We’ve always heard that you are what you eat. Research shows that diet can have an impact on heart health. Can we improve our brain function by paying attention to nutrition?
Dr. James Joseph and his colleagues have investigated the effects of antioxidant and flavonoid rich foods such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and spinach. In rodents, supplementing the diet with such foods can reverse some of the mental decline associated with aging. How well will they work in humans?
Instead of aging brains, Dr. Steve Zeisel has examined the other end of the life span. His rodent research shows that choline intake during pregnancy can have a profound effect on the offsprings’ brain and cognition. If these effects also hold for people, pregnant women should be eating plenty of nuts, seeds, wheat germ and eggs.
Guests: James Joseph, PhD, is Director of the Neuroscience Laboratory of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD, is Director of the Nutrition Research Institute at the University of North Carolina. He is also the Kenan Distinguished University Professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina and Director of the Human Clinical Nutrition Research Center there.
