Nutrition News: Another Reason to Load Up With Veggies
An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but vegetables could be the better defense against memory loss and cognitive decline. Research published today in the journal Neurology found a link between high vegetable consumption and a slower rate of age-related cognitive decline in adults over 65. No such benefit was seen with high levels of fruit intake, and the oldest study participants seemed to reap the biggest advantages. "The older you were and the more vegetables you consumed, the better the benefits," says Martha Claire Morris, epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and lead study author.
The study's 3,718 participants ranged in age from 65 to 102, with an average age of 74.3. Between 1993 and 2002, cognitive tests and food intake questionnaires were administered in participants' homes, and follow-up interviews were done three and six years after the initial intake.
On average, participants ate equal amounts of fruit and vegetables–about two servings of each per day. Morris's team calculated that eating at least two servings of vegetables per day equated to having mental sharpness approximately 5 years younger in age. This "vegetable effect" increased with intake: People who ate the most vegetables had 30 percent to 35 percent less cognitive decline than those who ate the least. As a group, green leafy vegetables showed the strongest association with slowed cognitive decline. And zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, broccoli, lettuce, kale, and collards were among the most beneficial individual vegetables.
While both fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and compounds that protect brain function, Morris points to vegetables' high vitamin E content as a possible explanation for the difference, since it isn't as abundant in most fruits. Salad dressings and other added fats like mayonnaise and butter could be another contributing factor, she explains, because they often accompany veggies and are known to boost absorption of vitamin E and other antioxidants. Morris notes that berries could be an exception to their findings, as previous research has found they're exceptionally high in antioxidants and may be protective for the brain.
The research isn't reason to abandon the fruit stand. "This is just maybe another reason to eat your vegetables," says Morris, who has done considerable research on dietary risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
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