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece said, “There may be some potent nutritional tools in your home to help fight the inflammation that could contribute to brain aging.”
“Diet is a lifestyle factor you can modify, and it might play a role in combating inflammation, one of the biological pathways contributing to risk for dementia and cognitive impairment later in life,” added Dr. Scarmeas, who is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
The participants answered a food frequency questionnaire, which is commonly used to determine the inflammatory potential of their diet.
Dr. Scarmeas noted that multiple nutrients in all foods contribute to the inflammatory nature of a person’s diet, according to Medical Xpress.
The researchers divided the participants into three groups – one with the lowest dietary inflammatory scores and others with medium scores and highest scores. Participants in the group with the lowest scores indicated a more anti-inflammatory diet, who ate an average per week of 20 servings of fruit, 19 of vegetables, four of beans or other legumes, and 11 of coffee or tea a week.
And the participants in the group with the highest scores indicated a more inflammatory diet, who ate nine servings of fruit, 10 of vegetables, two of legumes and nine of coffee or tea a week.
Over the course of three years, 62 people (6%) developed dementia.
Dr. Scarmeas said, “Our results are getting us closer to characterizing and measuring the inflammatory potential of people’s diets. That, in turn, could help inform more tailored and precise dietary recommendations and other strategies to maintain cognitive health.”
The researchers said it was an observational study and not a clinical trial. Therefore, it does not prove that eating an anti-inflammatory diet prevents dementia or brain aging. The study has just shown an association.
Another limitation of the study was a short follow-up; the participants were followed up for three years so the researchers said longer studies are required to confirm these findings.
