The Association Between A Pro-Inflammatory Diet And Brain Age In Middle-Aged And Older Adults
Our bodies naturally experience some level of inflammation, a protective response to injury or illness. However, chronic low-grade inflammation, often referred to as “inflammaging,” can contribute to various age-related health issues, including those affecting our brains. Recent research has shed light on how our dietary choices can either fuel or quell this inflammatory process, impacting how our brains age.
A recent study investigated the connection between what we eat and the biological age of our brains. Researchers used a large dataset to analyze participants’ diets, categorizing them based on their inflammatory potential using a tool called the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). This index helps assess whether a diet is more likely to promote or reduce inflammation in the body. Simultaneously, they calculated “brain age” using advanced imaging techniques, looking at various structural and functional measures of the brain. The difference between a person’s biological brain age and their actual chronological age, known as the brain age gap (BAG), indicates whether the brain is aging faster or slower than expected.
The findings revealed a significant link: individuals consuming a more pro-inflammatory diet tended to have an older brain age than their chronological age. This accelerated brain aging was particularly evident in older adults, suggesting that the impact of diet on brain health may become more pronounced with age. The study also indicated that systemic inflammation, which is inflammation throughout the body, plays a role in mediating this relationship between diet and brain aging. In essence, diets rich in highly processed foods, red meat, and refined sugars can increase inflammation, potentially accelerating brain aging, while diets rich in anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may help protect brain health. This research underscores the powerful influence of nutrition on our brain health as we age.
Source: link to paper