Along with the sweaty practice of exercise, the natural compounds in the whole foods we eat every day can play an important role in helping our bodies slow down the aging process and avoid Alzheimer's disease.

Luteolin, a plant-based compound found in carrots, celery, peppers, chamomile, peppermint, rosemary and even olive oil, is the latest noteworthy nutrient found to decrease inflammation in the brain and improve cognitive health.

Based on experiments with rodents, University of Illinois researchers observed how older mice (possessing higher levels of inflammatory molecules in the hippocampus) that were fed a luteolin-supplemented diet for four weeks performed better on memory and learning tests than the rest of their peers. What's more, the level of inflammatory signaling molecules (cytokines) in the brains of the luteolin-fed mice resembled that of younger mice.

There's many tasty ways to protect your brain with all kinds of memory foods, like fish, chicken, tomatoes and nuts.

Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 140, No. 10, p 1892-1898, October 2010

Mail Online October 15, 2010

University of Illinois News Bureau October 13, 2010