GreenCravers.com

Yes, what we eat CAN boost memory —
even as we age

by Diana

Time to read: 1.5 minutes

We often hear “you are what you eat” but it’s a poor motivator.  Who cares… really!  “Eat this and avoid Alzheimer’s disease” or “… feed this  to your child and watch his intelligence blossom” is far more meaningful and TRUE.  Research proves — one particular green leafy vegetable helps protect the brain from naturally occurring (as we age) free radical damage and slows age-related declines in brain power.  It also improves learning capacity and motor skills.

Spinach is one of THE brain foods

Researchers agree — spinach has the strongest association with slowing down the cognitive decline by 40%.   It helps slow age-related declines in brain power.  Spinach will improve learning capacity and motor skills — no matter what the age.

The Chicago Health and Aging Project, reported by World’s Healthiest Foods, suggests that eating just three servings of green leafy, yellow, and cruciferous vegetables each day could slow down cognitive decline* by 40%.  This equates to getting back around five years of youthful memory/brain power according to researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

Here’s how spinach does it

-Vitamin K – which functions in retaining calcium in the bone matrix where it promotes bone mineralization.

- Vitamin A

- manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, iron, and phosphorus

- excellent source of Vitamin B1, B2, and B6,

- good source of B3

- decent amount of Omega – 3

- lutein ( a major fighter against eye diseases)

- good source of protein

Our brain is like  any other organ in our body. We must take good care of and exercise it every day in order to maintain its full capacities… and one the first steps is to offer it the best (most nutritious) foods possible.

Of course spinach is not the only food that supports memory. Memory is too complicated a process and requires a great variety of nutrients than any single food can provide.  (to be continued)

* cognetive decline: is a decrease in the ability of brain to perform regular functions like judgement, reasoning, memory, learning and understanding