Scientists Uncover Powerful Link Between Dietary Choices And Brain Health

A healthy, balanced diet is linked to superior brain health, better cognitive function and improved mental well-being according to a newly published study

A healthy, balanced diet is associated with superior brain health, better cognitive function and improved mental well-being, according to a new study. This study used a variety of methodologies to better understand how our food preferences influence our physical health and impact our brain health.

Our food choices significantly influence our health outcomes, including chronic diseases and mental health. The relationship between our diet and our brain health could potentially involve alterations in molecular biomarkers, gut microbiota, and brain structure and function. For example, high sugar and saturated fat intake have been linked to cognitive decline and psychiatric disorders. Further, unhealthy “junk” food diets have been shown to be associated with higher risks of depression and other psychiatric conditions compared to balanced diets rich in plant-based foods. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to be associated with better brain health and a reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Despite the various dietary patterns that are espoused, it may be somewhat surprising to learn that their associations with brain health have been relatively inconsistent due to variations in study scopes, sample sizes, and criteria for defining dietary patterns. Such disparities underscore the need for a standardized classification system and studies across diverse populations. To address this gap, an international team of scientists from University of Warwick and Fudan University used data-driven methods to identify dietary patterns and their associations with brain health outcomes.

The researchers examined the brain health of 181,990 people from the UK Biobank, a unique biomedical database consisting of more than half a million UK participants. The average age of the participants was 70.7 years, and about 57% were female.

Each participant’s dietary choices were surveyed and recorded using an online questionnaire, and the team divided those food choices into one of ten categories (for example; alcohol, fruits, or meats). A range of evaluation methods were used to collect additional data, including cognitive function tests, blood metabolic biomarkers, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and genetics. Additionally, mental health evaluations measured anxiety levels, depressive symptoms, mental distress, psychotic experiences, self-harm, trauma, and well-being as indicators of brain health.

The scientists used machine learning to help them analyze their enormous dataset. Machine learning is an artificial intelligence technique concerned with the development and the study of statistical algorithms that can learn from data and can then generalize these algorithms to unseen data, thus making them capable of performing specific tasks without explicit instructions.

The researchers found that study participants followed one of four distinct dietary patterns:

1. starch-free or low-starch pattern (18.09%)
2. vegetarian/plant-based pattern (5.54%)
3. high protein and low fiber pattern (19.39%), or
4. balanced pattern (56.98%)

According to the data, study participants who followed the balanced dietary pattern had the fewest mental health issues and the highest scores for cognitive functions along with better overall mental well-being. They also had higher amounts of gray matter in the brain, which is connected to intelligence, when compared to people who ate a less diverse diet.

Scientists think that genetic factors may also contribute to the association between dietary choices and brain health, indicating that well-being could be the result of genetic predispositions and lifestyle choices.

Interestingly (to me, at least), the study also emphasized the necessity of making small, incremental dietary changes, especially for people who typically eat highly palatable but nutritionally deficient “junk” foods. By slowly reducing sugar and fat intake over time, individuals may find themselves naturally gravitating towards healthier food choices.

The study’s senior author, statistician Jianfeng Feng, a professor at the Department of Computer Science University of Warwick and a professor of science and technology for brain-inspired intelligence and computer science at Fudan University, emphasized the importance of establishing healthy food preferences early in life .

“Developing a healthy balanced diet from an early age is crucial for healthy growth,” Professor Feng said in a statement. “To foster the development of a balanced healthy diet, both families and schools should offer a diverse range of nutritious meals and cultivate an environment that supports their physical and mental health.”

Professor Feng’s work focuses on developing new mathematical, statistical and computational theories and methods to meet the challenges raised in neuroscience and mental health.

But not everyone can access, or afford, a healthy, varied diet.

“Since dietary choices can be influenced by socioeconomic status, it’s crucial to ensure that this does not hinder individuals from adopting a healthy balanced dietary profile,” Professor Feng agreed, adding that public policy should have a role in promoting accessible and affordable healthy eating options .

“Implementing affordable nutritious food policies is essential for governments to empower the general public to make informed and healthy dietary choices, thereby promoting overall public health.”

“Our findings underscore the associations between dietary patterns and brain health, urging for concerted efforts in promoting nutritional awareness and fostering healthy eating habits across diverse populations,” added study co-author, mathematician and neuroscientist Wei Cheng, a Professor of Neuroscience at Fudan University .

The study is limited by its use of “food liking surveys” — at least some study participants can report what they think the researchers are looking for instead of their current food choices. This issue can be addressed by monitoring current food consumption, but it could make such a study extremely expensive and time consuming. Other weaknesses to this study are a potential selection bias in the UK Biobank sample, potential oversimplification of mental health assessment measures, and an incomplete consideration of key dietary components like tryptophan and omega-3/6 fatty acids.

However, this study is a good start to establishing that dietary patterns among older people may significantly impact their mental health, cognitive functions, and brain imaging. This study indicates that further research is necessary to explore the long-term associations between dietary patterns and brain health across various age groups, especially during adolescence and middle age.

Source:

Ruohan Zhang, Bei Zhang, Chun Shen, Barbara J. Sahakian, Zeyu Li, Wei Zhang, Yujie Zhao, Yuzhu Li, Jianfeng Feng & Wei Cheng (2024). Associations of dietary patterns with brain health from behavioral, neuroimaging, biochemical and genetic analyzes, Nature Mental Health | doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00226-0

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