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Neufeld LM, Ho E, Obeid R, Tzoulis C, Green M, Huber LG, Stout M, Griffiths JC. Advancing nutrition science to meet evolving global health needs. Eur J Nutr 2023; 62:1-16. [PMID: 38015211 PMCID: PMC10684707 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-023-03276-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Populations in crisis!A global overview of health challenges and policy efforts within the scope of current nutrition issues, from persistent forms of undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiency, to diet-related chronic diseases. Nutrition science has evolved from a therapeutic and prevention emphasis to include a focus on diets and food systems. Working and consensus definitions are needed, as well as guidance related to healthy diets and the emerging issues that require further research and consensus building. Between nutrient deficiency and chronic disease, nutrition has evolved from focusing exclusively on the extremes of overt nutrient deficiency and chronic disease prevention, to equipping bodies with the ability to cope with physiologic, metabolic, and psychological stress. Just what is 'optimal nutrition', is that a valid public health goal, and what terminology is being provided by the nutrition science community? Nutrition research on 'healthspan', resilience, and intrinsic capacity may provide evidence to support optimal nutrition. Finally, experts provide views on ongoing challenges of achieving consensus or acceptance of the various definitions and interventions for health promotion, and how these can inform government health policies.Nutrition topics that receive particular focus in these proceedings include choline, NAD-replenishment in neurodegenerative diseases, and xanthophyll carotenoids. Choline is a crucial nutrient essential for cellular metabolism, requiring consumption from foods or supplements due to inadequate endogenous synthesis. Maternal choline intake is vital for fetal and infant development to prevent neural tube defects. Neurodegenerative diseases pose a growing health challenge, lacking effective therapies. Nutrition, including NAD-replenishing nutrients, might aid prevention. Emerging research indicates xanthophyll carotenoids enhance vision and cognition, potentially impacting age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynnette M Neufeld
- Food and Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
| | - Emily Ho
- Linus Pauling Institute and College of Health, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Rima Obeid
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Charalampos Tzoulis
- Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Medicine, K.G. Jebsen Center for Translational Research in Parkinson's Disease, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Marina Green
- Nutrition Research Centre Ireland, South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Luke G Huber
- Council for Responsible Nutrition, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - James C Griffiths
- Council for Responsible Nutrition-International, Washington, DC, USA.
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2
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Young HA, Geurts L, Scarmeas N, Benton D, Brennan L, Farrimond J, Kiliaan AJ, Pooler A, Trovò L, Sijben J, Vauzour D. Multi-nutrient interventions and cognitive ageing: are we barking up the right tree? Nutr Res Rev 2023; 36:471-483. [PMID: 36156184 DOI: 10.1017/s095442242200018x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
As we continue to elucidate the mechanisms underlying age-related brain diseases, the reductionist strategy in nutrition–brain function research has focused on establishing the impact of individual foods. However, the biological processes connecting diet and cognition are complex. Therefore, consideration of a combination of nutritional compounds may be most efficacious. One barrier to establishing the efficacy of multi-nutrient interventions is that the area lacks an established set of evidence-based guidelines for studying their effect on brain health. This review is an output of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe. A multi-disciplinary expert group was assembled with the aim of developing a set of considerations to guide research into the effects of multi-nutrient combinations on brain functions. Consensus recommendations converged on six key issues that should be considered to advance research in this area: (1) establish working mechanisms of the combination and contributions of each individual compound; (2) validate the relevance of the mechanisms for the targeted human condition; (3) include current nutrient status, intake or dietary pattern as inclusion/exclusion criteria in the study design; (4) select a participant population that is clinically and biologically appropriate for all nutritional components of the combination; (5) consider a range of cognitive outcomes; (6) consider the limits of reductionism and the ‘gold standard’ randomised controlled trial. These guiding principles will enhance our understanding of the interactive/complementary activities of dietary components, thereby strengthening the evidence base for recommendations aimed at delaying cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucie Geurts
- International Life Sciences Institute Europe, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nikolaos Scarmeas
- 1st Department of Neurology, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - David Benton
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Wales, UK
| | - Lorraine Brennan
- UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, UCD Institute of Food and Health, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | | | - Amanda J Kiliaan
- Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Amy Pooler
- Formerly at Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland. Currently at Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc, San Francisco, USA
| | - Laura Trovò
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vers-chez-les-Blanc, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
| | - John Sijben
- Danone Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - David Vauzour
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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3
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Abstract
