A new study published in the journal NPJ Aging identified a nutrient pattern that researchers believe can support healthy brain aging. Upon comparing the brains of a sample population of older adults, the study discovered two distinct phenotypes of brain health — one that showed signs of accelerated aging and one that exhibited “slower-than-expected” aging.
Analysis of dietary biomarkers associated with the latter phenotype revealed a nutrient profile that features high concentrations of specific vitamins, antioxidants and fatty acids. Participants with this particular nutrient profile scored better on cognitive tests, suggesting that dietary interventions specifically targeting the right combination of nutrients may be the key to slowing down brain aging.
Mediterranean Diet offers the right nutrients for slower brain aging
Nutritional cognitive neuroscience is a relatively new field of research that explores “the impact of nutrition on cognition and brain health across the lifespan.” Recent advances in this field show that diet and nutrition may offer significant benefits for the aging brain. According to studies, dietary markers associated with the Mediterranean Diet correlate to healthy brain aging. A review published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care noted that high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet not only leads to slower cognitive decline but also decreases one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Given that the brain benefits of the Mediterranean Diet stem from its abundance of nutrients that have known functional relationships with the human brain, researchers began investigating the effects of individual nutrients linked to this eating pattern on brain function, white matter integrity and gray matter volume. Aside from observable cognitive decline, aging also brings about a decrease in white matter fiber integrity and cerebral volume — both caused by neuronal (brain cells) degradation, among other structural changes.
In the NPJ Aging study, researchers sought to identify phenotypes characteristic of both accelerated and delayed brain aging. They recruited 100 older adults who were subjected to neuroimaging in order to quantify their individual brain structures, analyze their functional brain connectivity, and identify relevant brain metabolites. The participants also underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests to measure their intelligence, executive function and memory. […]
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