Dark leafy greens score again! This time for keeping our brains younger and sharper. In a study that tracked the diets of more than 950 older adults for a period of five years, those who consumed the most leafy greens performed the best intellectually. For this study, the participants completed detailed dietary questionnaires and had their cognitive function carefully monitored yearly through a battery of 19 different tests. Relative to those who did not eat leafy greens, those consuming one to two servings a day maintained the brain function of a person 11 years younger!
Given that the brain is the most demanding and sensitive of all organs to nutrition, these results come as no surprise. Dark leafy greens are truly the “nutrient goliath” – offering more nutrients per unit calorie than any other food. And for healthy icing on the cake – this nutritional megastar is also a standout food for weight control, heart health, cancer protection, metabolic health, and maintaining youthful skin. Go for any and all- collards, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, lettuce greens, etc. raw or cooked- and do so daily! (ASN Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2015)
