Drink black tea, eat berries, apples to age healthy
Want to age healthy? Higher intakes of black tea, berries, citrus fruits, and apples may help, according to global research
- NEW DELHI — Want to age healthy? Higher intakes of black tea, berries, citrus
fruits, and apples may help, according to global research.
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- Researchers from Edith Cowan University (Australia),
Queen’s University Belfast (UK), and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
(US), found that foods rich in flavonoids could help to lower the risk of key
components of unhealthy ageing, including frailty, impaired physical function
and poor mental health.
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- “The goal of medical research is not just to help people
live longer but to ensure they stay healthy for as long as possible,” said Dr
Nicola Bondonno, Adjunct Lecturer at Edith Cowan.
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- Previous studies have showed people who have a higher
flavonoid intake tend to live longer, and they are also less likely to get any
of the major chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes, or heart disease.
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- “Our research shows that people who consume more
flavonoids tend to age better,” Bondonno said.
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- The study, which analysed data from 62,743 women and
23,687 men over 24 years, found that women with the highest flavonoid intakes
had a 15 per cent lower risk of frailty, a 12 per cent lower risk of impaired
physical function, and a 12 per cent lower risk of poor mental health compared
to those with the lowest intakes.
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- While fewer associations were observed in men, higher
flavonoid intake was still linked to a lower risk of poor mental health.
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- “Flavonoids are well known for reducing oxidative stress
and inflammation, supporting blood vessel health, and even helping to maintain
skeletal muscle mass -- all of which are important for preventing frailty and
maintaining physical function and mental health as we age,” said Professor
Aedin Cassidy from Queens.
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- Further, the study showed that participants who increased
their intake of flavonoid-rich food by three servings a day had a 6 per cent to
11 per cent lower risk across all three ageing outcomes in females, and a 15
per cent lower risk of poor mental health in males.
