Antioxidant-rich diet may reduce risk of iron buildup, cognitive issues with age

Scientists have found that diet may help reduce iron accumulation in the brain and lower the risk of cognitive decline. Trinette Reed/Stocksy Iron is an important mineral for the body.

Although iron is important for brain health, past studies show that as we age, too much can accumulate in the brain, which has been linked to cognitive issues.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky have found that including certain nutrients in a person’s diet may help lower the amount of iron buildup in the brain.

This could potentially help lower a person’s risk for cognitive decline.

Iron is one of the many minerals the body needs to function properly.

The body mainly uses iron to create a protein found in red blood cells called hemoglobin , which is tasked with carrying oxygen from the lungs to other areas of the body. Additionally, iron helps muscles store oxygen, is important for hormone and bone marrow production, and keeps the immune system working correctly.

Iron also plays an important role in brain health. As we age, too much iron can sometimes accumulate in the brain. Past studies have correlated high levels of iron in the brain with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Now, researchers from the University of Kentucky have found that including certain nutrients in a person’s usual diet may help lower the amount of iron buildup in the brain, potentially lowering a person’s risk for cognitive issues.

The study was recently published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging . How aging disrupts regulation of non-heme iron in the brain

For this study, researchers focused specifically on non-heme iron , which is found in both plant and animal products and makes up about 90% of iron a person consumes through food.

“Iron is a vital element for brain health, playing a key role in essential cellular functions,” Valentinos Zachariou, PhD , assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Science at the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky and the first author of this study, told Medical News Today .

“However, iron is also a potent oxidizing agent that, when unregulated, can disrupt cellular processes and damage neurons , glial cells , and myelin . To mitigate this risk, brain cells typically store iron in protective complexes such as ferritin . When stored in these complexes, iron remains safe and non-toxic to the cell,” he explained.

“However, for iron to fulfill its role in cellular functions, it must first be released from these protective complexes,” Zachariou continued. “This unbound form of iron, known as non-heme iron, is carefully regulated by healthy brain cells to balance its functional benefits while minimizing potential harm. With aging, this intricate regulatory system becomes disrupted, leading to the accumulation of unbound or non-heme iron outside of protective complexes. This imbalance has been associated with negative cognitive outcomes, which is why our study focuses on this critical domain.”
— Valentinos Zachariou, PhD Brain iron accumulation worsens memory, executive function

This current study builds on findings from a previous study conducted by Zachariou and his team that was published in October 2021.

In that study, researchers found that a higher intake of antioxidants , vitamins, iron-chelating nutrients , and polyunsaturated fatty acids was linked to lower brain iron levels, as well as better working memory performance.

In this new research, scientists followed up about three years later with the same 72 older adults from their original study. Participants had their brain iron levels measured through an MRI technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping .

Researchers also examined study participants’ diets and their current cognitive performance, including memory.

The scientists found participants experienced iron accumulation in both cortical and subcortical brain regions over the three-year period, which was associated with worsened episodic memory — the ability to recall past events — and executive function — such as attention and problem-solving — during the follow-up.

“This finding is significant because it demonstrates two key points: (1) the MRI modality we used to non-invasively measure non-heme iron in the brain is sensitive enough to detect increases in brain iron over a relatively short three-year period, and (2) these increases are cognitively significant,” Zachariou said.

“Specifically, the brain regions where we observed iron accumulation subserve and are associated with episodic memory and executive function, and iron accumulation in these regions was linked to declines in these particular cognitive functions,” he continued. Certain nutrients help lessen iron accumulation in the brain

However, researchers also found that study participants who had higher baseline consumption of antioxidants, vitamins, iron-chelating nutrients, and polyunsaturated fatty acids presented significantly less brain iron accumulation during the three-year period. “The significance of this finding lies in the possibility that brain iron accumulation during aging may not be an inevitable process but one that could be influenced by dietary choices. These results lay the groundwork for future randomized clinical trials to investigate the impact of specific nutritional interventions on brain iron accumulation and cognitive function.”
— Valentinos Zachariou, PhD “The immediate next step is to identify and refine the list of specific nutrients that may mitigate the effects of age-related brain iron accumulation on cognition. This includes examining how these nutrients interact with overall dietary habits. For instance, are these nutrients effective only when consumed as part of a balanced, healthy diet, or do they provide benefits regardless of overall dietary patterns?” Zachariou continued.

“The subsequent step would involve designing a randomized clinical trial to test the impact of these nutrients on brain iron accumulation and cognitive function in older individuals, in the form of targeted nutritional interventions,” he added. Improving brain health with diet is a worthwhile pursuit

MNT spoke with Clifford Segil, DO , neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, about this study.

“As a clinical neurologist, I have never seen a test to determine brain iron levels and am curious how iron enters the central nervous system through the blood-brain barrier . Brain health is an ever-changing field and studies looking to improve brain health […]

Read more at www.medicalnewstoday.com