Eating Leafy Greens Daily May Help Keep Minds Sharp

A study published in Neurology found seniors who consume leafy green vegetables daily exhibited a slower rate of cognitive decline, compared to those who eat little or no greens, reports National Public Radio . Included in the study were 960 participants of the Memory and Aging Project. Their average age was 81, and none of them had dementia. The researchers assigned each participant to one of five groups based on the amount of greens eaten. Those who tended to eat the most greens were in the top quintile, consuming about 1.3 servings daily. Those in the bottom quintile reported eating little or no greens. After approximately five years of follow-up/observation, "the rate of decline for those in the top quintile was about half the decline rate of those in the lowest quintile," says Rush Medical College Professor Clare Morris. She notes even after adjusting for other variables that might play a role, including lifestyle, education, and overall health, "we saw this association between greens and a slower rate of cognitive decline over and above accounting for all those factors." Green vegetables contain a range of nutrients and bioactive compounds such as vitamin E and K, lutein, beta carotene, and folate. "They have different roles and different biological mechanisms to protect the brain," Morris says. She notes further study is needed to fully understand their effect, but researchers are aware that consuming too little of these nutrients can cause problems.