Proper nutrition can promote healthy brain aging. It has now been determined which nutrients are particularly important for this. This opens up new opportunities to specifically counteract natural cognitive decline.
A new study involving experts from the University of Illinois examined which specific foods and nutrients can promote healthy aging of the brain. The results were published in the journal Nature Aging.
Nutrition and cognitive functions
A total of 100 cognitively healthy individuals aged 65 to 75 years took part in the new research, whose demographic information, body measurements and physical activities were recorded using a questionnaire.
The researchers also took blood samples from the participants to analyze so-called nutrient biomarkers. In addition, cognitive assessments were carried out and MRI scans were performed.
“The unique aspect of our study lies in its comprehensive approach, which integrates data on nutrition, cognitive function and brain imaging,” explains study author Aron Barbey in a press release. This will make it possible to build a more solid understanding of the relationship between these factors.
Instead of simply measuring cognitive performance with conventional neuropsychological tests, the structure, function and metabolism of the brain were recorded at the same time. The researchers found a direct connection between these brain properties and cognitive abilities.
These nutrients slow down brain aging
According to the experts, the data analysis showed clear differences in brain aging, which allowed the participants to be assigned to a phenotype of accelerated or a phenotype of slowed brain aging.
The subsequent comparison with the nutrient biomarkers showed that a good supply of certain fatty acids, antioxidants and carotenoids (including cis-lutein, trans-lutein and zeaxanthin), two forms of vitamin E and choline correlated with slower brain aging, the experts continued.
Mediterranean diet for the brain
This profile of nutrients is offered, for example, by the Mediterranean diet, which has already been linked to healthy brain aging in various studies.
“We looked at specific nutrient biomarkers, such as fatty acid profiles, which are known in nutritional science to have potential health benefits,” said Barbey. The result is consistent with previous studies demonstrating the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on foods rich in these beneficial nutrients.
New approaches to therapy?
It has become clear that certain nutrients have particularly favorable associations with cognitive performance and brain health, which could also contribute to the development of therapies and measures to promote brain health, Barbey hopes.
Future studies should now examine in isolation certain nutrients that have a positive association with cognitive function and brain health, with the nutrients being administered in the form of dietary supplements.
“In this way, we can definitively determine whether increasing the amount of these specific nutrient profiles reliably leads to an improvement in cognitive test performance and measurements of brain structure, function and metabolism,” concludes Barbey. (as)