A new study from RUSH University in Chicago has found that eating certain foods—especially green leafy vegetables—may help keep your brain healthier as you age.
The research shows that people who eat more of these foods tend to have fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains.
Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that slowly damages the brain. It often begins with memory problems and can lead to serious thinking and behavior issues.
In this study, researchers looked at 581 older adults. Their average age was 84, and they agreed to donate their brains for research after they died. Each person filled out yearly surveys about the food they ate. After they passed away, scientists studied their brains to look for signs of Alzheimer’s, such as plaques and tangles.
On average, the participants died seven years after the study started. About two-thirds of them showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease. But there was a clear difference between thos…
In fact, people who ate seven or more servings of green leafy vegetables each week had brain plaque levels similar to those of people nearly 19 years younger. That means their brains looked healthier, just from eating more greens. This suggests that foods like spinach, kale, and collard greens may have strong protective effects on the brain.
The researchers also found that people who followed the MIND or Mediterranean diet had fewer tau tangles and amyloid plaques in their brains.
The Mediterranean diet encourages lots of vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil, whole grains, beans, and nuts. It often includes three servings of fish a week and sometimes a small amount of wine. The MIND diet also highlights berries and green leafy vegetables, and it recommends at least one serving of fish each week.
Both diets avoid fried foods, sweets, red meats, and processed snacks. These unhealthy foods may harm the brain over time, especially when eaten regularly.
Still, the results match what earlier studies have found: eating healthy foods may lower your risk of brain problems as you get older. The study was led by Puja Agarwal and published in the journal Neurology.
If you want to take care of your brain, eating more green leafy vegetables, berries, and fish might be a smart and simple step. While no single food can prevent Alzheimer’s, eating well every day could help keep your brain sharp as you age.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
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