Choline, a nutrient found in eggs, chicken and other foods has been linked with sharper memory performance, a long-term study has found.
Certain foods like legumes (soy and kidney beans, for example), saltwater fish, liver and milk are high in the nutrient that limits the changes in the brain that are linked to dementia.
Senior researcher Rhoda Au and her team from Boston University School of Medicine performed the long-term health study on 1400 adults, spanning 10 years.
The participants, aged between 36 and 83, were questioned on their diet between 1991 and 1995. They then had MRI scans and underwent memory tests in 1998 to 2001.
They found that men and women with the highest percentile of dietary choline performed better on the memory tests, compared to those in the lowest quarter of intake.
And while Au warns you may not ward off Alzheimer's disease by consuming choline, those that don't consume the nutrient are more likely to be on the "path" to mental decline.
The nutrient is a precursor to acetylcholine, a brain chemical that plays a primary role in memory and cognitive function.
But Au is quick to add that the difference in test performance was minor. "As far as your day-to-day functioning, it would not be an appreciable difference," Au told Reuters Health.
Au said it was possible that other nutrients that were also present in the foods and could impact positively on brain function.
Until more is known on the nutrient, Au recommends maintaining a healthy lifestyle and exercising regularly.
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