Reviewing the research presented in this article, it is evident that from an epidemiological perspective, it is important to evaluate the extent to which findings of sex and gender differences in Alzheimer's dementia (AD) are due to differences in longevity, survival bias, and comorbidities. Medical, genetic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors, in addition to hormonal factors, can differentially affect the risk and progression of AD in women versus men. Further, evaluation of sex differences in AD progression and the trajectory of change in cognitive function, neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and blood-based biomarkers of AD is needed. Finally, identifying sex differences in AD biomarkers and change across the lifespan is critical for the planning of prevention trials to reduce the risk of developing AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelum T Aggarwal
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, 1750 West Harrison Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Michelle M Mielke
- Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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4
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Kobayashi LC, Kabudula CW, Kabeto MU, Yu X, Tollman SM, Kahn K, Berkman LF, Rosenberg MS. Long-term household material socioeconomic resources and cognitive health in a population-based cohort of older adults in rural northeast South Africa, 2001-2015. SSM Popul Health 2022; 20:101263. [PMID: 36281246 PMCID: PMC9587313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Material resources owned by households that affect daily living conditions may be salient for cognitive health during aging, especially in low-income settings, but there is scarce evidence on this topic. We investigated relationships between long-term trends in household material resources and cognitive function among older adults in a population-representative study in rural South Africa. Data were from baseline interviews with 4580 adults aged ≥40 in “Health and Ageing in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa” (HAALSI) in 2014/2015 linked to retrospective records on their household material resources from the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) from 2001 to 2013. Household material resources were assessed biennially in the Agincourt HDSS using a five-point index that captured dwelling materials, water and sanitation, sources of power, livestock, and technological amenities. Cognitive function was assessed in HAALSI and analyzed as a z-standardized latent variable capturing time orientation, episodic memory, and numeracy. We evaluated the relationships between quintiles of each of the mean resource index score, volatility in resource index score, and change in resource index score and subsequent cognitive function, overall and by resource type. Higher mean household resources were positively associated with cognitive function (βadj = 0.237 standard deviation [SD] units for the highest vs. lowest quintile of mean resource index score; 95% CI: 0.163–0.312; p-trend<0.0001), as were larger improvements over time in household resources (βadj = 0.122 SD units for the highest vs. lowest quintile of change in resources; 95% CI: 0.040–0.205; p-trend = 0.001). Results were robust to sensitivity analyses assessing heterogeneity by age and restricting to those with formal education. The findings were largely driven by technological amenities including refrigerators, stoves, telephones, televisions, and vehicles. These amenities may support cognitive function through improving nutrition and providing opportunities for cognitive stimulation through transportation and social contact outside of the home. Data were from a population-based longitudinal study of aging in rural South Africa. We found that household material resources may support cognitive health during aging. Greater improvements in resources over time were associated with better cognition. Results were driven by resources for cooking, transportation, and communication. Future research should study how household resources may promote cognitive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay C. Kobayashi
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,MRC/Wits Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa,Corresponding author. Dr Lindsay Kobayashi, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, United States.
| | - Chodziwadziwa Whiteson Kabudula
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mohammed U. Kabeto
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Xuexin Yu
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stephen M. Tollman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa,International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH), Accra, Ghana
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa,International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH), Accra, Ghana
| | - Lisa F. Berkman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa,Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Molly S. Rosenberg
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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5
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Cammisuli DM, Franzoni F, Scarfò G, Fusi J, Gesi M, Bonuccelli U, Daniele S, Martini C, Castelnuovo G. What Does the Brain Have to Keep Working at Its Best? Resilience Mechanisms Such as Antioxidants and Brain/Cognitive Reserve for Counteracting Alzheimer's Disease Degeneration. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050650. [PMID: 35625381 PMCID: PMC9138251 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Here we performed a narrative review highlighting the effect of brain/cognitive reserve and natural/synthetic antioxidants in exerting a neuroprotective effect against cognitive deterioration during physiological and pathological aging. Particularly, we discussed pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, brain and cognitive reserve as means of resilience towards deterioration, and evidence from the literature about antioxidants' role in sustaining cognitive functioning in the preclinical phase of dementia. During aging, the effects of disease-related brain changes upon cognition are reduced in individuals with higher cognitive reserve, which might lose its potential with emerging cognitive symptoms in the transitional phase over the continuum normal aging-dementia (i.e., Mild Cognitive Impairment). Starting from this assumption, MCI should represent a potential target of intervention in which antioxidants effects may contribute-in part-to counteract a more severe brain deterioration (alongside to cognitive stimulation) causing a rightward shift in the trajectory of cognitive decline, leading patients to cross the threshold for clinical dementia later.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ferdinando Franzoni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (F.F.); (G.S.); (J.F.); (U.B.)
