One of my favorite shows growing up was Popeye the Sailor Man who always ate spinach when he needed extra strength or to solve a problem. Now we know why! If eating a serving of leafy green vegetables a day could keep your memory and cognition sharp, wouldn’t you eat them?
Who needs to improve their brain’s ability?
EVERYONE!!! When it comes to cognitive health, most people associate old age with memory loss but that’s not always the case. Young adults in their 20s and 30s struggle with what’s called short-term memory loss which can include misplacing keys or not being able to recall someones name. It’s not just a coincident and the brain IS declining at the same rate as the elderly! We just won’t notice it until it starts to affect our everyday lives. According to a SURVEY done by researchers at Gallup and the Los Angeles University of California, memory is impaired by depression, less education, less exercise, and hypertension. But a new study at Rush University Medical Center suggest that cognition can be repaired by green leafy vegetables.
Protective Nutrients in Leafy Green Vegetables
Specifically, Vitamin K and other nutrients found in leafy greens is associated with the decline in memory loss and cognition. Vitamin K is known to help regulate calcium absorption and in people with Alzheimer’s there is some evidence of calcium irregularity. During a five-year period researchers concluded that of the 950 participants, those who consumed one serving or more of leafy green vegetables had reduced their chances of getting Alzheimer’s. Participants who ate their veggies showed the mental capacity of someone 11 years younger when compared to those who didn’t.
How to get one or more servings of leafy greens a day?
- Simply add more raw / steamed vegetables to your diet
- Green vegetable smoothies with added fruits to taste
- Fresh juiced vegetables
- Bake them in whole grain casseroles / pasta
- Add to soups / broths
Sources
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150330112227.htm
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0098630
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/03/24/vitamin-k-part-two.aspx
http://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/calcium-sensor-stim2-maintains-synapses-ebbs-alzheimers
Against All Toxins 