Romaine issues aside, there seems to be good reason to eat greens daily

[creekland]

Just reading the Blue Zones newsletter and came across this article:

 

https://bluezones.com/2018/01/news-greens-every-day-keeps-brain-11-years-younger/?utm_source=Blue+Zones+Newsletter&utm_campaign=bd4071e523-20Habits2018_2018_01_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9642311849-bd4071e523-199220277&mc_cid=bd4071e523&mc_eid=1d1f72b308

 

For those of us wanting to keep our brains functioning well, it's an interesting and motivating study.  It's not a definite nor a guarantee, but sure shows an interesting correlation of those they studied.

 

(I'm on a Chromebook, so can't seem to copy a quote from the article... so retyping a summary line of it.)

 

People who consume 1.3 servings of green leafy veggies per day have brains that seem to be 11 years younger than those who don't.

[SparklyUnicorn]

With the amount of greens I consume I must have the brain of a toddler!  LOL

 

 

[regentrude]

The report raises several questions for me:

1. How do they measure the age of a brain?

2. Do people in northern climes and economic systems that do not allow access to greens in the winter suffer from significantly more cognitive problems?

Asking because "daily" access to greens is a luxury humans in most climate zones never had until the late 20th century. When I grew up, there were no greens in the winter, period. First young lettuce was available around Easter, and it was much celebrated.

[shawthorne44]

I suspect the 'Daily' is that it is easier to study than 'Yearly'.   Where things are truly seasonal, people eat a bunch of what is in season, like the 'much celebrated' you mentioned.  Most of the vitamins we need can be stored in our bodies, we just have to top off our tank when we can.  

[creekland]

With the amount of greens I consume I must have the brain of a toddler!  LOL

 

:lol:  Except being from the Blue Zones, my guess is they tested older folks, so an 11 year difference only goes back to middle age.  Still, I'll take it!

 

I didn't grow up eating green leafy anything.  I only learned those sorts of things were tasty when I went to college, then even more after I married and started exploring new foods.  I'm hoping I can make up for lost time by eating them now.

 

MIL has severe Alzheimers, so if there's any hope whatsoever of leafy greens pushing that off, I know hubby will be interested.

 

The report raises several questions for me:

1. How do they measure the age of a brain?

2. Do people in northern climes and economic systems that do not allow access to greens in the winter suffer from significantly more cognitive problems?

Asking because "daily" access to greens is a luxury humans in most climate zones never had until the late 20th century. When I grew up, there were no greens in the winter, period. First young lettuce was available around Easter, and it was much celebrated.

 

1.  I suspect the typical cognitive tests.

 

2.  I'd love to see them do more research and let us know.  I see this as pretty similar to the cyclical absorption of Vitamin D for those of us in the northern (or far southern) latitudes, so I suspect daily will end up better than seasonal.

 

I'm also still hoping we can, indeed, make up for lost time too.

 

Both nutrition and brain studies are still so young in science.  There's much yet to be learned - very exciting fields for those of us who love science.