A novel study highlights the critical role of specific nutrients found in the Mediterranean diet in promoting brain health and slowing cognitive decline, providing a foundation for future nutritional interventions. Scientists have been extensively researching the brain to promote healthier aging. Although there is considerable knowledge about risk factors that speed up brain aging, there is less understanding of how to prevent cognitive decline.
There is evidence that nutrition matters, and a novel study published in Nature Aging , from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign further signals how specific nutrients may play a pivotal role in the healthy aging of the brain. 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, research scientist at UIUC, performed the multimodal study — combining state-of-the-art innovations in neuroscience and nutritional science — and identified a specific nutrient profile in participants who performed better cognitively. Study Design and Findings The cross-sectional study enrolled 100 cognitively healthy participants, aged 65-75.
These participants completed a questionnaire with demographic information, body measurements, and physical activity. Blood plasma was collected following a fasting period to analyze the nutrient biomark.
