There have been several other studies that offer hope and insight into this important issue. In Sweden, Miia Kivipelto of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied 1,500 people over a period of 21 years. She and her team of colleagues observed that people in their 50s who were obese ran twice the risk of developing significant memory loss. A study conducted at Harvard Medical School by Jae Hee Kang concluded that middle-aged women who ate great quantities of leafy green or cruciferous vegetables helped preserve their brainpower years later. The anti-oxidants contained in the vegetables help to ward off damage to the brain by molecules thought to accelerate aging, Kang says. Still another Swedish study of 800 seniors concluded that those who regularly engaged in activities that were intellectually challenging, social and involved a physical component had the best chance of avoiding dementia. According to neurologist Marilyn Albert, "It’s never too late to adopt a healthier life style. Now we know there’s so much we can do to help our brains."
