Eating
green leafy vegetables keeps mental abilities sharp
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
(FASEB), Science Daily
Something as easy as adding more spinach, kale, collards and
mustard greens to your diet could help slow cognitive decline, according to new
research. The study also examined the nutrients responsible for the effect,
linking vitamin K consumption to slower cognitive decline for the first time.
"Losing one's memory or cognitive abilities is one of the
biggest fears for people as they get older," said Martha Clare Morris,
Sc.D., assistant provost for community research at Rush University Medical
Center and leader of the research team.
"Since declining cognitive ability
is central to Alzheimer's disease and dementias, increasing consumption of
green leafy vegetables could offer a very simple, affordable and non-invasive
way of potentially protecting your brain from Alzheimer's disease and
dementia."
When the researchers examined individual nutrients linked with
slowing cognitive decline, they found that vitamin K, lutein, folate and
beta-carotene were most likely helping to keep the brain healthy.
"Our study identified some very novel associations,"
said Morris, who will present the research at the American Society for
Nutrition (ASN) Annual Meeting during Experimental Biology 2015. "No other
studies have looked at vitamin K in relation to change in cognitive abilities
over time, and only a limited number of studies have found some association
with lutein." Other studies have linked folate and beta-carotene intake
with slower cognitive decline.
To conduct the study, Morris' research team gathered data from
954 participants from the Memory and Aging Project, which aims to identify
factors associated with the maintenance of cognitive health.
The participants,
whose age averaged 81, reported their daily food and beverage intake by
answering a detailed 144-item questionnaire at the beginning of the study. The
researchers computed the total daily nutrients by combining the nutrient
content for each food consumed with the number of servings eaten each day.
They
followed participants for 2 to 10 years, assessing cognition annually with a
comprehensive battery of 19 tests and adjusted for age, sex, education,
smoking, genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease and participation in physical
activities when estimating the effects of diet on cognitive decline.
"With baby boomers approaching old age, there is huge
public demand for lifestyle behaviors that can ward off loss of memory and
other cognitive abilities with age," said Morris. "Our study provides
evidence that eating green leafy vegetables and other foods rich in vitamin K,
lutein and beta-carotene can help to keep the brain healthy to preserve
functioning."
In addition to green leafy vegetables, other good sources of
vitamin K, lutein, folate and beta-carotene include brightly colored fruits and
vegetables.
The researchers would like to expand their research to explore
the mechanisms of how nutrients in leafy green vegetables are acting on the
brain.
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The above story is based on materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Note:
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Cite This Page:
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
(FASEB). "Eating green leafy vegetables keeps mental abilities
sharp." Science Daily,
30 March 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150330112227.htm>.