That one cup of tea in the morning may be protecting your brain against dementia, new research shows. 

A team of researchers from the Queen's University Belfast, UK found remarkable health benefits associated with regular consumption of foods and drinks rich in flavonoids like tea, red wine, berries and dark chocolate. 

For the study, professor Aedín Cassidy and his team used dietary data from UK Biobank and analyzed 120,000 adults aged between 40 and 70.

They found that eating foods and drinks high in flavonoids daily or eating six additional servings of flavonoid-rich foods, cut down the risk of developing dementia by 28 percent. 

"The greatest risk reduction was observed in participants consuming at least 2 of the following per day: 5 servings of tea, 1 serving of red wine, and 0.5 servings of berries, compared with those who did not achieve any of these intakes," the authors wrote in their study published in JAMA Network Open.

The findings come at a time when dementia hits someone every 3 seconds. More than 55 million people were affected by dementia in 2020.  Preventing dementia through dietary interventions can be particularly helpful for people who are at higher risks of the brain condition, researchers said. 

"The findings were most noticeable in individuals with a high genetic risk as well as those with symptoms of depression," Cassidy, said in a statement. 

Flavonoids, a type of plant chemical which give colors to fruits, vegetables and flowers, are found mainly in leafy vegetables, onions, apples, cherries, soybeans, cocoa and citrus fruits. Being rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, they have long been known to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and help improve cognitive function. 

According to health experts at Cleveland clinic, flavonoids can help relax blood vessels and prevent formation of blood clots, thus help keep blood pressure under control.

"Flavonoids aren't really digested or absorbed the same as other nutrients like protein or carbohydrates," Dietitian Bailey Flora, told Cleveland clinic. "Instead, our gut bacteria break down flavonoids and use them to benefit different parts of our bodies, such as providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties."

Types of Flavonoids: 

Anthocyanins: give purple, red or pink color to flowers and berries.  Oranges, red wine, bananas, berries are rich in anthocyanins.

Flavanones: are found in citric fruits like oranges, limes and grapefruit.

Flavanols: has the ability to promote cell life cycle and fight cancer growth. Black tea, green tea, cinnamon, cocoa and grapes are rich in flavanols.

 Flavones: give blue and white colors to flowers. They are found in herbs and vegetables, like thyme, celery, parsley, hot peppers and oregano.

Isoflavones: are found mainly in soy products.