Healthy Mind

Two new studies add to the evidence that staying physically active helps protect your brain-and fill in some gaps in that research

Even the experts sometimes need a little nudge to get exercising. Miriam E. Nelson, PhD, director of Tufts John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity

Low levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene could be clues to the onset of Alzheimers disease,

A flurry of new studies is raising hope that green tea may someday be a potent weapon in the fight against Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Although the studies differ widely in technique, ranging from scan-ning peoples brains to forming Alzheimers plaques in a test tube, all focus on ways polyphenol compounds in green tea affect important areas of the brain.

I s traffc pollution clouding your brain? Harvard researchers report that a doubling of exposure to black carbon-a marker for pollution from automotive exhaust-was associated with a 30% greater chance of scoring badly on a standard test for dementia. The poorer results, plus lower scores on a composite of six other tests of cognitive function, were the equivalent of adding almost two years to subjects age. Researchers analyzed data on 680 Boston-area men, average age 71, from the VA Normative Aging Study. The in- vestigators said this was the frst study to link traffc-related air pollution and cognition in older men, and only the second study of such a relationship in older adults. Tiny particles in exhaust, researchers suggested, might lodge in the brain, or could cause cardiovascular damage that in turn affects the brain.

Tufts new MyPlate for Older Adults helps you plan your plate-and your life. Last year, the federal government retired its longstanding food pyramid, replacing the familiar icon with a new dietary-guidance symbol

Heres more evidence that eating right is good for your brain-and that a diet low in key nutrients and high in unhealthy fats may actually contribute to cognitive decline with aging. Researchers report that older adults with higher blood levels of the B vitamins, vitamins C, D and E and omega-3s scored better on tests of mental performance and showed healthier brains in MRI scans. But older adults with high levels of trans fats, a sign of an unhealthy diet, scored worse on cognitive tests and had lower brain volume.

Heres more evidence that eating like a Mediterranean may be good for your brain

Those berries adorning your breakfast cereal or topping your yogurt may be doing more than merely adding fruity flavor to your day

With blueberries and more exotic fruits like aai getting so much press, its easy to overlook the health benefits of the good old strawberry.