According to research, wine may help prevent the development of dementia.
The antioxidants in grapes can slow down memory decline and help keep your mind sharper for longer.
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Researchers at Rush University, Chicago have confirmed that flavonols can be beneficial for your health.
These compounds are found in teas, olive oil, fruits, vegetables and tomatoes.
Study leader Dr Thomas Holland said: “It’s exciting that our study shows making specific diet choices may lead to a slower rate of cognitive decline.
“Something as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more tea is an easy way for people to take an active role in maintaining their brain health.”
Nearly a million people in the UK have dementia and it is Brits’ number one cause of death.
A quarter of over-65s suffer from mild cognitive impairment. Brain power can drop as a result.
Dr Holland’s study involved 961 people with an average age of 81.
The participants were asked questions about food and drinks and then tested for their ability to remember numbers and words.
Researchers from Neurology split the group on the basis of their flavonol intake, which was between 5 and 15 mg per day.
The brain scores of those who had the most intake fell 0.4 points per decade more than people with lower intake.
Those who consumed the most myricetin – an antioxidant common in wine – had scores that fell by 0.3 points less than those who consumed the least.
Flavonols have been shown to improve health, such as lowering blood pressure and diabetes risk, and decreasing the likelihood of developing heart disease or cancer.
Experts at the University of New South Wales discovered that people who drink just one to two pints of beer per day are 38% less likely to develop dementia than those who drink a lot.