Diet and Stress

Hueston et al. (2017) believe that adolescence is the critical stage of life at which the effect of stressor exposure on hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive function should be tested since this is the period in which the hippocampus matures and neurogenesis is increased. It is also a particularly stressful time and stress is detrimental to neurogenesis, and can potentially induce long-lasting effects reflected by changes in behavior, neural plasticity and cognitive ability. Diet or exercise-related interventions can possibly counteract the stress-induced alterations, and can promote positive behavioral alterations in adolescence. This review considers the acute and long-term impact of stress on hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition during this important period, while also taking into account the changes in stress response and pubertal hormones that may consequently influence adulthood. The theory is that adolescence is the optimal time to encourage a healthy lifestyle to protect against the impacts of stress and to promote positive and long-lasting effects on hippocampal neurogenesis. Hopefully future studies can elucidate the susceptibility of the adolescent hippocampus to the likes of stress, diet and exercise, and will be able to explain the consequential cognitive effects.