A new study proves that people who eat a large amount of green vegetables and who drink a lot of tea have better brain health.
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago studied more than 960 people with an average age of 81 and found that those who ate foods containing antioxidant flavonoids, found in plant pigments, were healthier.
After adjusting for other factors that might affect the rate of memory decline, the team reported that the cognitive score of participants who had the highest flavonoid intake decreased at a rate of 0.4 units. less per decade than those with the lowest intake.
“It’s exciting that our study shows that making specific food choices can lead to slower cognitive decline,” said study author Dr. Thomas M. Holland. Something as simple as eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more tea is an easy way for people to take an active role in maintaining their brain health.”
Specifically, participants who consumed the most kaempferol, found in kale, beans, tea, spinach and broccoli, had a 0.4 unit slower rate of cognitive decline per decade compared to those in the lowest group.
And those who consumed the most quercetin, from sources such as tomatoes, kale, apples and tea, had a slower rate of cognitive decline of 0.2 units per decade.
Consuming wine, kale, oranges and tomatoes has also been shown to be beneficial.
The full results of the study have been published in Neurology magazine.
