by In their quest to promote healthier aging and prevent cognitive decline, scientists have been studying the brain for decades.
While much is known about the risk factors that can accelerate brain aging, less has been revealed about effective ways to maintain cognitive function as we age.
However, recent research has shed new light on the critical role that specific nutrients play in healthy brain aging.
Combining neuroscience and nutritional science
The study, published in Nature Agingled by Aron Barbey, director of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
On his side were Jisheng Wu, a doctoral student at Nebraska, and Christopher Zwilling, a research scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
This amazing team of scientists combined cutting-edge innovations in neuroscience and nutritional science to conduct a multi-method study that identified a specific nutritional profile in participants who performed better cognitively.
Identify two types of brain aging
The cross-sectional study enrolled 100 cognitively healthy participants, aged 65-75 years, who completed a questionnaire with demographic information, body measurements, and physical activity.
Blood plasma was collected after a fasting period to analyze the nutritional biomarkers, and participants also underwent cognitive assessments and an MRI scan.
The experiments revealed two types of brain aging among the participants: accelerated and slower than expected. Interestingly, those with slower brain aging had a distinct nutritional profile.
Beneficial nutrients that nourish the brain
The beneficial nutritional blood biomarkers identified in the study were a combination
- Fatty acids: Vaccenic, gondolic, alpha-linolenic, elcosapentaenoic, eicosadienoic, and lignoceric acids
- Antioxidants and carotenoids: Including cis-lutein, trans-lutein, and zeaxanthin
- Two forms of vitamin E: Found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds to be mentioned
- Colin: Found in egg yolks and fish, to name two examples
This profile is correlated with nutrients found in the Mediterranean diet, which previous research has linked to healthy brain aging.
“We investigated specific nutritional biomarkers, such as fatty acid profiles, known in nutritional science to potentially offer health benefits,” explained Barbey.
This is in line with the extensive body of research in the field showing the positive health effects of the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes foods rich in these beneficial nutrients.
The current study identifies specific nutritional biomarker patterns that are promising and positively associated with measures of cognitive performance and brain health.
Linking diet, cognition, and brain function
One of the unique aspects of this study is its comprehensive approach, which integrates data on nutrition, cognitive function, and brain imaging.
“This allows us to build a stronger understanding of the relationship between these factors. We go beyond measuring cognitive performance with traditional neuropsychological tests,” said Barbey.
“Instead, we simultaneously examine the structure, function and metabolism of the brain, demonstrating a direct link between these brain properties and cognitive abilities,” he continued.
According to their research, these brain symptoms are directly linked to diet and nutrition, as shown by the patterns observed in nutritional biomarkers.
Next steps in brain aging research
The researchers plan to continue exploring this nutritional profile as it relates to healthy brain aging. Barbey noted that, in the future, the findings may help develop therapies and interventions to promote brain health.
“An important next step is to conduct randomized controlled trials. In these trials, we will isolate specific nutrients that are positively associated with cognitive function and brain health, and administer them in nutraceutical form,” he said.
This approach will enable scientists to definitively assess whether increasing levels of these specific nutrient profiles lead to improvements in cognitive test performance and measures of brain structure, function and metabolism.
In addition to ongoing research, Barbey is co-editing an upcoming special collection for the Nutrition Journalentitled “Nutrition and the Brain – Exploring Pathways to Optimal Brain Health Through Nutrition.”
“The National Institutes of Health recently launched a ten-year strategic plan to significantly accelerate nutrition research. Our work aligns directly with this critical initiative, aiming to provide valuable insights into how dietary patterns affect brain health and cognitive function,” Barbey concluded.
Aging gracefully with a healthy brain
In summary, this fascinating study led by Aron Barbey and his team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has opened new doors in our understanding of the complex relationship between nutrition and brain health.
By combining cutting-edge techniques in neuroscience and nutritional science, they have identified a unique nutritional profile associated with slower brain aging and better cognitive performance.
This profile, rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds, is aligned with the well-known Mediterranean diet and offers hope for future interventions aimed at healthier brain aging ahead.
As researchers continue to explore this fascinating field through randomized controlled trials and special collections such as the upcoming “Nutrition and the Brain”. Nutrition Journalwe move closer to unlocking the secrets of optimal brain health and developing targeted strategies to nurture our minds throughout our lives.
The full study was published in the journal Nature Aging.
—–
Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.
Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.
—–
