Here is an important New Year’s resolution backed by science:
“In 2024, I will eat a diet that keeps my brain healthy.”
For elaboration, let’s consult Debora Melo van Lent, PhD, a nutrition scientist and epidemiologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (also called UT Health San Antonio).
During her work with the health science center’s Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Melo van Lent used a tool called the Dietary Inflammatory Index to rank nutrients (such as vitamin D and fat), whole foods and bioactive components (such as spices) consumed by participants in the Framingham Heart Study.
“Nutrients and foods either promote inflammation or protect against it,” Melo van Lent said. “The Dietary Inflammatory Index is a way to assess that in groups of people.”
Pro-inflammatory food parameters on the index include:
- Trans fat (present in pastries, fried and fast foods, for example.)
- Saturated fat (present in butter and fatty cuts of meat, for example.)
- Total energy intake.
Anti-inflammatory food parameters on the index include:
- Beta-carotene (present in sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut squash, for example.)
- Dietary fiber (present in whole grain products, fruits and vegetables, for example.)
- Green and black tea.
Melo van Lent and colleagues suspect that foods that cause inflammation speed up brain aging and cognitive decline.
The team indeed found associations between brain volume and Dietary Inflammatory Index scores. Higher (pro-inflammatory) index scores were associated with smaller total brain volume as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Smaller volume is an indicator of brain aging. Melo van Lent and the team continue to study diets that might slow this deterioration and reduce the risk of dementia.
They are among the first groups to report on associations between MRI brain volume and higher Dietary Inflammatory Index scores. More studies are needed.
“We see indications that eating a low-inflammatory diet is good for the brain,” Melo van Lent said. “That is a worthy New Year’s resolution.”
The Biggs Institute’s resolution in 2024 is to continue its upward trajectory as a national center of excellence. Putting discoveries into practice, Biggs Institute researchers work to understand the risks, predictors, prevention and possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment and related conditions.
The Biggs Institute, in collaboration with The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, is a National Institute on Aging-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). It is the only ADRC in the state of Texas.
Diet is but one topic of study for this elite center located in South Texas. The relationship of heart health with brain health is another focus, as is the effect of long COVID on cognition. The Biggs Institute is one of the major U.S. centers in the recruitment of Hispanics into clinical trials, which expands the nation’s understanding of how these diseases uniquely affect this significant and growing demographic group.
“Nutrients and foods either promote inflammation or protect against it. We suspect that foods that cause inflammation speed up brain aging and cognitive decline.” — Debora Melo van Lent, PhD, UT Health Science Center San Antonio
Current trials are enrolling eligible participants who are healthy volunteers, have mild cognitive impairment, or have a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease or advanced Alzheimer’s. There is a trial for every family.
Melo van Lent, for her part, has also co-authored research indicating that the MIND diet, which is a hybrid version of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), might significantly reduce a person’s risk for developing dementia. Diet, along with exercise, is a risk factor that people are encouraged to modify in their lifelong quest to avoid dementia.
What else can be done? Researchers encourage people to manage stress, get enough sleep, stay socially engaged and more.
The Biggs Institute, including Debora Melo van Lent, is resolved to find answers in 2024 and beyond.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), a primary driver for San Antonio’s $44.1 billion health care and biosciences sector, is the largest academic research institution in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of more than $400 million. Driving substantial economic impact with its six professional schools, a diverse workforce of more than 7,900, an annual expense budget of $1.46 billion and clinical practices that provide 2.6 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
The Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases provides comprehensive dementia care while advancing treatment through clinical trials and research. In addition to patient care and research, the Biggs Institute partners with the School of Nursing at UT Health San Antonio to offer the Caring for the Caregiver program.
Stay current with the latest research from the UT Health Science Center San Antonio on our online Newsroom. Learn about brain research specifically at AdvancingBrainHealth.org.