| | - Giorgia Scarfò
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (F.F.); (G.S.); (J.F.); (U.B.)
| | - Jonathan Fusi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (F.F.); (G.S.); (J.F.); (U.B.)
| | - Marco Gesi
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Ubaldo Bonuccelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (F.F.); (G.S.); (J.F.); (U.B.)
| | - Simona Daniele
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudia Martini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (C.M.)
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy;
- Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, 28824 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
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6
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Mumme KD, Conlon CA, von Hurst PR, Jones B, Haskell-Ramsay CF, de Seymour JV, Stonehouse W, Heath ALM, Coad J, Mugridge O, Slade C, Gammon CS, Beck KL. Dietary patterns and cognitive function in older New Zealand adults: the REACH study. Eur J Nutr 2022; 61:1943-1956. [DOI: 10.1007/s00394-021-02775-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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7
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Tramontin NDS, Silveira PCL, Tietbohl LTW, Pereira BDC, Simon K, Muller AP. Effects of Low-Intensity Transcranial Pulsed Ultrasound Treatment in a Model of Alzheimer's Disease. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2021; 47:2646-2656. [PMID: 34130881 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. One of the main pathology markers of AD is the beta-amyloid plaques (βA1-42) created from residues of the badly processed amyloid precursor protein. The accumulation of these plaques can induce neuroinflammation and oxidative stress and impair antioxidant mechanisms, culminating in cognitive and memory deficits. New therapies are necessary to treat AD as the approved drugs do not treat the progress of the disease. Transcranial low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) affects brain metabolism and could be tested as a treatment for AD. This study was aimed at evaluating the LIPUS treatment in a model of AD induced by βA1-42 intracerebroventricularly (ICV) and its effects on learning memory, neurotrophins, neuroinflammation and oxidative status. βA1-42 was administered ICV 24 h before the start of a 5-wk LIPUS treatment. The treatment with LIPUS improved recognition memory, as well as increasing nerve growth factor β and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the hippocampus and cortex. There was a decrease in protein damage in the hippocampus treated with LIPUS. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress were not present in the AD model used. The results indicated that LIPUS is a novel and promising adjuvant strategy for treatment of the late stage of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bárbara Da Costa Pereira
- Laboratory of Biomedicine Translational, University of Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Kellen Simon
- Laboratory of Biomedicine Translational, University of Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
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8
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Tahta A, Turgut YB, Sahin C. Malnutrition Essentials for Neurologists and Neurosurgeons: A Review of the Literature. JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1721852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMalnutrition still causes deaths in the world today and protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is characterized by increased oxidative stress, immune deficiency, and development of various infections. Even today, however, it is an underrecognized and undertreated entity in neurology and neurosurgery. In this article, we therefore seek to review the available literature regarding various factors affecting surgical outcome of children with malnutrition undergoing some neurosurgical interventions including shunt surgery and traumatic brain injury in intensive care unit, in addition to its effects upon oxidative stress status and immunity. Furthermore, we attempt to provide essential knowledge of malnutrition affecting surgical outcome of patients with PEM. Based on available evidence in the published literature, it is concluded that it is a serious public health problem characterized by increased oxidative stress, immune deficiency, and development of various infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alican Tahta
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yasar B. Turgut
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Mugla, Turkey
| | - Cem Sahin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Mugla, Turkey
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9
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Askari M, Abbaszadeh A, Saharkhiz M, Karbasi S, Talebpour A, Fashami AAA, Rezapour H, Hoseini ZS, Mahmoudzadeh S, Ayadilord M, Ferns GA, Bahrami A. A study of the association between cognitive abilities and dietary intake in young women. Nutr Health 2020; 26:263-270. [PMID: 32646288 DOI: 10.1177/0260106020940116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive abilities comprise activities that relate to receiving and responding to information from the environment, internal processing, making complex decisions, and then responding to this in the context of behavior. AIM The current study investigated the association between dietary intake and seven aspects of cognitive abilities among healthy young women. METHODS The study was carried out among 182 women aged 18-25 years. A valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire containing 65 food items was used to estimate dietary intake. Neuropsychological function and cognitive abilities of participants were determined using standard questionnaires. RESULTS Significant differences were found in depression, anxiety, stress, physical, and mental health-related quality of life as well as daytime sleepiness for the participants in different quartiles of cognitive abilities score (p<0.05). Participants in the fourth quartile of cognitive abilities score consumed significantly higher energy, carbohydrate, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, thiamin, and riboflavin compared to those in the lowest quartile (p<0.05). There were strong correlations between total cognitive abilities score and dietary sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and thiamin (p<0.05). Using stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, iron and thiamin were statistically significant factors for the prediction of cognitive abilities. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that neurocognitive function is related to dietary macro and micronutrients including energy, carbohydrate, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, thiamin, and riboflavin on cognitive performance among young women without memory deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Askari
