| Eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods may play a major role in your cognitive function, according to research. While it's known that antioxidants may protect against certain cancers, heart disease and other age-related disease, they may also help to keep cognitive skills strong as we age and may even help protect astronauts brains from cosmic radiation.
Oxidative damage is thought to be one of the primary factors in brain aging, and the research suggests that diets rich in natural antioxidants may help to slow this damage.
In one study, blueberries, which are very high in antioxidants, appeared to be beneficial for brain aging, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. Scientists believe that blueberries contain chemicals that have not yet been identified that can protect the brain and even lessen the consequences of brain damage.
In another study, researchers found that an antioxidant-rich diet may prevent some of the cognitive changes that occur with exposure to cosmic rays. The brain damage that could be caused by cosmic rays is one of the major obstacles that must be overcome before astronauts will be able to travel to Mars, as a three-year space flight is required.
EurekAlert November 8, 2003
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