1er November 2006 – Consuming vegetables and turmeric, an Indian spice, would protect against the mental decline that accompanies aging, reveal two studies released recently.
The first study, on the effects of regular consumption of vegetables, was carried out by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, among 3,700 men and women aged 65 and over1.
Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on their eating habits and undergo three tests over a six-year period aimed at measuring their cognitive abilities.
The performance of all participants has deteriorated over the years. But the decline of those who averaged at least two servings of vegetables per day was about 40% less pronounced than that of others. Their performance was actually that of people five years younger, according to the researchers.
One serving is half a cup of chopped vegetables or one cup of a leafy vegetable.
Long live spinach and kale?
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and cavaliere cabbage appeared to have the most pronounced beneficial effects, presumably because they contain high amounts of vitamin E, a recognized antioxidant.
The protection detected against cognitive decline was specific to the consumption of vegetables and not to that of fruit. “It is possible that an unknown dietary component of fruit could negate the effects of the antioxidants (which they contain),” the researchers point out.
The study authors also found that those who ate the most vegetables were also the most physically active.
What about curcumin?
Researchers from Singapore have looked at the impact of regular consumption of curcumin, a substance with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties contained in turmeric.2. They too come to some interesting conclusions, although they are much more careful about attributing a clear protective effect to this increasingly popular spice.
They studied the consumption of curcumin by about a thousand people who were at least 60 years old. This consumption ranged from “never or rarely” (never or less than once every six months) to “very frequent” (at least once a week, or even daily).
Moderate consumption of curcumin has been associated with improved intellectual performance. But researchers qualify. “These results do not establish a direct and clear causal link between the consumption of curcumin and the improvement of cognitive function”, they specify.
According to them, their results may have been influenced by other dietary factors, such as the consumption of vegetables or fat.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to Associated Press.
1. Morris MC, Evans DA, et al. Associations of vegetable and fruit consumption with age-related cognitive change. Neurology 2006 Oct 24; 67 (8): 1370-6.
2. Ng TP, Chiam PC, et al. Curry consumption and cognitive function in the elderly. Am J Epidemiol 2006 Nov 1; 164 (9): 898-906. Epub 2006 Jul 26.
