Nutritional factors affecting adult neurogenesis and cognitive function

This 2017 article explains that adult neurogenesis, which is a process by which stem cells in the hippocampal brain region spread into new neurons and other resident brain cells, is influenced by factors such as diet. Neurogenesis is very important in the preservation of cognitive function and the repairing of damaged brain cells (including those affected by brain disorders and aging). But adult neurogenesis can be negatively affected by aging, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, brain injury, diets rich in sugars and fats, and addiction to alcohol and opioids. On the other hand, there are several diets and dietary components, as well as caloric restriction, physical exercise, and learning, that may induce stem cell proliferation in adult brains. Although it is not yet fully understood how these nutrients and dietary factors can affect adult neurogenesis, nutritional approaches show promise with regards to protection from cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease development. This present review summarizes the evidence supporting the influential role of nutritional approaches in the modification of adult neurogenesis, and their potential to preserve cognitive integrity during aging. [NPID: cognition, aging, hippocampus, brain, stem cells, diet, nutrition, stress, alcohol, opioids, addiction, neurogenesis]

Year: 2017

Reference: Poulose, S. M., Miller, M. G., Scott, T., & Shukitt-Hale, B. (2017). Nutritional Factors Affecting Adult Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 8(6), 804–811. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.117.016261

Related Studies

The hedonic overdrive model best explains high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice

High-fat diets induce obesity in male mice; however, the precise mechanisms underlying this effect are subject to debate. This study by Gao et al. (2024) evaluated three competing hypotheses: hedonic overdrive, reverse causality, and passive overconsumption models. Twelve groups, each consisting of of 20 individually housed C57BL/6 male mice (12 weeks of age), were exposed […]

Long term high fat diet induces metabolic disorders and aggravates behavioral disorders and cognitive deficits in MAPT P301L transgenic mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an uncommon condition that usually occurs late in life, a condition where several metabolic factors were found to contribute to its onset and course. Peripheral tissue insulin resistance and pathologies observed in tau proteins were demonstrated through studies of diabetes employing streptozotocin-injected and db/db mouse models. In their study, Xiong et […]