Walking, Eating Celery May Ward Off Memory Loss

 Simply walking every day could help you retain more of your memory function later in life, according to a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. However, it means doing a lot of walking.

 Kirk I. Erickson, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and lead author of the study, says walking six miles a week could help the brain retain its size as individuals age. The study followed 299 older people who kept track of their walking distances.

 After a nine-year period, the subjects underwent brain scans to measure brain size. They were also tested for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of memory impairment, from mild to severe. Those who walked at least six miles each week were found to have more brain mass than those who walked less.

 Erickson says the findings are encouraging because they point to simple, inexpensive steps individuals can take to ward off dementia.

 "Just by walking regularly, and so maintaining a little bit of moderate physical activity, you can reduce your likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease and spare brain tissue," he said.

Celery, peppers and carrots

 Other recent research points to additional easy steps to maintain memory function. Researchers writing in the Journal of Nutrition report a diet rich in the plant compound luteolin reduces age-related inflammation in the brain and related memory deficits by directly inhibiting the release of inflammatory molecules in the brain, researchers report.

Luteolin is found in many plants, including carrots, peppers, celery, olive oil, peppermint, rosemary and chamomile.

The researchers focused on microglial cells, specialized immune cells that reside in the brain and spinal cord. Infections stimulate microglia to produce signaling molecules, called cytokines, which spur a cascade of chemical changes in the brain.

 Some of these signaling molecules, the inflammatory cytokines, induce "sickness behavior": the sleepiness, loss of appetite, memory deficits and depressive behaviors that often accompany illness.

Inflammation

"We found previously that during normal aging, microglial cells become dysregulated and begin producing excessive levels of inflammatory cytokines," said University of Illinois animal sciences professor Rodney Johnson. "We think this contributes to cognitive aging and is a predisposing factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases."

Johnson has spent nearly a decade studying the anti-inflammatory properties of nutrients and various bioactive plant compounds, including luteolin. Previous studies - by Johnson's lab and others - have shown that luteolin has anti-inflammatory effects in the body. This is the first study to suggest, however, that luteolin improves cognitive health by acting directly on the microglial cells to reduce their production of inflammatory cytokines in the brain.