US: Eating fruit and vegetables high in the B vitamin folic acid can more than halve the risk of developing Alzheimer's, according to a new US study. Researchers found that older people who consumed the recommended daily amount of the nutrient, found in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, had a 55 per cent lower risk of contracting the disease.
The study was carried out by scientists at the University of California-Irvine, who followed the eating habits of 579 people aged 60 and above for 10 years. None showed any signs of dementia when the study began and 57 went on to develop Alzheimer's. The study was published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.