Dietary fiber intake and hippocampal gray matter volume: an exploratory cross-sectional study in healthy adults

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) go hand-in-hand with substantial societal and financial burdens. Prior research has linked ADRD to decreases in hippocampal gray matter volume (GMV). This exploratory cross-sectional study by Pallapothu et al. (2025) examined the association between total dietary fiber intake and regional GMV in 190 healthy adults, aged 20 to 79, who participated in the 2015 National Health Interview Survey Supplement and underwent T1-weighted MRI as part of the University of South Carolina’s Aging Brain Cohort study. After controlling for potential confounders (such as age, race, sex, and neighborhood wealth), data analysis revealed a substantial positive correlation between fiber consumption and GMV in the right hippocampus and right parahippocampal gyrus. Fiber consumption was also positively associated with MoCA sub-scores related to attention, concentration, and language. These findings support the notion that dietary fiber may provide protective benefits for brain health, potentially informing nutritional strategies to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive disorders. [NPID: Brain, gray matter volume, fiber, Alzheimer’s disease brain, dementia]

Year: 2025

Reference: Pallapothu, R., Newman-Norlund, R. D., Gibson, M., Kannan, P. R., Pallapothu, S., Rorden, C., Bonilha, L., & Fridriksson, J. (2025). Dietary fiber intake and hippocampal gray matter volume: an exploratory cross-sectional study in healthy adults. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1608995

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