title: Nutritional strategies to optimise cognitive function in the aging brain.
abstract: Old age is the greatest risk factor for most neurodegenerative diseases. During recent decades there have been major advances in understanding the biology of aging, and the development of nutritional interventions that delay aging including calorie restriction (CR) and intermittent fasting (IF), and chemicals that influence pathways linking nutrition and aging processes. CR influences brain aging in many animal models and recent findings suggest that dietary interventions can influence brain health and dementia in older humans. The role of individual macronutrients in brain aging also has been studied, with conflicting results about the effects of dietary protein and carbohydrates. A new approach known as the Geometric Framework (GF) has been used to unravel the complex interactions between macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate) and total energy on outcomes such as aging. These studies have shown that low-protein, high-carbohydrate (LPHC) diets are optimal for lifespan in ad libitum fed animals, while total calories have minimal effect once macronutrients are taken into account. One of the primary purposes of this review is to explore the notion that macronutrients may have a more translational potential than CR and IF in humans, and therefore there is a pressing need to use GF to study the impact of diet on brain aging. Furthermore, given the growing recognition of the role of aging biology in dementia, such studies might provide a new approach for dietary interventions for optimizing brain health and preventing dementia in older people.
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; Aging and Alzheimers Institute, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Clinical School/Sydney Medical School, Concord, 2139 Australia.
authors.forename: Devin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; Aging and Alzheimers Institute, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Clinical School/Sydney Medical School, Concord, 2139 Australia.
authors.forename: Victoria C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Cogger
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; Aging and Alzheimers Institute, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Clinical School/Sydney Medical School, Concord, 2139 Australia.
authors.forename: Samantha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Solon-Biet
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Rosilene V R
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Waern
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; Aging and Alzheimers Institute, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Clinical School/Sydney Medical School, Concord, 2139 Australia.
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gokarn
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pulpitel
authors.affiliation: Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Rafael de
authors.initials: Rd
authors.lastname: Cabo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mattson
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raubenheimer
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006 Australia; Aging and Alzheimers Institute, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Clinical School/Sydney Medical School, Concord, 2139 Australia. Electronic address: david.lecouteur@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Le Couteur
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005215:Fasting; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy*
keywords: Aging; Cognition; Geometric framework; Intermittent fasting; Macronutrients