If you aren't a vegetable lover, you might want to become one, especially by eating more dark leafy greens. Why the dark green leafy vegetables? Because a study indicates they help to delay a decline in memory and thinking skills that happens as we age.
A study published in Neurology looked at green leafy vegetables and cognitive decline. Over 950 adults between 58 and 99 years old were asked about different types of food they ate over a period of about five years. The cognitive function of the participants was also measured.
Those who ate about 1.3 servings of leafy green vegetables tended to have slower cognitive decline, translating to the equivalent of having a brain that functioned like people 11 years younger. Green leafy vegetable consumption was the most significant factor in protecting the brain, even after controlling for other memory-affecting aspects like age, activity level, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Modifying the diet can have a positive impact towards preventing cognitive disease despite other factors influencing their development.
That doesn't mean other factors aren't influencing the brain to age better. Also, the participants had to recall everything they ate over the past month or year, and we all know how hard it can be to do that.
According to the study with the lead author developing the MIND diet, leafy greens stand out as the most important food linked to better brain health, slowing cognitive decline and lowering the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
A diet rich in vegetables also helps lower the risk of health problems like obesity, heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. The nutrients in vegetables can help prevent and repair damage to the brain. Vitamin E has been shown to reduce inflammation in brain and also reduce the accumulation or amyloid plaques on nerve cells. Leafy greens also have antioxidants, vitamin K and vitamin B folate. Even if the green leafy vegetables aren't 100% proven to prevent dementia or Alzheimer's, they are good to eat. There is no downside, only positives.
Some easy ways to get more leafy greens in your diet include adding raw lettuce, cooked collards, raw/cooked kale and raw/cooked spinach to your meals. This can be done by adding some to pancake or muffin batters, soups, chilies, casseroles and even in your fruit smoothie. If a green salad is too boring for you, you can add some beans, nuts and whole grains to add some additional flavor.
Do you get enough dark green leafy vegetables in your diet?
References:
- Eating Leafy Greens Each Day Tied to Sharper Memory, Slower Decline
- Eating Leafy Greens May Slow Memory Loss
- Martha Clare Morris details her MIND diet for healthy brain aging at 2017 Fall Lecture
- Nutrients and bioactives in green leafy vegetables and cognitive decline
- Does This Study Show That Leafy Green Vegetables Prevent Dementia?
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