NuBrain: UK consortium for optimal nutrition for healthy brain ageing

Abstract

With an ageing global population, there is an urgent need to identify effective strategies to maintain brain health across the life course and therein minimise the risk of age-related neurodegenerative disorders reaching a severe stage which may manifest as dementia. An increasing body of evidence indicates that nutrition is a modifiable lifestyle factor that can promote healthy brain ageing and reduce dementia risk. However, at present, little is known about which dietary patterns, foods and food bioactives influence brain function during ageing, and more research is required to identify at-risk individuals and population subgroups who are most likely to benefit from future nutritional intervention intended to promote healthier brain ageing. This article introduces the newly established Medical Research Council-funded NuBrain consortium, the vision of which is to provide a step change in research in the area by developing novel approaches and techniques to further understand the complex interactions between diet and brain health and how we can support appropriate behaviour changes in the population. NuBrain will form a new, sustainable and internationally field-leading research consortium with multidisciplinary and complementary areas of expertise to address the fundamental research challenges in this area.

Dietary nitrate and population health: a narrative review of the translational potential of existing laboratory studies

“…Indeed, these indicate that rather than being harmful, dietary NO 3 − intake is inversely associated with cardiovascular disease risk [102,194] and certain cancers [117]. Furthermore, diets and dietary patterns high in fruits and vegetables are linked to greater longevity [195,196], protection against type 2 diabetes [197] and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [198], and improved cardiovascular [92,199,200] and cognitive health [201,202]. This suggests that higher intake of dietary NO 3 − , at least through plants, is more likely to be associated with health benefits than adverse effects.…”

Mediterranean diet and the hallmarks of ageing

“…The ageing trajectory is plastic, and may be modulated by dietary and other lifestyle factors [3,4]. One dietary approach that has attracted particular attention in this regard is the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MedDiet), which was characteristic of countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain in the 20 th century before globalisation of food production, processing and distribution [5].…”

First steps towards transforming nutrition and health research in the UK

“…Nutriom links research in nutrition, immunity and the microbiota and aims to establish a virtual research centre in nutritional immunology to provide evidencebased guidance and expert leadership to enhance national research capabilities so that researchers can better identify and robustly test key nutritional strategies to support and promote healthy ageing. (2) The NuBrain consortium aims to advance understanding of the complex interactions between nutrition and brain health during ageing, and to develop and test interventions to achieve positive behaviour change that facilitates healthy brain ageing (Stevenson et al, 2020) The second action is the focus of this Virtual Issue of the Nutrition Bulletin. The NRP launched a Call for Nutrition Hot Topic Workshops that would accelerate progress by encouraging new thinking on important challenges in the nutrition field.…”