Why spinach and kale are good for the ageing brain

Green vegetables like spinach and kale are good for the ageing brain, have such great health benefits, and now data shows that there may be cognitive benefits too.

The one consequence of ageing is the loss of cognitive control. On an individual basis there is a wide range of variance in cognitive decline among individuals. It is possible that one variable such as diet can drive these differences.

Lutein is a nutrient which the body can’t make and is acquired through diet – leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale and from avocadoes and eggs.

Scientists from the University of Illinois conducted a study involving 60 adults aged 25 -45 years old.

While most studies concentrate on older adults after there has already been some level of decline, the scientists from this study wanted to focus on young to middle age adults to examine how diet can impact cognition throughout the lifespan.

Cognitive loss is measurable as early as mid-adulthood and in  this study the researchers aim was to understand the changes that take place in cognition as people get older and how diet makes a difference.

Carotenoid status was assessed by directly measuring macular pigment optical density (MPOD) which has shown to be highly associated to the primary carotenoid in the brain called lutein.

Lutein is a nutrient which the body can’t make and is acquired through diet – leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale and from avocadoes and eggs.

Lutein accumulates in the brain tissues, but also accumulates in the eye allowing researchers to measure the levels without any invasive techniques.

Lutein levels were measured by having the participant look into a scope and respond to a flickering light.

The participants then completed a two-stimulus oddball task to measure attention. The researchers measured neural activity in the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp.

The researchers found that the neuro-electrical activity in the older participants with higher levels of lutein looked much like the neural activity in the younger participants’ brain and significantly better than older participants with less lutein levels.

This study shows that lutein has a significant impact on cognition and seems to play a protective role against cognitive decline.

It seems that consuming lutein rich foods like spinach and kale at an early age will provide maximum benefit as we get older.

So whip up some great recipes with spinach and kale and other leafy green veggies and settle down for a super healthy meal.

Source: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience