Regular consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is associated with increased gray matter volume in the hippocampus and right precentral gyrus of the human brain. These changes in structure may reduce the risk of developing depression and dementia. This conclusion was reached by scientists from Uppsala University in Sweden. results published In the journal NeuroImage.
The scientists analyzed the eating habits of 9,925 participants whose data were taken from the British Biobank, a large repository of biological samples. The subjects also underwent magnetic resonance imaging to examine the structure of the brain.
The results showed that people who regularly consumed fresh fruits and vegetables had greater gray matter volume in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex and right precentral gyrus. Gray matter is an important component of nervous tissue in the brain and consists of neuronal cell bodies. Neurons are responsible for generating and transmitting nerve impulses, as well as processing and storing incoming information.
Researchers explained that eating fruits and vegetables specifically modulates brain volume. Increased gray matter volume, particularly in the hippocampus, is associated with a lower risk of dementia and depressive disorders. It remains unclear whether eating fruits and vegetables directly affects the amount of gray matter or whether people with higher gray matter volume in certain areas of the brain are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables.
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