By Michael Roizen, M.D. on Apr 6, 2023
A group of northern New York organic vegetable farmers, who call themselves the Local Farmers Union, (try to) use "Veggie Folk Rock" music to promote local crops. My favorite titles are "Turnip the Beet" and "The Kale Song," which goes something like this: "Come on everybody let's eat some kale/I like to make kale chips/I like kale in my stir-fry/let's go eat some kale."
There's good science in their lyrics, according to a recent study that found that eating seven or more servings a week of green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and collard greens slashes the risk for Alzheimer's-related brain changes, compared to folks eating only one or two servings weekly. Researchers followed 581 people for almost seven years from a mean age of 84 to 91. Then, after death, they did brain autopsies to see the relationship between diet and Alzheimer's pathology, such as beta-amyloid load and Tau neurofibrillary tangles. It turns out that enthusiastic fans of kale (and other greens) had brains that were four to eight or more years younger than folks who didn't enjoy leafy greens. And the MIND diet (it prioritizes green leafy vegetables, berries, one-plus servings of fish weekly and a small amount of wine) was most effective in preventing Alzheimer's pathology.
Seven servings of leafy greens a week equals 1/2 a cup of cooked leafy greens a day plus a weekly total of 3 1/2 cups of raw greens, such as arugula, spinach and kale. So, check out your local farmers market -- and enjoy!
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Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His next book is "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow." Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email questions@GreatAgeReboot.com.
(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2023 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc
