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Diet, nutrition and the ageing brain: current evidence and new directions
Moore K, Hughes CF, Ward M, Hoey L, McNulty H.. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2018-01-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Globally populations are ageing. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be two billion people aged 60 years or over, of which 131 million are projected to be affected by dementia, while depression is predicted to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide by 2020. Preventing or delaying the onset of these disorders should therefore be a public health priority. There is some evidence linking certain dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean diet, with a reduced risk of dementia and depression. Specific dietary components have also been investigated in relation to brain health, with emerging evidence supporting protective roles for n-3 PUFA, polyphenols, vitamin D and B-vitamins. At this time, the totality of evidence is strongest in support of a role for folate and the metabolically related B-vitamins (vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and riboflavin) in slowing the progression of cognitive decline and possibly reducing the risk of depression in ageing. Future studies incorporating new technologies, such as MRI and magnetoencephalography, offer much promise in identifying effective nutrition interventions that could reduce the risk of cognitive and mental disorders. This review will explore the ageing brain and the emerging evidence linking diet and specific nutrients with cognitive function and depression in ageing, with the potential to develop strategies that could improve quality of life in our ageing population.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Moore, K., Hughes, C. F., Ward, M., Hoey, L., & McNulty, H. (2018). Diet, nutrition and the ageing brain: current evidence and new directions. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665117004177
Vancouver
Moore K, Hughes CF, Ward M, Hoey L, McNulty H. Diet, nutrition and the ageing brain: current evidence and new directions. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2018. doi:10.1017/s0029665117004177. PMID: 29316987.
BibTeX
@article{moore2018-29316987,
author = {Moore, K. and Hughes, C. F. and Ward, M. and Hoey, L. and McNulty, H.},
title = {{Diet, nutrition and the ageing brain: current evidence and new directions}},
journal = {The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1017/s0029665117004177},
pmid = {29316987},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665117004177}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- There is some evidence linking certain dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean diet, with a reduced risk of dementia and depression.
- Specific dietary components have also been investigated in relation to brain health, with emerging evidence supporting protective roles for n-3 PUFA, polyphenols, vitamin D and B-vitamins.
- At this time, the totality of evidence is strongest in support of a role for folate and the metabolically related B-vitamins (vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and riboflavin) in slowing the progression of cognitive decline and possibly reducing the risk of depression in ageing.
- Future studies incorporating new technologies, such as MRI and magnetoencephalography, offer much promise in identifying effective nutrition interventions that could reduce the risk of cognitive and mental disorders.
- This review will explore the ageing brain and the emerging evidence linking diet and specific nutrients with cognitive function and depression in ageing, with the potential to develop strategies that could improve quality of life in our ageing population.
Why it matters
This review reports some evidence linking dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean diet, and specific nutrients such as n-3 PUFA, polyphenols, vitamin D and B-vitamins with brain health, with the strongest evidence for folate and related B-vitamins in slowing cognitive decline. It is a review of existing evidence and does not establish that any diet or nutrient prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Proceedings of The Nutrition Society: journal h-index 193 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 213 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 21.3 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 20.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 54 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Helene McNulty: h-index 60 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Ulster: institution h-index 418 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29316987) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1017/s0029665117004177
- PubMed: 29316987
- Original source →
- Free full text: Proceedings of The Nutrition Society →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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