A new study finds that higher consumption of vegetables and fruits is associated with lower odds of future memory loss in men, according to a study published recently in Neurology.

But haven't we always known that fruits and veggies are good for us? This is just another reason to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, as recommended by USDA's MyPlate.

The MyPlate approach to healthy eating — which includes filling one-fourth of your plate with whole grains and one-fourth with lean protein, along with 3 servings of dairy — is still the path to eating healthy. Forget the diets. Yes, keto is a fad, just like its predecessor, Atkins. The path to a healthier life starts with MyPlate, which includes all the food groups in balanced and moderate portions.

Now, you can add better brain function to the list of reasons to head to the produce aisle.

A side note: So many people are afraid of eating fruit because it contains sugar. But it's a natural sugar, and it is digested differently than added sugars (found in cookies, cakes and sweetened beverages) because of the fiber and other vitamins and minerals. Go ahead and enjoy those seasonal fruits, which are nutritional powerhouses.

In the study, Changzheng Yuan from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues used long-term data from 27,842 men (mean age of 51 in 1986) to examine the relationship between vegetable and fruit consumption and future subjective cognitive function. Dietary intake was evaluated using five repeated food frequency questionnaires collected every four years (until 2002), while cognitive function scores were assessed twice (in 2008 and 2012) with a six-item questionnaire.

After controlling for major nondietary factors and total energy intake, the researchers found that higher intakes of total vegetables, total fruits and fruit juice were each significantly associated with lower odds of moderate or poor cognitive function. When further adjusting for major dietary factors, the association with total fruit intake was weaker than that for vegetables but still impressive. For the top versus bottom quintile of vegetable intake, the odds ratios were 0.83 for moderate cognitive function and 0.66 for poor cognitive function. Daily consumption of orange juice was associated with substantially lower odds of poor cognitive function (odds ratio: 0.53) compared with less than one serving per month.

"One of the most important factors in this study is that we were able to research and track such a large group of men over a 20-year period of time, allowing for very telling results," Yuan said in a statement. "Our studies provide further evidence dietary choices can be important to maintain your brain health."

The bottom line? This is another example of the power of food, not just for brain health, but for good health overall.

Q and A

Q: Is eating processed meat as bad for you as smoking cigarettes?

A: The truth isn't quite as sensational as the headlines. The World Health Organization concluded that processed meats are a Group 1 carcinogen with the same consistency of evidence as tobacco. That doesn't mean they both have the same level of risk, though, according to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eating 50 grams of processed meat a day (about 1 hot dog) ups the odds for colorectal cancer by 18 percent — while smoking cigarettes raises lung cancer risk by 1,500 to 3,000 percent. Let's put that into perspective. The average risk of developing colorectal cancer over one's lifetime is 5 percent. Multiply that 5 percent baseline risk by 18 percent and you get just an added 0.9 percent, for an overall risk of 5.9. As long as you keep the amount you eat reasonable, there's no need to nail-bite about it.

Information courtesy of EatingWell magazine.

RECIPE

Looking for something different for dinner? Try this pork and vegetable dish you cook in a single sheet pan, making cleanup easier. It's from EatingWell magazine.

SHEET PAN MAPLE-MUSTARD PORK CHOPS AND CARROTS

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup

4 (5-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops

1 1/2 pounds rainbow carrots, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped, peeled fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 F. Whisk 1 tablespoon oil, mustard and maple syrup in a small bowl. Place pork chops on one side of a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the tops with the oil mixture. Place carrots on the other side and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle garlic, ginger and turmeric on the carrots and toss to coat. Season everything with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn broiler to high. Broil until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pork chops registers 145 F, about 4 minutes. Continue cooking the carrots, if needed, until tender and glazed, 2 to 5 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with parsley. Serves 4: 1 pork chop and 1/2 cup carrots each.

Per serving: 376 calories; 25 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams fat; 72 milligrams cholesterol; 11 grams total sugars; 5 grams fiber; 453 milligrams sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Illinois, and the media representative for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.