Eating This Every Day May Help Fight Dementia, According to Research

While dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and cognitive decline can stem from many factors, including genetics, research consistently shows that everyday habits play a major role in long-term brain health. Mental stimulation and regular exercise—even something as simple as a daily walk—can make a big difference, as can eating a healthy diet. In fact, research points to one group of foods in particular that’s linked with fighting dementia and cognitive decline.

These brain-boosting foods contain a compound called flavonols, which a 2024 study in JAMA Network Open found can slow down the rate of cognitive decline. Researchers followed nearly 122,000 adult participants for nine years and created a “flavodiet score” based on each person’s daily intake of flavonol-rich foods such as tea, dark chocolate, berries, apples, sweet peppers, and red wine. 

The results? Those participants with high “flavodiet scores”—meaning they consumed the most flavonols daily—had a 28% lower risk of dementia. This flavanol-protective effect was especially strong in people with high genetic risk, hypertension, or depressive symptoms.

These findings support previous research from 2023 in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology, which looked at the effects of dietary flavanols in elderly adults. In that study, participants who consumed just 15 milligrams (mg) of flavonols daily experienced slower cognitive decline—equivalent to their brains aging a few years more slowly over the course of a decade. Researchers suggest this benefit may come from the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of flavonols.

What are flavanols?

Flavanols, also known as flavan-3-ols, are a set of antioxidant compounds found in plant-based foods and beverages. These antioxidants are known for reducing inflammation in the body—which has repeatedly been shown to trigger several chronic diseases. Flavonols also help tame oxidative stress, a type of cell damage that may play a role in conditions like cancer and Alzheimer’s. 

“Oxidative stress that can naturally occur due to lifestyle choices and environmental impacts, over time, may negatively impact brain health,” says Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LDN, CLEC, CPT, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Charleston, South Carolina. “Flavonols with antioxidant properties may help combat oxidative stress, and thus, support brain health.”

How foods with flavanols can slow down cognitive decline

Marc Milstein, PhD, a brain health researcher and author of The Age-Proof Brain, explains that oxidative stress and inflammation are known to damage brain cells. This can lead to brain dysfunction and, eventually, memory loss. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of flavanols can help fight off both, as they protect nerve cells and the brain itself.

Dr. Milstein adds that this isn’t the first time research has made the connection between flavanols and cognitive decline. “This is consistent with several studies that suggest flavanols are beneficial for brain health,” he says. He points to a 2020 study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which found long-term intake of foods with flavanols lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. An earlier 2009 review in Genes & Nutrition made the same conclusion, finding that flavanols-rich foods can limit neurodegeneration and prevent or reverse cognitive decline. 

Along with their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, flavanols also protect the noggin by increasing blood supply to the brain cells. “Basically, these foods send signals to send more oxygenated blood to brain cells,” says Dr. Milstein. “Oxygen is fuel to brain cells.”

Flavanols support many other functions

“Flavonols not only support brain health, [but] data also suggest that intake may be linked to many heart-health benefits, including healthy blood pressure and healthy cholesterol,” says Manaker. The American Heart Association backs this up, pointing to studies showing a connection between flavonols and a lower heart disease risk. 

In fact, 2025 research published in Nature Food shows that higher intake of flavonols is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality and major chronic disease—including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease, and cognitive decline. 

Why this link? Dr. Milstein explains: “We see that heart health is critical for brain health, as the heart is responsible for supplying the brain with oxygen,” says Dr. Milstein. Foods that promote heart health also support the brain, and these benefits extend to other bodily systems, as the Nature Food research shows. 

For instance, Dr. Milstein connects flavanols with improved gut health, which, in turn, is crucial for brain health. “Inflammation can start in the gut and spread to the brain,” he says. “These anti-inflammatory flavanols can lessen inflammation in the gut and thus protect the brain.”

Manaker adds that some studies even show the ways flavanols—particularly from cocoa—can improve skin health by enhancing elasticity, preventing wrinkles, and protecting against sun damage (though they don’t replace sunscreen.) They may even help repair DNA damage in skin cells, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. 

Flavanol-rich foods to add to your diet

So, how much flavonol-rich food should you be eating? In the 2024 JAMA study, the greatest dementia risk reduction occurred in people who consumed about 100 to 600 milligrams (mg) of flavonols daily. Similarly, the Nature Foods research notes that the first proposed dietary guideline for flavonols, released in 2022, recommends 400 to 600 milligrams daily. 

Hitting this range is easier than you might think. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), some high-flavonol foods and drinks include:

• Dark chocolate: about 170 milligrams in a 3-ounce bar
• Black tea: around 115 milligrams per serving
• Kale: about 90 milligrams in a 1.5 cup serving (chopped) 
• Blueberries: roughly 51 milligrams per half cup
• Onions: approximated 30 milligrams per medium onion

“People can enjoy foods and drinks like 100% orange juice, true tea, apples, kale, berries, and tomatoes to include this important component in their diet,” Manaker says. She adds that onions, spinach, and asparagus are all powerful sources of flavanols that can amp up the health factor in your meals.

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