Lybrate Logo
Get the App
For Doctors
Login/Sign-up
Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
BookMark
Report

Leafy Greens - Good for the Eyes And Boost Brain Function!

Profile Image
Dt. Merlin Annie RajDietitian/Nutritionist • 15 Years Exp.Registered Dietitian, M.Sc - Dietitics / Nutrition
Topic Image

From a young age, we are taught that different nutritious foods can help our bodies stay healthy. Want strong bones? Drink milk to get your calcium. Looking to bulk up your muscles? Eat more meat to pack in the protein. But did anyone ever tell you that there is a super nutrient that can boost your brain?

In the past, lutein – a carotenoid or pigment found in many fruits and vegetables – was primarily known as a nutrient for good eye health. But new research shows that it may also play a strong role in developing and maintaining brain function, and can enhance learning and memory. New research suggests lutein, a nutrient known for supporting eye health, also enhances cognitive skills.

Benefits Babies to Boomers

From infants to seniors, everyone can benefit from a lutein-rich diet.

Increased levels of lutein may help speed up cognitive milestones in infants. Research suggests that as babies get more lutein, either from formula or from breastmilk (when their mother has a high-lutein diet) - supports the development of brain function.  “These cognitive milestones could include an infant making eye contact with a parent, moving their head to look at something in their peripheral vision, or turning their attention to someone when they hear their name.”

School-age children may see higher test scores when they eat more lutein. The amount of lutein present in preadolescent children’s eyes directly relates to their brain development and learning skills, which can predict performance on tests.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin (another carotenoid) improves processing speed and efficiency, along with memory in young and older adults. Lutein is known to accumulate in the retina and several other regions of the brain and has been shown to protect against eye disease and preserve cognitive function in older adults. 

Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help increase your lutein intake each day. Aim to eat foods rich in lutein like green leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, turnip green, celery and broccoli, zucchini, garden peas, carrots, tomatoes, beets and eggs.

With a helpful brain boost from lutein, people of all ages may be able to improve their cognitive function, from learning and memory to concentration and focus. So, treat your brain to a tasty snack - amp up your next meals by incorporating more lutein.

chat_icon

Ask a free question

Get FREE multiple opinions from Doctors

posted anonymously
doctor

Book appointment with top doctors for Pigmented Skin treatment

View fees, clinc timings and reviews
doctor

Treatment Enquiry

Get treatment cost, find best hospital/clinics and know other details