Need more reason to bump up your fruit and veggie intake? Chew on this. A recent Canadian study among middle and older adults finds that heavy intake of vegetables and fruits improves cognitive function. Among study participants between the ages of 45 to 85, a Mediterranean diet improved mental status. Researchers suggest that eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts, lentils and beans (pulses) were linked with higher scores on verbal fluency tests, an important indicator of mental skills.