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A recent study from the University of Kentucky demonstrates that dietary nutrients may help reduce age-related iron accumulation in the brain and its associated cognitive decline. The research, published in Neurobiology of Aging, followed 72 older adults over three years, examining the relationship between dietary intake, brain iron levels, and cognitive performance through quantitative susceptibility mapping MRI technology.
Key Points:
- Non-heme iron accumulation in cortical and subcortical brain regions over the three-year study period correlated with decreased episodic memory and executive function performance, establishing a direct link between iron buildup and cognitive decline in aging populations.
- Participants who maintained higher baseline consumption of antioxidants, vitamins, iron-chelating nutrients, and polyunsaturated fatty acids exhibited significantly lower brain iron accumulation during the study period, suggesting dietary intervention may help mitigate age-related cognitive decline.
- The research specifically focused on non-heme iron, which comprises approximately 90% of dietary iron intake from both plant and animal sources, and its regulation in the brain through protective complexes such as ferritin.
- The study builds upon previous research from 2021 that initially identified the connection between specific nutrient intake and lower brain iron levels, with improved working memory performance.
- Clinical recommendations include following nutrient-rich dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean or DASH diets, incorporating three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily, and monitoring the balance between heme and non-heme iron sources.
“The significance of this finding lies in the possibility that brain iron accumulation during aging may not be an inevitable process but one that could be influenced by dietary choices.”
– Valentinos Zachariou, PhD
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