Per a study by the University of Illinois, consuming foods rich in lutein - like many leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables - will help to promote a healthy aging brain. (Lutein is a plant color humans consume over diet. It's called a carotenoid vitamin and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Mayo Clinic says.)
Since Old Age, Green Leafy Foods And Fruits Are Source Of Good Nutrition For Our Brain
"Previous studies have found that a person's lutein status is linked to cognitive performance across the lifespan," says Marta Zamroziewicz, lead author of the study. "Research also shows that lutein accumulates in the grey matter of brain regions known to underlie the preservation of cognitive function in healthy brain again."
Foods found to have the uppermost levels of lutein include corn, egg yolk, kiwi, pumpkin, zucchini squash and spinach, a previous study in the British Medical Journal reported. The University of Illinois study looked at 122 healthy people flanked by the ages of 65 and 75. They were asked to solve problems and answer questions on a standard test of preserved intelligence.
(According to Psychology Today, there are two types of intelligence: crystallized and fluid. Crystallized intelligence is the ability to utilize the information, skills, knowledge, and experiences we've acquired to solve problems. Fluid intelligence is the ability to solve new problems by using logic in new situations and identifying patterns.)
Academics also ordered MRI brain scans for each participant, as well as collected blood samples to determine the serum levels of lutein. While concentrating on the temporal cortex of the brain - a region that helps preserve crystallized intelligence - researchers found that those with higher lutein levels have a habit of to do better on tests.
These same test topics also lean towards to have thicker grey matter in the parahippocampal cortex, a region of the brain that is preserved in healthy aging. "Our analyses revealed that grey-matter volume of the parahippocampal cortex on the right side of the brain accounts for the relationship between lutein and crystallized intelligence," says Aron Barbey, psychology professor at the university. "This offers the first clue as to which brain regions specifically play a role in the preservation of crystallized intelligence, and how factors such as diet may contribute to that relationship."
The study did not postulate the amount of lutein that is needed for definitive brain protection and only determined that more levels of the vitamin meant a better chance at brain health protection. While a conclusive and direct relationship between nutrition and brain health has yet to be established beyond a doubt, Mount Sinai neuroscientist Dr. Graham Collingridge says diet remains an important factor for a healthy brain.
"It's very difficult to prove a direct cause and effect association between any different food and memory," says Collingridge, who was not a part of the study. "But I think people would say that food such as broccoli and spinach, which is generally rich in vitamins and nutrients, is good for the body and it's also got to be good for the mind and brain."
