Background: Emerging evidence has suggested that green vegetables may prevent cognitive decline.
Methods: We examined the cross-sectional association between green vegetables intake and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using data from 525 participants aged 55 years and above from the China Longitudinal Aging Study (CLAS) in Shanghai.
Results: Compared with participants who did not eat green vegetables every day, those who had consumed green vegetables every day had a significantly lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (OR = 0.218, 95% CI, 0.116–0.411, p < 0.001), and this association was independent of age, education, having hobbies, surfing the Internet, sleep time per night (youth), long-term residency and consumption of specific red food, such as meat, bread, bean curd, and ginger.
Conclusion: In summary, using community-based data in Shanghai, we found out that subjects who eat green vegetables every day have significantly lower odds of MCI than those who do not eat every day. Based on current evidence, we propose that eating green vegetables every day might be a potential preventive measure to slow cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in the elderly.
Keywords: elderly, Chinese, dietetic association, green vegetables, cognitive impairment