Nutrition and Dietary Patterns: Effects on Brain Function

By Roser Granero, Gemma Guillazo-Blanch

In relation to nutrition and dietary patterns, eating behavior is defined as a broad construct that covers feeding practices, food choice, and dieting. Persistent disturbances in eating behavior can lead to the onset and progression of eating disorders, which constitute severe mental conditions with significant impact on physical, psychological, and social function.

Current research has explored brain markers among different eating disorder samples, observing impaired neurocognitive processes, different brain structures, and altered functional connectivity compared with healthy control samples. Specific affectations in executive functions, sensitivity to reward–punishment processes, and neurobiological mechanisms have been related to the beginning and duration of eating behavior-related problems. At the global level, along with the growth in average life expectancy, one of society’s salient attainments during the last century has been the identification of early biomarkers of cognitive decline.

The proactive management of extrinsic modifiable risk factors (such as dietary patterns) to prevent early neurodegenerative conditions and enhance healthy aging are also becoming more important. Studies have examined the role of nutrition, for example, the intake of specific macro- and micronutrients present in balanced diets that can improve cognitive functions and mitigate age-related cognitive decline. Thus, the impact of diet and nutrition on age-associated cognitive decline is becoming an increasingly significant field of study.

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