Nutrition for the brain

• Power supply to the brain

According to research, eating leafy greens helps to keep the intelligence throughout their lives.

Leafy greens and a few other foods contain lutein - plant pigment that protects the brain from aging.

People with a large amount of this pigment in the blood to perform better tests to determine the level of intelligence.

Lutein is collected in the cell membranes of the brain, acting as a neuroprotective agent.

Foods that contain high levels of lutein include leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach, as well as broccoli, cauliflower and headed cabbage.

Studies also show that lutein accumulates in the gray matter areas of the brain that are known to contribute to the preservation of cognitive function at age aging brain.

In a study of 122 people aged 65 to 75 years, passed the test for the definition of crystallized intelligence, which is responsible for extracting the knowledge and skills of long-term memory and use them in a familiar environment. A blood test showed that people with higher levels of lutein have coped better with these tests. It was also found that lutein helps protect the most important areas of the brain.

This gives an idea of ​​what area of ​​the brain directly play a role in maintaining the crystallized intelligence and how factors such as diet, can contribute to this.

At the moment, scientists can only speculate as lutein in the diet affects brain structure.

Maybe he plays the role of anti-inflammatory and helps to transmit signals from cell to cell.

But the findings suggest that certain nutrients slow the cognitive decline that occur with age.