As with any field, exciting finds lead to trends. Trends in the dietary and food industries are typically types of foods and specific supplements. Some trends are more publicly visible than others–cognitive health related to dark chocolate–but why? What leads some foods to be featured as beneficial to cognitive function? Let’s take a look at some of the most popular (and recent) cognitive health food & dietary trends.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and herring, are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These omega-3 fatty acids have been extensively studied for their potential benefits to cognitive health.

Berries

Berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries, are rich in antioxidants and compounds that may have neuroprotective effects. Berries are specifically known for their high levels of antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, as well as various phytonutrients like flavonoids and anthocyanins. These antioxidants help combat oxidative stress and reduce cellular damage, which are associated with cognitive decline.

Kale

collard greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that may support brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Kale contains dietary fiber, which supports gut health. Emerging research suggests that a healthy gut microbiome can influence brain health through the gut-brain axis.

Legumes

Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein, which help provide a steady supply of energy to the brain. Legumes have exhibited beneficial properties related to antioxidants, blood sugar, carbohydrate content, and fiber content.

Avocado

Avocado is a source of healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E, both of which have been associated with brain health. Avocado research is still going strong, with many popular fields of research including:

• Blood sugar regulation
• Monosaturated fat content (another field in its own right)
• Antioxidant properties
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Micronutrient synergy

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is rich in compounds called flavonoids, which have been studied for their potential positive effects on cognitive health. Flavonoids are a type of polyphenol, a group of naturally occurring plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Varieties with higher cocoa content (70% or higher) and minimal added sugars seem to be the most beneficial. Like any type of candy, however, dark chocolate should be eaten in moderation and requires a balanced diet to show any beneficial effects.

Importance of a Balanced Diet

While many of the dietary trends listed above provide potential cognitive benefits, they are just one aspect of a holistic approach to cognitive well-being. Incorporating any type of new food into a balanced diet also requires regular physical activity, adequate sleep, cognitive engagement, stress management, and other healthy lifestyle practices to reach its full potential. Consulting with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian is advised before any major dietary shifts.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health throughout the world by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.

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A specific area of interest is how gut microbiota can affect cognitive function due to aging. Changing diets to be probiotic-friendly or using probiotic supplements to encourage gut microbiome diversity have been two areas of research that have produced some early results regarding cognitive function and health.

Gut Microbiota & Aging

As a process, aging leads to physiological and functional changes in the human body. As bodily functions slow down, the organs associated with those functions weaken. The brain is no different, and people can experience varying levels of cognitive decline as they age. Finding out why one person will age with only minor cognitive changes (very slight deterioration) while another will develop dementia has prompted researchers to look at every aspect of aging, which includes nutritional and dietary factors.

The challenges of painting a full picture of the gut microbiota and aging include several factors, such as:

• Do physical aging and the decline of other organs directly affect gut microbiota?
• How does the consumption of medicines, prescription medications, nutraceuticals, vitamins, and supplements affect the gut microbiota over the lifetime?
• How do various medical conditions & diseases affect the microbiome?
• Does drug use (prescription or recreational) affect gut microbiota?

Questions like these can be very difficult to answer and require many different studies to be conducted to even begin to ponder understandings.

While research on gut microbiota has become increasingly common and well-funded in recent years, new data from original research is still lacking when it comes to working towards more concrete solutions to conditions such as MDD.

Gut Microbiota in Different Age Groups

One area of research that has shown some early interesting findings is looking at the diversity of gut microbiota in people of different ages. Looking at the levels of different organisms in the gut microbiota may help us reveal what a ‘healthy’ gut microbiome looks like in an aging person.

Studies so far, however, have been inconclusive, though. This may be due, in part, to not having enough range of age groups or in-depth knowledge of peoples’ mental health status. Many people in studies are asked questions about their physical health, but not their mental health.  In addition, early changes in mental health can be very difficult to detect. People with noticeable levels of cognitive decline can be determined in clinical studies, but should people with noticeable levels of cognitive decline be included with the cognitively healthy group or the unhealthy group? Answers to a question like this could help researchers discover the connection between gut microbiota and cognitive function.

Research into the specific effects probiotics and other nutraceuticals can have on the aging gut microbiome is an important area of study. While research has been conducted on the general population, no conclusive evidence for nutraceutical supplementation and cognitive function has yet been found.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health throughout the world by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.

The post Gut Microbiota & Cognitive Function appeared first on Biofortis Research.

Where did I leave my keys?

I’m sorry, what’s your name again?

I can’t remember if I should turn left or right.

What did I come in here for?

Sound familiar? We’ve all misplaced keys, forgot someone’s name, have difficulties recalling directions, or entered the kitchen and blanked on why you went there in the first place. Memory lapses are frustrating, but they happen and are not usually concerning. As we age, memory lapses happen more often and it is part of healthy aging. However, when memory loss becomes persistent and affects your ability to function, it becomes worrisome. According to a recent market analysis, the global brain health supplements market size is expected to reach USD 13.38 billion by 2028. Of the different types of brain-boosting supplements, those for memory enhancement dominated the market in 2020, with more than 25.0% revenue share, likely driven by the growing aging population.

Recently, we conducted and published an investigation into the effects of citicoline (Cognizin®), a naturally occurring mononucleotide, on memory in 100 healthy elderly adults with age-associated memory impairment. After daily consumption of 500 mg of a commercially available citicoline supplement for 12 weeks, we observed that citicoline supplementation improved composite memory, specifically episodic memory, when compared to the group taking placebo. Episodic memory describes the ability to remember and recall specific events, paired with the content in which they occurred, such as identifying when and where an object was encountered. A decline in episodic memory often manifests as the inability to recall past events or retrieve lessons from past experiences which can lead to repeat error and has been shown to decline with aging. Our results are consistent with other clinical trials that have shown improvements in memory following citicoline supplementation in older men and women, without eliciting any serious adverse events. Our findings suggest that regular consumption of Cognizin® may be safe and potentially beneficial against memory loss due to aging.

Check out our paper to learn more about the study here.

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