Study Links Nutrition to Brain Health in Older Adults

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They specifically mention leafy green vegetables and their Lutein content. I don't eat nearly enough vegetables, never did, but I do supplement with Lutein 20mg daily for my eyes. https://news.illinois.edu/blog/view/6367/440188

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A study of older adults links consumption of a pigment found in leafy greens to the preservation of “crystallized intelligence,” the ability to use the skills and knowledge one has acquired over a lifetime.

The study is reported in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Lutein (LOO-teen) is one of several plant pigments that humans acquire through the diet, primarily by eating leafy green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, or egg yolks, said University of Illinois graduate student Marta Zamroziewicz, who led the study with Illinois psychology professor Aron Barbey. Lutein accumulates in the brain, embedding in cell membranes, where it likely plays “a neuroprotective role,” she said.

“Previous studies have found that a person’s lutein status is linked to cognitive performance across the lifespan,” Zamroziewicz said. “Research also shows that lutein accumulates in the gray matter of brain regions known to underlie the preservation of cognitive function in healthy brain aging.”

The study enrolled 122 healthy participants aged 65 to 75 who solved problems and answered questions on a standard test of crystallized intelligence. Researchers also collected blood samples to determine blood serum levels of lutein and imaged participants’ brains using MRI to measure the volume of different brain structures.

The team focused on parts of the temporal cortex, a brain region that other studies suggest plays a role in the preservation of crystallized intelligence.
The researchers found that participants with higher blood serum levels of lutein tended to do better on tests of crystallized intelligence. Serum lutein levels reflect only recent dietary intakes, Zamroziewicz said, but are associated with brain concentrations of lutein in older adults, which reflect long-term dietary intake.

Those with higher serum lutein levels also tended to have thicker gray matter in the parahippocampal cortex, a brain region that, like crystallized intelligence, is preserved in healthy aging, the researchers report.

“Our analyses revealed that gray-matter volume of the parahippocampal cortex on the right side of the brain accounts for the relationship between lutein and crystallized intelligence,” Barbey said. “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.”

“Our findings do not demonstrate causality,” Zamroziewicz said. “We did find that lutein is linked to crystallized intelligence through the parahippocampal cortex.”

“We can only hypothesize at this point how lutein in the diet affects brain structure,” Barbey said. “It may be that it plays an anti-inflammatory role or aids in cell-to-cell signaling. But our finding adds to the evidence suggesting that particular nutrients slow age-related declines in cognition by influencing specific features of brain aging.”
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Very interesting! Thanks for posting. I'm not a big fan of supplements but maybe I need to rethink it.
 
There is so much about the brain we're only beginning to understand. I believe diet is critical to our all over health as we age. Our bodies also become less efficient and sometimes adding a supplement with the advice of a dr or pharmacist may be a good idea. Balanced diets with a variety of veggies is probably advisable for all of us. Skipping meals, fast foods and frozen dinners should probably be limited for us seniors. This article more than supports the importance of eating healthier as we get older. Maybe a good New Years's resolution for me--I'm going to try and improve my diet in ways that I can.
 
Yes, the darker green leafy plants are the best, and taste good too, when prepared right. I like southern style greens, taste good, has great fiber and nutritional value. If I get off my rear and get to the store, I'll fix them this weekend.

A recipe:

Southern style greens


Ingredients

bunch of collard greens
bunch of mustard greens
bunch of turnip greens
onion
Garlic(minced, chopped or dried)
a ham hock, sausage or chopped up bacon
brown sugar or honey
red pepper flakes, if you like


Directions

Put the ham hock in the pot along with a little bit of water, let simmer on low for a while. Or, if using sausage or bacon- chop up and brown the sausage/bacon in stock pot first, then pour off grease.
Chop up the collards, put in a big stock pot, add ½ cup water, and maintain that amount so the pot doesn’t run dry. Cook(low to medium) until the collards get limp. Chop the turnip greens and mustard greens and add them to the pot. Continue on low/medium heat, the turnip & mustard greens will cook quicker than the collards, as the leaves are not as sturdy. Add onion, garlic brown sugar and red pepper flakes, all to your taste preference.


Black eyed peas and cornbread, fried chicken or pork chops...and you’re good-to-go!
 
Lutein appears to have many good effects. I've been taking 6mg. daily for several years...hopefully to prevent Macular Degeneration. My eye doctor says that 6MG is about all the body can absorb. I get my supply from Swanson Vitamins, online...and a bottle of 100 only costs about $5....cheap insurance....and it appears to be working...the annual eye exams show good results.
 
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