Colorful foods could keep your mind sharp. In a new French study, people who ate a diet rich in orange and green produce experienced less cognitive decline over 13 years than those who didn’t.
Credit the link to carotenoids, the antioxidants that produce bright pigments in certain fruits and vegetables. The researchers believe carotenoids help neutralize free radicals—molecules that damage cells—and protect against a whole slew of health problems, including cancer, diabetes, and even a bad attitude.
“There’s a dynamic interplay between what we expose ourselves to, such as diet and exercise, and our genes,” says David S. Liebeskind, M.D., Men’s Health‘s neurology advisor. “Cognitive decline is frequent with aging, but our brain is more regenerative than most people think.”
Stock up on green leafy vegetables, winter squash, carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes—all chock full of carotenoids. And attempt a crossword over your brain-boosting meal: A 2013 study in the journal Neurology found that keeping your brain active and challenged across a lifetime can help preserve your memory in old age.
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