There’s a reason we’re told to ‘eat the rainbow’. The thing that brightly coloured foods have in common is antioxidants. These are plant chemicals that are good for us, but it’s becoming clear that each one has slightly different benefits, especially fighting age-related diseases. A recent Queen’s University Belfast study, looking at the health data of 122,000 UK adults, found that a diet rich in flavonoids (one class of antioxidants) significantly reduced the risk of dementia, especially in people with other risk factors like high blood pressure, depression or genetic susceptibility. Those with the highest flavonoid intake from the food list (berries, apples, grapes, citrus, peppers, onions, red wine, tea and dark chocolate) were 28% less likely to develop dementia than those with the lowest intake. Tea (black and green), berries and red wine were foods that made the biggest difference.
Other recent research has shown that antioxidants enhance short-term memory and muscle strength, as well as lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
So, how do they work? ‘Plants produce these compounds to help protect them from pests, disease and environmental stress and they have beneficial effects when we eat them,’ explains nutritionist Hannah Neville Green (riverford.co.uk). ‘Antioxidants protect our DNA, proteins and lipids from damage by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that attack cells, causing chronic disease and premature ageing.’ We produce free radicals through metabolism, but also in response to stress, viral infections and pollution.