每天一份菠菜，大腦年輕11歲

While Popeye ate spinach everyday to maintain strong muscles, he was also bettering his memory, maybe without even knowing it.
大力水手波派每天吃菠菜保持肌肉力量，同時也增強了他的記憶力，他自己可能還不知道呢。

Consuming just a daily serving of spinach -- or any type of leafy green, for that matter -- may help slow the process of age-associated cognitive decline, according to a new study. The reason? Vitamin K.
最新的研究顯示，每天吃一份菠菜（或者說葉子多的綠色蔬菜）有助於延緩年齡增長造成的認知能力下降。爲什麼？因爲有維生素K。

A group of researchers at Rush University in Chicago who analyzed the diets and mental functions of 954 elderly people over a five year period found that those who incorporated more green in their diets were more likely to be mentally sharp.
芝加哥拉什大學的一個研究小組分析了954名老年人5年裏的飲食情況和大腦功能數據，發現多吃綠色蔬菜的老年人思維普遍更靈敏。

The researchers tracked the diets of participants, whose age averaged 81, for an average of five years. They found that people who ate one or two daily portions of green leafy vegetables had the same cognitive abilities as someone 11 years younger who never consumed leafy greens.
參與研究的老年人平均81歲，研究人員跟蹤記錄了他們的飲食情況，每個人的記錄平均都有5年。他們發現每天吃一到兩份多葉綠色蔬菜的人與比他們年輕11歲但從來不吃蔬菜的人有着相同的認知能力。

Beyond spinach, vegetables like kale, collards and mustard greens could also be effective in slowing down the brain's aging process. Previous studies have found that both folate and beta-carotene are brain boosters, but this study is the first to evaluate the benefits vitamin K has on the brain.
除了菠菜，羽衣甘藍和芥菜也有延緩大腦衰老的效果。早前有研究曾發現葉酸和β-葫蘿蔔素都可以活化大腦，而這次的研究首次發現了維生素K也對大腦有好處。

“No other studies have looked at vitamin K in relation to change in cognitive abilities over time, and only a limited number of studies have found some association with lutein," said Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., assistant provost for community research at Rush University Medical Center and the leader of the study's research team. The team believes that other foods high in these nutrients, like asparagus, brussels sprouts and carrots could provide the same benefits as the darker greens, and they intend to expand their research to explore this possibility.
“以前從來沒有人研究過維生素K與大腦認知能力改變的聯繫，只有極少數的研究發現過葉黃素在這方面的作用。”科學博士瑪莎·克萊爾·莫里斯說。她是拉什大學醫學中心社區研究的教務長，也是這項研究的團隊負責人。這個研究團隊認爲，其他富含這些營養成分的食物，如蘆筍、抱子甘藍和胡蘿蔔，也具有與深綠色蔬菜一樣的功效。他們打算擴大研究範圍去研究這種可能性。

The research holds promise for a brain booster that is accessible and affordable. "Since declining cognitive ability is central to Alzheimer’s disease and dementias, increasing consumption of green leafy vegetables could offer a very simple, affordable and non-invasive way of potentially protecting your brain from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia,” Morris said.
這項研究爲我們找到了一種方便實惠的大腦活化劑。“認知能力的下降與癡呆症聯繫緊密，因此想要預防癡呆可以多吃多葉綠色蔬菜，簡單實惠無副作用。”莫里斯說。