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Food for thought: Using diet to improve brain health

20 May 2019

Maintaining brain health has become a high priority among younger and older consumers alike, with some dietary patterns and ingredients showing promise to stave off cognitive decline.

Western consumers have become increasingly interested in how diet can help prevent long-term illness, but it is often difficult to pinpoint the role of any particular ingredient. Nevertheless, some ingredients have shown more promise than others when it comes to brain health, and adherence to certain dietary patterns has been linked to better cognition later in life.

Food for thought: Using diet to improve brain health
Which elements of the Mediterranean diet benefit the brain?

Alongside improved cognitive health, the Mediterranean diet is also associated with a wide range of other benefits, including protecting against type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, depression and some cancers. The diet is characterised by a high intake of fruit, vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, whole grains and legumes, while limiting meat, and researchers are exploring which compounds may be responsible for its brain benefits, such as certain fatty acids and polyphenols.

Proof of ingredients’ efficacy is likely to emerge as research continues, but there is currently “no convincing evidence” that any single ingredient can prevent the cognitive decline associated with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, according to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), summing up its position on studies of gingko, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B and E, Asian ginseng, grape seed extract and curcumin. However, proving benefits from such ingredients is a major challenge, because even with a strong correlation between certain compounds and lower dementia rates, it is difficult to prove cause and effect.

Among those that have shown the most promise are omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to play an important role in brain health and development, and a large number of suppliers actively promotes omega-3 ingredients in the healthy ageing space.

Antioxidant ingredients, like polyphenols and cocoa flavanols have been another area of focus. Diana Foods, for example, supplies an ingredient that combines polyphenols from blueberries and grapes to “outsmart brain ageing”, while chocolate and cocoa supplier Barry Callebaut has secured an EFSA health claim linking cocoa to blood flow, a factor that could be highlighted in products intended for cognitive health maintenance.

In addition, a growing body of evidence links gut health with brain function, meaning that some researchers now are exploring the role of ingredients like prebiotic fibres and resveratrol in cognitive health. However, defining a mechanism of action is challenging. Evolva is one company looking at resveratrol’s potential role in improving brain function in collaboration with Northumbria University’s Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre in the UK. It aims to understand how resveratrol influences gut health and its relationship with brain health.

While new product development for brain health and memory is taking off in the supplements sector, growth has been much slower in functional food and drink, according to Euromonitor International. Addressing the issue of proven efficacy is likely to be crucial before the category can reach its full potential.