Food forThought

摘要

Evidence for a close relationship between the brain and overall health, including our ability to fend off diseases, continues to emerge. In a study published online last month in Neurology, for example, scientists found that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who ate a diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may have less disability and fewer symptoms than patients with less healthy eating habits. The study involved nearly 7,000 patients with a variety of MS types who answered questions about their diet as part of the North American Research Committee registry. For study purposes, a healthy diet was defined as eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains and less sugar from desserts and sweetened beverages and less red and processed meat. Researchers looked at participants' overall healthy lifestyle, characterized as having a desirable weight, taking part in regular physical activity, eating a better-than-average diet, and not smoking.