Eating Vegetables Helps Cognitive Function

Recent experiences provide another reason why eating vegetables is good for you. A study published in the journal Neurology shows that men who eat a lot of vegetables have a 30% lower risk of cognitive decline later in life.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. T.Kh. Chan's goal was to determine the cognitive health effects of long-term consumption of fruits and vegetables later in life. To conclude, they followed nearly 28,000 people for two decades, starting at an age when they were 51 on average. Participants answered questionnaires about the consumption of fruits, vegetables and other foods every four years.

On average, when they were 73, participants also answered questionnaires that measured their memory and thinking skills. This was done so that researchers could assess the effect of eating habits in middle age on cognitive function later in life. The tests included questions about whether the men had difficulty remembering things, following instructions, or keeping track of TV plots, or getting lost on familiar streets.

The researchers grouped participants into five groups according to their fruit and vegetable intake. The group with the most vegetables consumed ate almost six servings per day, while the group with the lowest consumed servings ate about two servings per day. In terms of fruit, the group with the highest intake ate about three servings per day, while the group with the lowest intake ate half of the serving per day.

The results showed that men who regularly ate the most vegetables over two decades were 17% less likely to have mild cognitive impairment and 34% less likely to have broader cognitive problems over the age of 70 than men who ate the least vegetables. In addition, the results of the Memory and Thinking Skills Study showed that 55 percent of the participants had good thinking skills, 38 percent had moderate skills, and seven percent had poor thinking and memory skills. Overall, only 6.6% of men with the highest vegetable consumption experienced cognitive decline, compared with 7.9% of men with the lowest vegetable consumption.

On the other hand, fruit consumption did not appear to be associated with a moderate risk of cognitive decline. However, in men who drank more freshly squeezed orange juice, the risk of extensive cognitive problems was lower than that of those who drank little of it. However, the researchers warned that men should not drink excessive amounts of orange juice because fruit juice usually contains a lot of calories from concentrated fruit sugars. It is best to drink no more than 100-150 grams per day.

Typically, fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and nutrients such as antioxidants, which can help relieve oxidative stress in the brain and keep blood vessels healthy. Green, leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, and spinach are some of the best vegetables for improving cognitive function and slowing down cognitive decline. These vegetables contain brain stimulating nutrients such as vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene. Berries are also beneficial for brain health. They are rich in natural plant pigments called flavonoids, which are mainly responsible for their health benefits.

Mironova A. (based on materials harvard.edu)

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