Eating peas, broccoli and spinach could cut the risk of dementia.
Research suggests that eating the vegetables keeps the mind sharp as people with higher levels of the nutrients kept their mental faculties up for decades longer than those who don’t eat their greens.
The finding, published in the journal Neurology, discovered that three types of antioxidants were key to fending off dementia. These are lutein and zeaxanthin – found in green vegetables such as broccoli and pea – and betacryptoxanthin, which is found in fruits such as oranges and tangerines.
The study involved 7,283 people who were at least 45 years old when it started. Those involved were followed for an average of 16 years to see who developed dementia.
Researcher Dr. May Beydoun said: “Extending people’s cognitive functioning is an important public health challenge. Antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage.”