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.,Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Arefeh Abbaszadeh
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Mansoore Saharkhiz
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Samira Karbasi
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Amir Talebpour
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | | | - Hadis Rezapour
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | | | - Sara Mahmoudzadeh
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Malaksima Ayadilord
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Gordon A Ferns
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Division of Medical Education, Falmer, Brighton, Sussex BN1 9PH, UK
| | - Afsane Bahrami
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
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Abstract
As the influence of diet on health may take place over a period of decades, there is a need for biomarkers that help to identify those aspects of nutrition that have either a positive or a negative influence. The evidence is considered that heart-rate variability (HRV) (the time differences between one beat and the next) can be used to indicate the potential health benefits of food items. Reduced HRV is associated with the development of numerous conditions for example, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, obesity and psychiatric disorders. Although more systematic research is required, various aspects of diet have been shown to benefit HRV acutely and in the longer term. Examples include a Mediterranean diet, omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, probiotics, polyphenols and weight loss. Aspects of diet that are viewed as undesirable, for example high intakes of saturated or trans-fat and high glycaemic carbohydrates, have been found to reduce HRV. It is argued that the consistent relationship between HRV, health and morbidity supports the view that HRV has the potential to become a widely used biomarker when considering the influence of diet on mental and physical health.
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11
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Benton D, Young HA. Do small differences in hydration status affect mood and mental performance? Nutr Rev 2016; 73 Suppl 2:83-96. [PMID: 26290294 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuv045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although it has been suggested that many in the general population are dehydrated to the extent that mood and cognition are disrupted, there has been little research investigating mild levels of dehydration. When dehydration reduces body mass by more than 2%, it has been consistently reported that mood is influenced, fatigue is greater, and alertness is lower. In contrast, the effects on cognition have been less consistent. Only a few studies have looked at females and these studies made little attempt to consider hormones that influence kidney functioning. In particular, there has been virtually no attempt to look at changes in hydration status in the range that occurs in individuals with a sedentary lifestyle in a temperate climate. There is a consequent need to study individuals who have lost up to 1% of body mass due to dehydration. While 4 intervention trials have found that the cognition of children improved in response to water consumption, the effects of water consumption on cognition in older adults, another high-risk group, have been largely ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Benton
- D. Benton and H. Young are with the Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK.
| | - Hayley A Young
- D. Benton and H. Young are with the Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
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12
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Granic A, Davies K, Adamson A, Kirkwood T, Hill TR, Siervo M, Mathers JC, Jagger C. Dietary Patterns High in Red Meat, Potato, Gravy, and Butter Are Associated with Poor Cognitive Functioning but Not with Rate of Cognitive Decline in Very Old Adults. J Nutr 2016; 146:265-74. [PMID: 26740685 PMCID: PMC4725429 DOI: 10.3945/jn.115.216952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthy dietary patterns (DPs) have been linked to better cognition and reduced risk of dementia in older adults, but their role in cognitive functioning and decline in the very old (aged ≥85 y) is unknown. OBJECTIVE We investigated the association between previously established DPs from the Newcastle 85+ Study and global and attention-specific cognition over 5 y. METHODS We followed up with 302 men and 489 women (1921 birth cohort from Northeast United Kingdom) for change in global cognition [measured by the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE)] over 5 y and attention (assessed by the cognitive drug research attention battery) over 3 y. We used 2-step clustering to derive DPs and mixed models to determine the relation between DPs and cognition in the presence of the dementia susceptibility gene. RESULTS Previously, we characterized 3 DPs that differed in intake of red meat, potato, gravy, and butter and varied with key health measures. When compared with participants in DP1 (high red meat) and DP3 (high butter), participants in DP2 (low meat) had higher SMMSE scores at baseline (P < 0.001) and follow-ups, and better initial attention (P < 0.05). Membership in DP1 and DP3 was associated with overall worse SMMSE scores (β = 0.09, P = 0.01 and β = 0.08, P = 0.02, respectively) than membership in DP2 after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, multimorbidity, and body mass index (BMI). Additional adjustment for apolipoprotein (apoE) ε4 genotype attenuated the association to nonsignificant in women but not in men in DP1 (β = 0.13, P = 0.02). Participants in DP1 and DP3 also had overall worse concentration (β = 0.04, P = 0.002 and β = 0.028, P = 0.03, respectively) and focused attention (β = 0.02, P = 0.01 and β = 0.02, P = 0.03, respectively), irrespective of apoE ε4 genotype, but similar rate of decline in all cognitive measures over time. CONCLUSION DPs high in red meat, potato, gravy (DP1), or butter (DP3) were associated with poor cognition but not with the rate of cognitive decline in very old adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoneta Granic
