Journal Club - Higher antioxidant levels linked to lower dementia risk?

The study involved 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 study 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.

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. It's important to note that the effect of these antioxidants on the risk of dementia was reduced when other factors such as education, income and physical activity were taken into account. Hence, the authros concluded that it's possible that those factors may help explain the relationship between antioxidant levels and dementia.