Scientists discover nutrients that may protect your brain as you age

A recent study by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has found that specific nutrients may play a key role in promoting healthy brain aging. The study, published in the journal npj Aging, suggests that certain dietary components could help maintain cognitive function and brain health as we age.

As people age, cognitive decline and brain health deterioration are common concerns. Researchers have long studied various factors contributing to brain aging, including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental influences. While much is known about risk factors that accelerate brain aging, there is less understanding of factors that might prevent or mitigate cognitive decline.

In their new study, the researchers aimed to fill that gap by focusing on the potential protective effects of specific nutrients, inspired by the known benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which includes high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients.

“The emerging field of Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience aims to uncover specific foods and nutrients that promote brain health across the lifespan,” said study author Aron Barbey, the director of the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior and Mildred Francis Thompson University Professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“Central to this effort is the discovery of nutrient profiles that can be targeted in nutritional interventions designed to enhance brain health. Our study contributes to this effort, identifying a key nutrient profile that may slow cognitive decline in older adults, offering a promising path towards designing nutritional interventions to promote healthy brain aging.”

The study included 100 healthy older adults, aged 65 to 75 years, who were part of the Illinois Brain Aging Study cohort. These participants were neurologically healthy, had no cognitive impairments, and had not been involved in previous cognitive training or dietary intervention studies. The researchers excluded individuals with conditions that could affect the results, such as recent strokes or psychiatric illnesses.

Participants underwent a comprehensive battery of brain imaging tests, including MRI scans to assess brain structure, function, and metabolism. The researchers used a Siemens Magnetom 3T Trio scanner to collect high-resolution images of the participants’ brains. These images helped in measuring brain volume, white matter integrity, and functional connectivity.

Additionally, fasting plasma samples were collected to analyze nutrient biomarkers. The focus was on three major classes of nutrients: fatty acids, carotenoids, and vitamins. High-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography were used to measure the concentrations of these nutrients in the blood. The nutrient profiles were then compared to the brain imaging data to identify patterns associated with healthier brain aging.

The researchers identified two distinct phenotypes of brain aging: Accelerated Aging and Delayed Aging. Participants in the Delayed Aging group had larger brain volumes, greater white matter integrity, higher concentrations of brain metabolites, and better functional connectivity compared to those in the Accelerated Aging group. These findings suggest that the Delayed Aging phenotype is characterized by healthier brain structure and function.

In terms of nutrient profiles, the Delayed Aging group had higher concentrations of specific nutrients known to benefit brain health. These included polyunsaturated fatty acids like EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), monounsaturated fatty acids such as vaccenic acid and gondoic acid, carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, and vitamins including Vitamin E and choline. These nutrients are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which help protect the brain from oxidative stress and support cellular health.

The study also found that individuals in the Delayed Aging group performed better on cognitive tests measuring intelligence, executive function, and memory. This correlation between nutrient profiles, brain health, and cognitive performance underscores the potential of targeted nutritional interventions to promote healthier brain aging.

“Our research builds on prior work in several ways,” Barbey explained. “First, it’s one of the largest and most comprehensive studies to use blood-based biomarkers to investigate the connection between diet and brain health. Second, it goes beyond traditional cognitive tests by employing multimodal neuroimaging measures. This provides a more complete picture of brain health, encompassing measures of brain structure, function, and metabolism. Finally, the study goes beyond focusing on single nutrients and identifies a specific nutrient profile associated with slower brain aging.”

While the study provides valuable insights, it has several limitations. Firstly, it is a cross-sectional study, meaning it provides a snapshot of data at a single point in time. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand how nutrient intake influences brain aging over time. Additionally, the sample size was relatively small and consisted mainly of Caucasian participants, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other populations.

Future research should focus on larger, more diverse cohorts to validate these results. It is also important to conduct randomized controlled trials to determine the effectiveness of specific nutritional interventions in promoting brain health. Moreover, while the study identified key nutrients associated with healthier brain aging, the underlying mechanisms by which these nutrients exert their effects need further exploration.

“Recent evidence in Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience demonstrates that many aspects of nutrition – from entire diets to specific nutrients – affect brain structure and function, and therefore have profound implications for understanding the nature of healthy brain aging,” Barbey said.

“Indeed, the Office of Nutrition Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched a 10-year strategic plan to significantly accelerate nutrition research for optimal health. Our work directly aligns with this NIH initiative, aiming to contribute valuable insights into how dietary patterns influence brain health and cognitive function throughout life.”

The study, “Investigating nutrient biomarkers of healthy brain aging: a multimodal brain imaging study,” was authored by Christopher E. Zwilling, Jisheng Wu, and Aron K. Barbey.