- The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Institute of Health & Society,
| | - Karen Davies
- The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing,,Institute of Health & Society
| | - Ashley Adamson
- The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing,,Institute of Health & Society,,Human Nutrition Research Centre
| | - Thomas Kirkwood
- The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing,,Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences
| | - Tom R Hill
- Human Nutrition Research Centre,,School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, and
| | - Mario Siervo
- The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing,,Human Nutrition Research Centre,,Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - John C Mathers
- The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing,,Human Nutrition Research Centre,,Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Carol Jagger
- The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing,,Institute of Health & Society
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13
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Chin-Lun Hung G, Hahn J, Alamiri B, Buka SL, Goldstein JM, Laird N, Nelson CA, Smoller JW, Gilman SE. Socioeconomic disadvantage and neural development from infancy through early childhood. Int J Epidemiol 2015; 44:1889-99. [PMID: 26675752 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyv303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early social experiences are believed to shape neurodevelopment, with potentially lifelong consequences. Yet minimal evidence exists regarding the role of the social environment on children's neural functioning, a core domain of neurodevelopment. METHODS We analysed data from 36 443 participants in the United States Collaborative Perinatal Project, a socioeconomically diverse pregnancy cohort conducted between 1959 and 1974. Study outcomes included: physician (neurologist or paediatrician)-rated neurological abnormality neonatally and thereafter at 4 months and 1 and 7 years; indicators of neurological hard signs and soft signs; and indicators of autonomic nervous system function. RESULTS Children born to socioeconomically disadvantaged parents were more likely to exhibit neurological abnormalities at 4 months [odds ratio (OR) = 1.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06, 1.37], 1 year (OR = 1.35; CI = 1.17, 1.56), and 7 years (OR = 1.67; CI = 1.48, 1.89), and more likely to exhibit neurological hard signs (OR = 1.39; CI = 1.10, 1.76), soft signs (OR = 1.26; CI = 1.09, 1.45) and autonomic nervous system dysfunctions at 7 years. Pregnancy and delivery complications, themselves associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, did not account for the higher risks of neurological abnormalities among disadvantaged children. CONCLUSIONS Parental socioeconomic disadvantage was, independently from pregnancy and delivery complications, associated with abnormal child neural development during the first 7 years of life. These findings reinforce the importance of the early environment for neurodevelopment generally, and expand knowledge regarding the domains of neurodevelopment affected by environmental conditions. Further work is needed to determine the mechanisms linking socioeconomic disadvantage with children's neural functioning, the timing of such mechanisms and their potential reversibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen Chin-Lun Hung
- Department of General Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jill Hahn
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bibi Alamiri
- Section of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen L Buka
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jill M Goldstein
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nan Laird
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School/Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit Department of Psychiatry Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen E Gilman
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA Department of Psychiatry Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD, USA
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14
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Abstract
Animal experiments and cross-sectional or prospective longitudinal research in human subjects suggest a role for nutrition in cognitive ageing. However, data from randomised controlled trials (RCT) that seek causal evidence for the impact of nutrients on cognitive ageing in humans often produce null results. Given that RCT test hypotheses in a rigorous fashion, one conclusion could be that the positive effects of nutrition on the aged brain observed in other study designs are spurious. On the other hand, it may be that the design of many clinical trials conducted thus far has been less than optimal. In the present review, we offer a blueprint for a more targeted approach to the design of RCT in nutrition, cognition and brain health in ageing that focuses on three key areas. First, the role of nutrition is more suited for the maintenance of health rather than the treatment of disease. Second, given that cognitive functions and brain regions vary in their susceptibility to ageing, those that especially deteriorate in senescence should be focal points in evaluating the efficacy of an intervention. Third, the outcome measures that assess change due to nutrition, especially in the cognitive domain, should not necessarily be the same neuropsychological tests used to assess gross brain damage or major pathological conditions. By addressing these three areas, we expect that clinical trials of nutrition, cognition and brain health in ageing will align more closely with other research in this field, and aid in revealing the true nature of nutrition's impact on the aged brain.
