In winter 2010 issue of ‘The Nutrition Practitioner’ Nina Bailey BSc PhD published her article Microstructure changes and atrophy in the aging brain.
Abstract
The association between brain ageing and age-related cognitive decline is of great interest to both researchers and practitioners. The risk of cognitive decline, and for developing dementia, increases with age, with the biological components of ageing involving complex interactions between intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic (environmental and dietary) factors. Many nutrients, micronutrients and metabolic enzymes essential for substrate metabolism, substrate utilization and energy transfer, are known to reduce with age. Specific nutrient deficiencies in the elderly, including omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, and antioxidants among others, may exacerbate pathological processes in the brain.
