Eat Greens and Carrots to Fight Dementia
By Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, MDs
Your brain is a powerhouse of neurological functions, keeping your heart beating, your guts moving, your eyelids blinking, and your experiences inventoried. When certain brain functions are disrupted by disease or trauma, you may experience dizziness, seizures, muscle spasms, emotional turmoil, trouble swallowing, or other symptoms.
One of the most common and life-altering brain malfunctions is dementia, a term describing difficulty remembering, thinking, or making decisions. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. Other forms include:
• Vascular dementia, related to strokes or other issues with blood flow to the brain
• Lewy body dementia, which causes movement or balance problems in addition to memory loss
• Frontotemporal dementia, which causes disturbing changes in personality and behavior
• Mixed dementia, a combination of, say, Alzheimer's and vascular dementia
Special: Do This – Before Bed – and Burn Belly Fat All Night Long
Because dementia isn't an inevitable result of getting older, you can take action today to prevent it. And there's a lot of science about the effect food choices have on your brain's health.
Two of the best brain protectors are carrots and leafy greens. Carotenoids like lycopene and the vitamins riboflavin (B2) and folate (B9) found in carrots help brain networks work more efficiently and protect cognition as you age, according to a study from the University of Illinois published in the journal NeuroImage.
And a recent study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that a combination of substances in carrots and green tea can reverse Alzheimer's-like memory problems in lab mice. They seem to do it by reducing neuroinflammation and keeping amyloid beta from gumming up the brain's circuitry.
Leafy greens deliver super-charged protection. In one five-year study that looked at the benefits of frequently eating spinach, kale, collards, greens, and lettuce, elderly folks who ate at least 1.3 servings daily were 11 years cognitively younger than those who ate the fewest servings.
The researchers concluded that the phylloquinone (vitamin K found in plants), lutein (a carotenoid), and folate in the greens were what protected cognition.
So what's the smart way to put this brain food into your daily diet? Eat two servings of fruit and three of vegetables daily for the healthiest, longest life.
Dr. Mike's research shows that if you extend this by replacing simple carbs (bread, pasta, chips) with vegetables, you'll have even more power to prevent chronic disease and dementia.
AND... I have a special surprise for you!!!!
A list of powerful superfoods to strengthen your immune system naturally.