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15
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Inadequate supply of vitamins and DHA in the elderly: Implications for brain aging and Alzheimer-type dementia. Nutrition 2015; 31:261-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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16
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Pistollato F, Battino M. Role of plant-based diets in the prevention and regression of metabolic syndrome and neurodegenerative diseases. Trends Food Sci Technol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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17
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Barberger-Gateau P. Nutrition and brain aging: how can we move ahead? Eur J Clin Nutr 2014; 68:1245-9. [DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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18
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Hyperlipidemic diet causes loss of olfactory sensory neurons, reduces olfactory discrimination, and disrupts odor-reversal learning. J Neurosci 2014; 34:6970-84. [PMID: 24828650 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3366-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, 65% of Americans are overweight, which leads to well-supported cardiovascular and cognitive declines. Little, however, is known concerning obesity's impact on sensory systems. Because olfaction is linked with ingestive behavior to guide food choice, its potential dysfunction during obesity could evoke a positive feedback loop to perpetuate poor ingestive behaviors. To determine the effect of chronic energy imbalance and reveal any structural or functional changes associated with obesity, we induced long-term, diet-induced obesity by challenging mice to high-fat diets: (1) in an obesity-prone (C57BL/6J) and obesity-resistant (Kv1.3(-/-)) line of mice, and compared this with (2) late-onset, genetic-induced obesity in MC4R(-/-) mice in which diabetes secondarily precipitates after disruption of the hypothalamic axis. We report marked loss of olfactory sensory neurons and their axonal projections after exposure to a fatty diet, with a concomitant reduction in electro-olfactogram amplitude. Loss of olfactory neurons and associated circuitry is linked to changes in neuronal proliferation and normal apoptotic cycles. Using a computer-controlled, liquid-based olfactometer, mice maintained on fatty diets learn reward-reinforced behaviors more slowly, have deficits in reversal learning demonstrating behavioral inflexibility, and exhibit reduced olfactory discrimination. When obese mice are removed from their high-fat diet to regain normal body weight and fasting glucose, olfactory dysfunctions are retained. We conclude that chronic energy imbalance therefore presents long-lasting structural and functional changes in the operation of the sensory system designed to encode external and internal chemical information and leads to altered olfactory- and reward-driven behaviors.
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19
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Retrospective lifetime dietary patterns predict cognitive performance in community-dwelling older Australians. Br J Nutr 2014; 112:228-37. [PMID: 24709049 DOI: 10.1017/s0007114514000646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Dietary intake is a modifiable exposure that may have an impact on cognitive outcomes in older age. The long-term aetiology of cognitive decline and dementia, however, suggests that the relevance of dietary intake extends across the lifetime. In the present study, we tested whether retrospective dietary patterns from the life periods of childhood, early adulthood, adulthood and middle age predicted cognitive performance in a cognitively healthy sample of 352 older Australian adults >65 years. Participants completed the Lifetime Diet Questionnaire and a battery of cognitive tests designed to comprehensively assess multiple cognitive domains. In separate regression models, lifetime dietary patterns were the predictors of cognitive factor scores representing ten constructs derived by confirmatory factor analysis of the cognitive test battery. All regression models were progressively adjusted for the potential confounders of current diet, age, sex, years of education, English as native language, smoking history, income level, apoE ɛ4 status, physical activity, other past dietary patterns and health-related variables. In the adjusted models, lifetime dietary patterns predicted cognitive performance in this sample of older adults. In models additionally adjusted for intake from the other life periods and mechanistic health-related variables, dietary patterns from the childhood period alone reached significance. Higher consumption of the 'coffee and high-sugar, high-fat extras' pattern predicted poorer performance on simple/choice reaction time, working memory, retrieval fluency, short-term memory and reasoning. The 'vegetable and non-processed' pattern negatively predicted simple/choice reaction time, and the 'traditional Australian' pattern positively predicted perceptual speed and retrieval fluency. Identifying early-life dietary antecedents of older-age cognitive performance contributes to formulating strategies for delaying or preventing cognitive decline.
