Popeye Was Right: Eating Spinach Every Day Can Improve Brain Function

To ward off Alzheimer's disease, look inside your own refrigerator.

A newly-presented study from Chicago's Rush University shows a diet heavy in green vegetables might be good for your brain as well as your waist, reports The Telegraph.

Over periods ranging from two to 10 years, the team observed about 950 senior citizens with an average age of 81.

The team members theorized one or two servings of vitamin K-rich greens would help keep the brain healthy well into the twilight years, but they weren't quite prepared for the dramatic results of regular consumption.

Those subjects who regularly ate greens remained, mentally, 11 years younger than their veggie-eschewing peers.

It held true even after the team considered factors like age, gender and pre-existing conditions.

Chalk it up to the power of green, lead researcher Martha Clare Morris said in a press statement.

She continued,

With baby boomers approaching old age, there is huge public demand for lifestyle behaviors that can ward off loss of memory and other cognitive abilities with age. Our study provides evidence that eating green leafy vegetables and other foods rich in vitamin K, lutein and beta-carotene can help to keep the brain healthy to preserve functioning.

Interestingly, this is reportedly the first study to note a connection between vitamin K and brain health. Previous attempts to slow mental age solely examined beta-carotene and folate.

While maintaining a summer body only lasts a season, taking care of your brain is a habit worth sticking to all year long.

Consider working greens into a smoothie, pasta dish or even a stir fry. Your mind will thank you.

Citations: Eating spinach every day could make your brain 11 years younger (The Telegraph)