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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : September 17, 2014 12:37 PM IST
Exercising is no doubt good for staying fit but did you know it can also also benefit your brain. According to a new study daily exercise can protect you against age-dependent cognitive impairment.
Researchers found that healthy lifestyle helps maintain the elasticity of arteries, thereby preventing downstream cerebrovascular damage and resulting in preserved cognitive abilities in later life. Our body's arteries stiffen with age and the vessel hardening is believed to begin in the aorta - the main vessel coming out of the heart before reaching the brain. 'Indeed, the hardening may contribute to cognitive changes that occur during a similar time frame,' said lead researcher Claudine Gauthier from University of Montreal, Canada.
They found that older adults whose aortas were in a better condition and who had greater aerobic fitness performed better on a cognitive test. 'We think that the preservation of vessel elasticity may be one of the mechanisms that enables exercise to slow cognitive aging,' Gauthier added. For the study, they worked with 31 young people between ages 18 and 30 and 54 older participants aged between 55 and 75.
This enabled the team to compare the older participants within their peer group and against the younger group who obviously have not begun the ageing processes in question. The results demonstrated age-related declines in executive function, aortic elasticity and cardiorespiratory fitness, a link between vascular health and brain function, and a positive association between aerobic fitness and brain function.
Here are some vegetables for healthy heart
Leafy vegetables: Green vegetables like spinach (palak) and fenugreek (methi) are loaded with vitamin K which plays an important role in blood coagulation, offering a protective effect on the heart. They also offer folate that lowers the levels of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that may contribute to atherosclerosis. Additionally, the fibre content of these vegetables naturally lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol that increases your risk of heart disease.
Tomatoes: Although tomatoes are botanically classified as fruits, we Indians use them regularly in cooking. Regardless of what you consider them to be, they will provide natural protection against heart disease with their goodness of lycopene, beta-carotene, folate, potassium, vitamin C, flavonoids and vitamin E. Individually, each one of them contributes to reduce LDL cholesterol, homocysteine levels, platelet aggregation and blood pressure. Read more about 5 vegetables you must eat for a healthy heart
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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