Keeping Sharp with Fruits, Veggies

Stick with those fruits and vegetables to live healthy and longer -- and stay at the top of your game. Researchers say those foods seem to be powerful weapons in battling age-related declines in mental function.

Writing in the Journal of Neuroscience, investigators at Tufts University's Human Research Center on Aging say the antioxidants found in such foods are so powerful that they "may play an important role in protecting against and possibly reversing the cognitive declines seen from aging."

The report is based on a study of rats who were fed spinach and strawberries. The result: the rodents had better memories than others receiving standard nutrition. The findings "show that these foods, particularly spinach," were significantly effective in battling mental decline.

Antioxidants in test animals and in humans have been proven effective in countering the effect of free radicals. Study authors say the brain "may be particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of free radicals" and the destruction they cause is "thought to be a contributing factor to the decline in memory and motor performance seen in aging."