Vegetable-heavy diet helps seniors act, think younger

[Guest guest]

Carrot and stick approach

Vegetable-heavy diet helps seniors act, think younger

Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Article Last Updated:10/24/2006 12:50:07 AM PDT

Nearly 30 years ago, Brad Swanson became a vegetarian to steer clear of the

temptations of greasy fast food, a staple of his college life.

 

Now 47 and vegan, Swanson's skin looks clear, smooth and wrinkle-free - a

welcome side effect to years of healthy eating.

 

So the Woodland Hills man wasn't surprised by a six-year study released Monday

that found that older people who ate more than two servings of vegetables daily

looked about five years younger than those who ate few or no vegetables.

 

" Eat more vegetables. Change your diet, " he said as he strolled out of a Canoga

Park health-food store. " It was a lifestyle that makes sense to me. "

 

The study of almost 2,000 Chicago-area men and women also found that eating

vegetables helps keep the brain young and could slow the mental decline

sometimes associated with aging. The findings echo previous research involving

only women.

 

Common sense

 

" It validates common sense, " said Dr. Michael Hirt, director for the Center of

Integrated Medicine at Encino-Tarzana Medical Center.

 

" Foods that are not processed, that come from the fruit and vegetable family are

very good for you, " Hirt said. " Obviously the antioxidants found in

 

 

 

fruits and vegetables contribute to a healthy brain and a healthy brain means

healthy thoughts. The cleaner the burning from an energy source, the better your

brain is going to run. "

The study, published in this week's issue of the journal Neurology and funded by

the National Institute on Aging, adds to the discussion about the benefits of

vegetables.

 

Dr. Paul Talalay, a professor of pharmacology at Johns Hopkins University, said

it is difficult to generalize about nutrition because there is little uniformity

between vegetables found in China, for example, versus the United States.

 

" You can buy 20 heads of broccoli, and there can be a 10 or 15 percent

(difference), " said Talalay, a leading researcher on the ways broccoli may

prevent cancer.

 

Green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and collards appeared to be the

most beneficial, the new study said. The researchers said that could be because

they contain healthy amounts of vitamin E, an antioxidant that is believed to

help fight chemicals produced by the body that can damage cells.

 

Vegetables generally contain more vitamin E than fruits, which were not linked

with slowed mental decline in the study. Vegetables also are often eaten with

healthy fats such as salad oils, which help the body absorb vitamin E and other

antioxidants, said lead author Martha Clare Morris, a researcher at the Rush

Institute for Healthy Aging at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center.

 

The fats from healthy oils can help keep cholesterol low and arteries clear,

contributing to brain health.

 

" This is a sound paper and contributes to our understanding of cognitive

decline, " said Dr. Meir Stampfer of Harvard's School of Public Health.

 

" The findings specific for vegetables and not fruit add further credibility that

this is not simply a marker of a more healthful lifestyle, " said Stampfer, who

was not involved in the research.

 

The research involved 1,946 people 65 and older who filled out questionnaires

about their eating habits. A vegetable serving equaled about a half-cup chopped

or one cup if the vegetable was a raw leafy green such as spinach.

 

They also had mental function tests three times over about six years; about 60

percent of the study volunteers were black.

 

The tests included measures of short-term and delayed memory, which asked these

older people to recall elements of a story that had just been read to them. The

participants also were given a flashcard-like exercise using symbols and

numbers.

 

Overall, people did gradually worse on these tests over time, but those who ate

more than two vegetable servings a day had about 40 percent less mental decline

than those who ate few or no vegetables.

 

Their test results resembled what would be expected in people about five years

younger, Morris said.

 

" More energetic "

 

A vegetarian for 41 years, Stacey Vandoros of Woodland Hills said she has fewer

dental problems than others and heals quickly when cut. She believes the

benefits come from her diet of garden fresh foods.

 

The study also found that people who ate lots of vegetables were more physically

active, adding to evidence that " what's good for your heart is good for your

brain, " said neuroscientist Maria Carillo, director of medical and scientific

relations for the Alzheimer's Association.

 

West Hills resident Carol Decardo said her diet heavy with vegetables gives her

a vigor that she can't find anywhere else.

 

" I feel more energetic and can go all day - from 6 a.m. till late at night, "

Decardo said.

 

Staff Writers Susan Abram and Sue Doyle contributed to this report.

 

THANKS VEGGIE MUCH

 

Green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and collards appear to be the

most beneficial.

 

Fruits are not linked with slowed mental decline.

 

Vegetables are often eaten with healthy fats such as salad oils, which help the

body absorb the antioxidant vitamin E.

 

The fats from healthy oils in salad dressing can help keep cholesterol low and

arteries clear, contributing to brain health.

 

- Associated Press

 

 

 

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always

glorify the hunter