Research identifies Mediterranean diet nutrients for slow and accelerated brain aging

24 May 2024 --- By combining neuroscience and nutritional science, researchers have identified a specific nutrient profile to slow brain aging. This profile includes nutrients found in the Mediterranean diet, a nutritional lifestyle that has previously been linked with healthy brains.

Researchers at the Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior (CB3) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, US, enrolled 100 cognitively healthy participants, aged 65–75, in the multimodal study. The team found two types of brain aging: accelerated and slower-than-expected. 

Participants with slower brain aging had a distinct nutrient profile, a combination of fatty acids (vaccenic, gondoic, alpha-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, eicosadienoic and lignoceric acids), antioxidants and carotenoids such as cis-lutein, trans-lutein and zeaxanthin, two forms of vitamin E and choline.

“The emerging field of nutritional cognitive neuroscience aims to uncover specific foods and nutrients that promote brain health across the lifespan. Central to this effort is the discovery of nutrient profiles that can be targeted in nutritional interventions designed to enhance brain health,” Aron Barbey, the study’s lead author and CB3 director, tells Nutrition Insight.  

“Our study contributes to this effort, identifying a key nutrient profile that may slow cognitive decline in older adults, offering a promising path toward designing nutritional interventions to promote healthy brain aging.” 

Large and comprehensive study 
Participants in the study, published in nature partner journals Aging, filled out a questionnaire on demographic information, body measurements and physical activity. The researchers collected blood plasma after fasting to analyze 13 blood-based biomarkers of diet and nutrition. Study participants also underwent cognitive assessments and MRI scans to determine brain health. 

The research team notes that participants’ physical characteristics did not account for the observed differences in brain aging. Therefore, they conclude that their health differences were the result of the identified nutrient pattern, which could help inform neuroscience-guided dietary interventions to promote healthy brain aging. 

The study combined MRI brain imaging, blood biomarkers and validated cognitive assessments.Barbey explains that the research “is one of the first” to combine brain imaging, blood biomarkers and validated cognitive assessments. He notes that the study builds on prior work on nutrition and brain aging in several ways.  

“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,” he underscores. 

“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.” 

Expanding brain health support 
Brain health is a crucial aspect of the growing healthy aging market. Product launches in F&B and supplements for brain support and healthy aging continue to expand, as suggested by data from Innova Market Insights. Launches of healthy aging products grew 7% annually from 2021 to 2023 while brain-supporting supplement launches grew 14% in the last four years. 

At the same time, scientists increasingly uncover the impact of nutrition and diet on brain health and biological age. For example, cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet may reduce immune system aging and biological aging.  

“Recent evidence in [the field of] 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,” underscores Barbey.  

This emerging interdisciplinary research field seeks to understand nutrition’s impact on cognition and brain health across the lifespan. 

Nutritional cognitive neuroscience investigates nutrition’s impact on cognition and brain health across the lifespan.He adds that the Office of Nutrition Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched a ten-year strategic plan to accelerate nutrition research for optimal health. 

“Our work aligns with this NIH initiative, aiming to contribute valuable insights into how dietary patterns influence brain health and cognitive function throughout life.”

Food for thought 
The identified nutrient profile correlates to the Mediterranean diet, which was recently ranked as the best diet in the US for the seventh year in a row. 

Recently, the Gerontological Society of America touted the power of nutrition to boost brain health, noting that 40% of dementia diagnoses can be averted by modifying eating behavior. 

“We investigated specific nutrient biomarkers, such as fatty acid profiles, known in nutritional science to potentially offer health benefits. This aligns with the extensive body of research demonstrating the positive health effects of the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes foods rich in these beneficial nutrients,” comments Barbey. 

The research team will continue to explore the identified nutrient profile and its links to healthy brain aging. Barbey explains that further research is needed to apply the findings to the context of public health. Specifically, Barbey states that randomized controlled trials are crucial to “confirm the effectiveness of the identified nutrient profile in promoting brain health.” 

“Additionally, further research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms by which this nutrient profile may influence brain aging,” he concludes. “Finally, longitudinal studies are needed to assess the long-term effects of dietary interventions based on this profile.” 

By Jolanda van Hal