Eating

leafy Green

SLOW

Memory Decline

The findings appeared in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

According to Dr. Thomas M. Holland, the study's lead author, taking such simple  steps such as eating more fruits, vegetables, drinking, and tea is an easy ways for people to take an active role in maintaining their brain health.

"In our study population, those who consumed the highest level of flavonols, an average of seven servings of dark leafy greens  a week or one serving of dark, leafy greens a day, versus the lowest [level], had a 32% decrease in their rate of cognitive decline," he told UPI in an email.

Starting dietary modifications and lifestyle interventions earlier in life would most likely yield the best outcomes, Holland said.

That's because changes in the brain, such as the accumulation of amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau protein or neurofibrillary tangles in the case of Alzheimer's disease,  begin perhaps 10 years to 20 years before the onset of easily detectable clinical signs of it.

However, he stressed that healthy behaviors, especially when it comes to food and drink, are always timely.

"The main point ... is it is never too early, or too late to start making healthy lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to diet," Holland said.

"The research presented here adds to the ever-growing body of evidence that what we eat matters. A diet diverse in fruits and vegetables is critical for both cognitive and physical functioning."

Flavonols are a specific subclass of flavonoids, which are molecules found in many fruits and vegetables, along with tea and wine,  that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and are known to prevent or diminish cellular damage throughout the body

including the brain, said Holland, assistant professor at Rush Institute for Health Aging, Rush College of Medicine & Rush College of Health Sciences in Chicago.

"Flavonols are primarily found in kale, beans, tea, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, apples, wine, oranges, pears and olive oil. That being said, this is not an exhaustive list," Holland said. "It is just where the largest concentrations of flavonols are found."

The highest level of flavonols generally is contained in the leaf or skin of the vegetable or fruit, and in lower concentrations in the extract or juice, Holland said.

So, although black, white, or green tea and wine -- red more so than white wine -- contain flavonols, it isn't a large concentration.

A person would need to drink three to four cups of tea daily to reach the highest level of flavonols, he said.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, and Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service.