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20
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Danthiir V, Hosking D, Burns NR, Wilson C, Nettelbeck T, Calvaresi E, Clifton P, Wittert GA. Cognitive performance in older adults is inversely associated with fish consumption but not erythrocyte membrane n-3 fatty acids. J Nutr 2014; 144:311-20. [PMID: 24353345 DOI: 10.3945/jn.113.175695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher n-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and fish intake may help maintain cognitive function in older age. However, evidence is inconsistent; few studies have examined the relation in cognitively healthy individuals across numerous cognitive domains, and none to our knowledge have considered lifetime fish intake. We examined associations between multiple domains of cognition and erythrocyte membrane n-3 PUFA proportions and historical and contemporary fish intake in 390 normal older adults, analyzing baseline data from the Older People, Omega-3, and Cognitive Health trial. We measured n-3 PUFA in erythrocyte membranes, and we assessed historical and contemporary fish intake by food-frequency questionnaires. We assessed cognitive performance on reasoning, working memory, short-term memory, retrieval fluency, perceptual speed, simple/choice reaction time, speed of memory-scanning, reasoning speed, inhibition, and psychomotor speed. Cognitive outcomes for each construct were factor scores from confirmatory factor analysis. Multiple linear regression models controlled for a number of potential confounding factors, including age, education, sex, apolipoprotein E-ε 4 allele, physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, socioeconomic variables, and other health-related variables. Higher erythrocyte membrane eicosapaentonoic acid proportions predicted slower perceptual and reasoning speed in females, which was attenuated once current fish intake was controlled. No other associations were present between n-3 PUFA proportions and cognitive performance. Higher current fish consumption predicted worse performance on several cognitive speed constructs. Greater fish consumption in childhood predicted slower perceptual speed and simple/choice reaction time. We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that higher proportions of long-chain n-3 fatty acids or fish intake benefits cognitive performance in normal older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Danthiir
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Preventative Health Research Flagship, Animal, Food and Health Sciences, Adelaide, Australia
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21
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Anjos T, Altmäe S, Emmett P, Tiemeier H, Closa-Monasterolo R, Luque V, Wiseman S, Pérez-García M, Lattka E, Demmelmair H, Egan B, Straub N, Szajewska H, Evans J, Horton C, Paus T, Isaacs E, van Klinken JW, Koletzko B, Campoy C. Nutrition and neurodevelopment in children: focus on NUTRIMENTHE project. Eur J Nutr 2013; 52:1825-42. [PMID: 23884402 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-013-0560-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that early nutrition affects later cognitive performance. The idea that the diet of mothers, infants, and children could affect later mental performance has major implications for public health practice and policy development and for our understanding of human biology as well as for food product development, economic progress, and future wealth creation. To date, however, much of the evidence is from animal, retrospective studies and short-term nutritional intervention studies in humans. The positive effect of micronutrients on health, especially of pregnant women eating well to maximise their child's cognitive and behavioural outcomes, is commonly acknowledged. The current evidence of an association between gestational nutrition and brain development in healthy children is more credible for folate, n-3 fatty acids, and iron. Recent findings highlight the fact that single-nutrient supplementation is less adequate than supplementation with more complex formulae. However, the optimal content of micronutrient supplementation and whether there is a long-term impact on child's neurodevelopment needs to be investigated further. Moreover, it is also evident that future studies should take into account genetic heterogeneity when evaluating nutritional effects and also nutritional recommendations. The objective of the present review is to provide a background and update on the current knowledge linking nutrition to cognition and behaviour in children, and to show how the large collaborative European Project NUTRIMENTHE is working towards this aim.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Anjos
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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22
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Nyaradi A, Li J, Hickling S, Foster J, Oddy WH. The role of nutrition in children's neurocognitive development, from pregnancy through childhood. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:97. [PMID: 23532379 PMCID: PMC3607807 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This review examines the current evidence for a possible connection between nutritional intake (including micronutrients and whole diet) and neurocognitive development in childhood. Earlier studies which have investigated the association between nutrition and cognitive development have focused on individual micronutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, folic acid, choline, iron, iodine, and zinc, and single aspects of diet. The research evidence from observational studies suggests that micronutrients may play an important role in the cognitive development of children. However, the results of intervention trials utilizing single micronutrients are inconclusive. More generally, there is evidence that malnutrition can impair cognitive development, whilst breastfeeding appears to be beneficial for cognition. Eating breakfast is also beneficial for cognition. In contrast, there is currently inconclusive evidence regarding the association between obesity and cognition. Since individuals consume combinations of foods, more recently researchers have become interested in the cognitive impact of diet as a composite measure. Only a few studies to date have investigated the associations between dietary patterns and cognitive development. In future research, more well designed intervention trials are needed, with special consideration given to the interactive effects of nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anett Nyaradi
