Fruit, veggie consumption may lessen memory loss in men

Eating lots of leafy greens, orange and red vegetables, berries and orange juice may help men stave off cognitive decline, according to a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Researchers analyzed 20 years’ worth of data from nearly 28,000 male health professionals. The men completed questionnaires every four years about their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and other foods, and also reported on their thinking and memory skills at least four years before the end of the study, when they were an average age of 73.

Men who consumed the most vegetables (6 servings per day) were 34% less likely to develop poor thinking skills than the men who consumed the least amount (2 servings), the study found. In addition, men who drank orange juice daily were 47% less likely to develop poor thinking skills than those who drank less than one serving per month.

“This study adds to existing research that higher intake of vegetables and fruits in the long term may play an important role in maintaining cognitive function,” said lead author Changzheng Yuan, postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Chan School, in a November 21, 2018 HealthDay article.

Read the HealthDay article: Give Thanks for These Foods That Help Preserve Aging Memory

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Vegetables and fruits (The Nutrition Source)