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Update: Diet & Healthy Brain Function

Slowing Age-Related CNS Changes

With a large portion of our population growing older, researchers are exploring how dietary and lifestyle strategies might slow down the natural age-related decline in mental function that most of us experience. As we age, we become less able to remember newly acquired information for example. In addition, as the entire central nervous system (CNS) ages, balance, coordination and muscle strength are also affected.

While all the mechanisms involved in mental aging aren't fully understood, scientists believe that oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role. Antioxidant defense systems become less effective with age, leaving the brain more vulnerable to oxidative and inflammatory damage.

The good news is that there are things we can do to combat these changes. Strength conditioning has been shown to improve balance and coordination in older individuals, and special mental exercises can benefit memory, reasoning and how fast we process information [See February 2007 issue]. As the following research reveals, eating a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables as well as seafood, is a dietary strategy that may pay dividends as well.

Beta-Carotene May Help Men Keep Their Edge

For an average of 18 years, Harvard researchers followed 4000 participants in the Physicians' Health Study, half of whom took 50 mg of beta-carotene every other day and half who received a placebo. When that part of the study ended in 1998, another 2000 healthy men were recruited, and all 6000 participants continued in the study for 3 more years (1).

Men who took the antioxidant for 3 years or less showed no improvement on standard tests of memory, but those taking beta-carotene for 15 years or more scored consistently higher on all the tests.

The key finding is that long term intake of beta-carotene - the amount in about 4 carrots daily - may help memory as we get older. This makes sense, since the underlying changes that lead to impaired memory appear to occur over many years, if not decades. Remember that those who smoke should avoid high levels of beta-carotene since evidence suggests an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers with high beta-carotene intake.

"Brainberries" May Counter Aging Declines

Berries such as blueberries and their European cousin, the bilberry, are a good source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Researchers at the Center on Aging at Tufts have shown in many experiments that blueberry, spinach and strawberry extracts can reverse age-related brain and behavioral deficits in aged animals (2).

While all of the supplemented diets showed positive mental gains, blueberries produced the greatest benefits on motor functions such as balance and coordination. A more recent study showed cognitive benefits even when blueberry extracts were added to an already balanced diet in older animals.

According to the researchers, supplemental blueberries improved the ability of old nerve cells to communicate with one another. Their findings suggest that berries may actually reduce the signals created by oxidative stress, and increase signals that are important in facilitating learning and memory.

Study Duo Support Fish for Brain Health

Two new studies suggest that consuming fish, and the omega-3 fatty acids they contain, support mental function. In the first study, Dutch researchers analyzed data from participants in the FACIT trial and report that increased blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were associated with significantly less decline in how fast we process and react to external stimuli (3).

The second study examined the relation between consumption of seafood and cognitive performance in elderly Norwegians. The researchers report that those eating at least 10 grams (.35 oz) of fish daily performed better in tests for mental performance than people eating less. However, the best scores occurred in individuals consuming about 75 grams (2.6 oz) daily (4).

References

1. Grodstein F, et al. A randomized trial of beta-carotene supplementation and cognitive function in men. Arch Int Med 167:2184-90, 2007.
2. Joseph JJ, et al. Brainberries and aging. Clin Nutr Insight 34:1-4, Jan, 2008.
3. Dullemeijer C, et al. N-3 fatty acids proportions in plasma and cognitive performance in older adults. AJCN 86:1479-85, 2007.
4. Nurk E, et al. Cognitive performance among the elderly and dietary fish intake. AJCN 86:1470-78, 2007.