- Centre for Child Health Research, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
- School of Population Health, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
| | - Jianghong Li
- Centre for Child Health Research, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Population Health Research, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin UniversityPerth, WA, Australia
- Social Science Research CenterBerlin, Germany
| | - Siobhan Hickling
- Centre for Child Health Research, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
- School of Population Health, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
| | - Jonathan Foster
- Centre for Child Health Research, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin UniversityPerth, WA, Australia
- Neurosciences Unit, Health Department of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
- School of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
| | - Wendy H. Oddy
- Centre for Child Health Research, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
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23
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Abstract
About three-fourths of the total world population live in the tropics but consume only 6% of worldwide food production and contribute 15% of the world's net revenue explaining the short life expectancy, high infantile mortality, and poor daily caloric intake; moreover, lack of clean drinking water and deficient sanitation promote water-borne infections, diarrhea, and risk of malabsorption that contribute to the prevalence of malnutrition in the tropics. One-third of the world's population consumes insufficient iodine increasing the risk for mental retardation and deafness due to maternal hypothyroidism. The main nutritional syndromes comprise protein-energy malnutrition (marasmus and kwashiorkor); nutritional neuropathies, myelopathies and neuromyelopathies, as well as specific deficiencies of vitamins and micronutrients including iodine, iron, zinc, and selenium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo C Román
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College and Nantz National Alzheimer Center, Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
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24
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Benton D. To establish the parameters of optimal nutrition do we need to consider psychological in addition to physiological parameters? Mol Nutr Food Res 2012; 57:6-19. [DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Revised: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Benton
- Department of Psychology; University of Swansea; Swansea; Wales; United Kingdom
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25
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Abstract
The grey matter of the brain contains high levels of the essential nutrient DHA. Although the role of DHA in the developing brain and in dementia has attracted attention, its influence on the brain of the healthy adult has been little considered. A total of 285 young adult females took 400 mg of DHA, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, for 50 d. After 50 d, recently acquired information was more likely to be forgotten by those who had consumed DHA. No significant differences in mood, reaction times, vigilance or visual acuity were found.
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26
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Abstract
The role of vitamin status in the development of the brain and the subsequent functioning of the brain was considered. There are data with a range of vitamins, from animal studies and human studies in developing countries, suggesting that a clinical deficiency during the critical period when the brain is developing causes permanent damage. To date there is, however, with the exception of cases of clinical deficiency such as those that might be associated with a vegan diet, little evidence that variations in the diet of those living in industrialised countries have a lasting developmental influence. Similarly, later in life clinical deficiencies of various vitamins disrupt cognition although there is to date limited evidence that variations in the intake of single vitamins in industrialised societies influence functioning. It may well be, however, unreasonable to expect that vitamins examined in isolation will be associated with differences in cognitive functioning. The output of the brain reflects millions of metabolic processes, each potentially susceptible to any of a range of vitamins. A diet poor in one respect is likely to be poor in other respects as well. As such, the preliminary reports in double-blind placebo-controlled trials that aspects of cognition and behaviour respond to supplementation with multi-micronutrients may indicate the way forward.
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27
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Schmitt JAJ. Nutrition and cognition: meeting the challenge to obtain credible and evidence-based facts. Nutr Rev 2010; 68 Suppl 1:S2-5. [PMID: 20946364 DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00329.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrition provides a practical and appealing approach to cognitive enhancement, including the modulation of long-term cognitive processes such as neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. An abundance of promising nutritional influences on cognition have been identified, but many long-term effects remain to be confirmed by data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The current article provides a general outline of various factors that hamper the demonstration of causal long-term nutritional effects on cognition by RCTs and advocates the development of methodological solutions to enable substantiation in future RCTs.
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28
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Paus T. A primer for brain imaging: a tool for evidence-based studies of nutrition? Nutr Rev 2010; 68 Suppl 1:S29-37. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00327.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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