Study: Vegetables may keep brains young

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

New research on vegetables and aging gives mothers another reason to say "I told you so." It found that eating vegetables appears to help keep the brain young and may slow the mental decline sometimes associated with growing old.

On measures of mental sharpness, older people who ate more than two servings of vegetables daily appeared about five years younger at the end of the six-year study than those who ate few or no vegetables.

The research in almost 2,000 Chicago-area men and women doesn't prove that vegetables reduce mental decline, but it adds to mounting evidence pointing in that direction. The findings also echo previous research in women only.

Green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and collards appeared to be the most beneficial. The researchers said that may be because they contain healthy amounts of vitamin E, an antioxidant that is believed to help fight chemicals produced by the body that can damage cells.

Vegetables generally contain more vitamin E than fruits, which were not linked with slowed mental decline in the study. Vegetables also are often eaten with healthy fats such as salad oils, which help the body absorb vitamin E and other antioxidants, said lead author Martha Clare Morris, a researcher at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center.

The fats from healthy oils can help keep cholesterol low and arteries clear, which both contribute to brain health.

The study was published in this week's issue of the journal Neurology and funded with grants from the National Institute on Aging.

"This is a sound paper and contributes to our understanding of cognitive decline," said Dr. Meir Stampfer of Harvard's School of Public Health.

"The findings specific for vegetables and not fruit add further credibility that this is not simply a marker of a more healthful lifestyle," said Stampfer, who was not involved in the research.

The research involved 1,946 people aged 65 and older who filled out questionnaires about their eating habits. A vegetable serving equaled about a half-cup chopped or one cup if the vegetable was a raw leafy green like spinach.

They also had mental function tests three times over about six years; about 60 percent of the study volunteers were black.

The tests included measures of short-term and delayed memory, which asked these older people to recall elements of a story that had just been read to them. The participants also were given a flashcard-like exercise using symbols and numbers.

Overall, people did gradually worse on these tests over time, but those who ate more than two vegetable servings a day had about 40 percent less mental decline than those who ate few or no vegetables. Their test results resembled what would be expected in people about five years younger, Morris said,

The study also found that people who ate lots of vegetables were more physically active, adding to evidence that "what's good for your heart is good for your brain," said neuroscientist Maria Carillo, director of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association.

The study examined mental decline but did not look at whether any of the study volunteers developed Alzheimer's disease.

___

On the Net:

Alzheimer's Association: http://www.alz.org/brainhealth/overveiw.asp

Neurology: http://www.neurology.org

[Jenn! 918]

This is huge news! Vegetables are good for you? Wow!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Where my carrots? Damnit, wish I had eaten them then I could remember where they are. Oh, but then they'd be eaten. Dilemma, dilemma.

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

did it say whether frozen or fresh were better?

Daniel

:energetic:

[one...two...tree 2,762]

did it say whether frozen or fresh were better?

Daniel

:energetic:

HOW CAN FROZEN BE BETTER THAN FRESH?

It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that fresh vegetables are the gold standard. We were all brought up on images of farm-fresh vegetables plucked from the fields and rushed to the table—and that is the gold standard. But the fact is, most fresh vegetables sold in the foodservice are picked unripe so that they can survive shipping, and truly fresh locally grown produce, aside from being expensive, is subject to seasonal ups and downs in both availability and quality.

High quality frozen vegetables, on the other hand, when produced by a reliable, company committed to acquiring and pioneering the latest technology, are harvested at the moment of peak ripeness. After initial preparation, these vegetables are usually blanched, or slightly pre-cooked, a process that ensures that they retain much of their natural appearance and flavor for long periods of time in storage. And often, that flavor and appearance will actually be superior to that of fresh vegetables, which begin losing flavor within a few days—sometimes even hours—of harvest.

In fact, with today’s growing, harvesting and freezing technologies, in many cases it’s virtually impossible to distinguish fresh from high-quality frozen on the plate. Anyone who has compared the flavor of well prepared frozen corn kernels to fresh corn grown out of season knows that the frozen product will often have better flavor and texture.

http://www.simplotfoods.com/index.cfm?cont...r&article=1

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

call me Thomas. i still have doubts.

fresh: picked un riped. shipped. put for sale. bought. taken home. perchance ripe by now?

frozen: pciked ripe: shipped somewhere. blanched. frozen. X time sitteng in some freezer. put for sale. bought. possibly thawing along the way. Refrozen. X amount of time. Thawed. Cooked. How many tr

ansformations was that and still keep its what i suppose is the 'origina' compositioon?

I'll take the fresh. I tend to buy from farmers market every other week.

in all honesty, methinks we are splitting hairs here folks. eat your veggies.

Daniel

:energetic:

[Anna C. 4]

A good point to explain why I will add broccoli to our Alfredo sauce tonight. I love his face at sight of broccoli, peas or brussel sprouts. :D

[one...two...tree 2,762]

call me Thomas. i still have doubts.

fresh: picked un riped. shipped. put for sale. bought. taken home. perchance ripe by now?

frozen: pciked ripe: shipped somewhere. blanched. frozen. X time sitteng in some freezer. put for sale. bought. possibly thawing along the way. Refrozen. X amount of time. Thawed. Cooked. How many tr

ansformations was that and still keep its what i suppose is the 'origina' compositioon?

I'll take the fresh. I tend to buy from farmers market every other week.

in all honesty, methinks we are splitting hairs here folks. eat your veggies.

Daniel

:energetic:

Daniel, I think buying from the farmers market is good! For awhile, I just completely avoided buying frozen veggies thinking they aren't comparible nutritionally to fresh. It's much more convenient for me to have frozen ...because I end throwing out so much.

[almaty 19]

call me Thomas. i still have doubts.

fresh: picked un riped. shipped. put for sale. bought. taken home. perchance ripe by now?

frozen: pciked ripe: shipped somewhere. blanched. frozen. X time sitteng in some freezer. put for sale. bought. possibly thawing along the way. Refrozen. X amount of time. Thawed. Cooked. How many tr

ansformations was that and still keep its what i suppose is the 'origina' compositioon?

I'll take the fresh. I tend to buy from farmers market every other week.

in all honesty, methinks we are splitting hairs here folks. eat your veggies.

Daniel

:energetic:

fresh is best

[Laveau 67]

I'm not genetically inclined to live long or stay young looking. The average expiration date for my folks is mid 60's. That might have something to do with us being from New Orleans and the fatty diet. My mother is 5'0" (maybe less) and at one point went over 300 lbs. All the women on her side struggled (struggles) with weight. For some unknown reason (maybe it's what some call the evil media and the obsession with skinny...I dunno) I have always been in tune with what I put in my mouth and the amount of physical activity I put in on a daily basis. I look at exercise sort of like eating and using the restroom. I always have to make time to fit it in...not an option NOT to. Shoot, even a dumb feeder mouse (I have one as a pet...I'm a biologist...I have lizards and birds, too) knows to run on her wheel!

Ok, I digress...I have (for the most part) stuck with a very low fat, mostly vegetarian diet since age 18. I'm in my 30's now and always (not often...always) get mistaken for much younger. I'm on the go and like to think of myself as young at heart and mind. I definitely attribute that to my mostly vegetarian diet. Do I LOVE the taste of veggies? Sometimes, I have to admit, I don't but I love the results. I rarely go hungry because of a "diet" and my grocery bill rocks. Fresh produce, grains (like rice), dry beans, and eggs is the way to go. I try to convince people of this but they don't get it. They have in their mind that eating this way is expensive, blah, blah, blah. I don't get it. But whatever. I think I may have gotten off topic.

Anyway, veggie power!!!