by Scientists have long been studying the brain with the aim of aiding in healthier ageing. Although much is known about risk factors for accelerated brain aging, less has been found to identify ways to prevent cognitive decline.
There is evidence that nutrition matters, and a new study from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows the central role that specific nutrients may play in the healthy aging of the child. brain. The results were published in Nature Publishing Group Aging.
The team of scientists, led by Aron Barbey, director of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, with Jisheng Wu, a doctoral student at Nebraska, and Christopher Zwilling, a research scientist at UIUC, conducted the multi-method study — combining the state- states. breakthrough innovations in neuroscience and nutritional science — and identified a distinct nutritional profile in participants who performed better cognitively.
The cross-sectional study enrolled 100 cognitively healthy participants, aged 65-75 years. These participants completed a questionnaire with demographic information, body measurements and physical activity. Blood plasma was collected after a fasting period to analyze the nutritional biomarkers. Participants also underwent cognitive assessments and MRI scans. The experiments revealed two types of brain aging among the participants – accelerated and slower than expected. Those with slower brain aging had a distinct nutritional profile.
The beneficial nutritional blood biomarkers were a combination of 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 and choline. 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 provide potential health benefits. This is consistent with the extensive body of research in the field showing the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet on health, which emphasizes foods rich in these beneficial nutrients,” said Barbey, Mildred Francis Thompson Professor of Psychology. “The current study identifies specific nutritional biomarker patterns that are promising and positively associated with measures of cognitive performance and brain health.”
Barbey noted that previous research on nutrition and brain aging has relied primarily on food frequency questionnaires, which rely on participants’ own recall. This study is one of the first and largest to combine brain imaging, blood biomarkers and validated cognitive assessments.
“The unique aspect of our study lies in its comprehensive approach, integrating data on nutrition, cognitive function and brain imaging,” said Barbey. “This allows us to build a stronger understanding of the relationship between these factors. We go beyond measuring cognitive performance with traditional neuropsychological tests. Instead, we simultaneously examine brain structure, function and metabolism, demonstrating a direct link between these brain properties and cognitive abilities. Furthermore, we show that these brain symptoms are directly linked to diet and nutrition, as reflected in the patterns observed in nutritional biomarkers.”
The researchers will continue to explore this nutritional profile as it relates to healthy brain aging. Barbey said 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,” said Barbey. “This will allow us to definitively assess whether increasing levels of these specific nutrient profiles lead to improvements in cognitive test performance and brain structure, function and metabolism.”
Barbey is also co-editing an upcoming special collection for the Journal of Nutrition, “Nutrition and the Brain – Exploring Pathways to Optimal Brain Health through Nutrition,” which is currently seeking submissions for consideration, and articles will begin published next year.
“There is great scientific and medical interest in understanding the profound impact that nutrition has on brain health,” said Barbey. “Recognizing this, the National Institutes of Health recently launched a 10-year strategic plan to significantly accelerate nutrition research. Our work aligns directly with this vital initiative, aiming to provide valuable insights into how dietary patterns affect brain health and cognitive function.”
