Eating oranges, grapefruit daily can considerably cut dementia risk among elderly by 23 per cent: Study

The chances of dementia setting in elderly people can be significantly reduced by daily consumption of orange and grapefruit, reveals a study.

Researchers from Tohuku University in Japan have discovered that daily consumption of any citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes can reduce the chances of acquiring the incurable brain condition by almost 23 per cent.

The findings implied that the citric acid contains a chemical nobiletin, which in animal tests has proved to impede or reverse loss of memory. The team examined more than 13,000 elderlies for up to seven years to observe how many developed dementias.

The number of dementia cases among those consuming citrus fruits at least once a day was considerably less than in volunteers eating them less than two times a week.

“Some biological studies have indicated citrus may have preventive effects against cognitive impairment,” the researchers stated. “But no study has examined the relation between citrus consumption and rates of dementia. Our findings suggest frequent consumption is linked with a lower risk of dementia,” they concluded.