Cognitive impairment is a rapidly growing public health problem. As there is no curative treatment for dementia, the proactive management of modifiable risk factors and the identification of early biomarkers indicative of the cognitive decline are of great importance. Although nutrition is one of the most extensively studied lifestyle factor in relation to cognitive health, its association with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers is not well established. In the present work, we review available studies relating dietary or nutrient patterns with brain MRI biomarkers in dementia-free adults. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with the preservation of structural connectivity and less brain atrophy in adults without dementia. In addition, specific nutrient patterns, characterized by a high intake of antioxidant vitamins, polyphenols and unsaturated fatty acids, have been related to larger brain volume. Although the results are encouraging regarding the role of dietary and nutrient patterns on imaging biomarkers, more well-designed observational longitudinal studies and clinical trials are needed in order to confirm potentially causal relationships and better understand underlying mechanisms.

The objective of this narrative review was to summarize existing literature on the effectiveness of school-based interventions, implemented in Europe, under the aim of promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors in children (6–10 years old). A search of PubMed, Scopus, EFSA and Google Scholar databases was performed for studies published from January 2016 to June 2022. Specific search terms and exclusion criteria were used. Based on the results, diet and physical activity interventions had favorable effects on a series of health outcomes, including anthropometric parameters, biomarkers, eating behavior and self-efficacy. Diet-only interventions had a positive impact specifically on eating habits, mostly on water consumption. Most successful interventions lasted for 1 school year, and they were characterized by parental involvement and teachers’ training.

Cognitive disorders have become important public health issues around the world. Studies evaluating the association between cognitive decline and food timing are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the potential association between energy intake distribution during the day and cognitive performance in cognitively healthy and mildly cognitive impaired individuals. Data were derived from the ongoing Albion study which includes people aged 40 years or older who have a positive family history of cognitive disorder or concern about their cognitive status. A thorough dietary and cognitive assessment was performed. Participants consuming low energy intake at the beginning of the day or high energy at the end of the day had higher cognitive function compared to participants characterized by the opposite pattern. This trend remained statistically significant even after adjustment for potential confounders (p = 0.043). This study suggests that individuals with worse cognitive function may choose to eat earlier during the day, when cognitive performance is better, and it might be hypothesized that a meal pattern characterized by high energy consumption at the beginning of the day or low energy at the end of the day could be a marker of cognitive impairment.

(1) Background: Many studies link food intake with clinical cognitive outcomes, but evidence for brain biomarkers, such as memory-related limbic white matter (WM) tracts, is limited. We examined the association between food groups, limbic WM tracts integrity, and memory performance in community-dwelling individuals. (2) Methods: We included 117 non-demented individuals (ALBION study). Verbal and visual episodic memory tests were administered, and a composite z-score was calculated. Diffusion tensor imaging tractography was applied for limbic WM tracts (fornix-FX, cingulum bundle-CB, uncinate fasciculus-UF, hippocampal perforant pathway zone-hPPZ). Food intake was evaluated through four 24-h recalls. We applied linear regression models adjusted for demographics and energy intake. (3) Results: We found significant associations between (a) higher low-to-moderate alcohol intake and higher FX fractional anisotropy (FA), (b) higher full-fat dairy intake and lower hPPZ FA, and (c) higher red meat and cold cuts intake and lower hPPZ FA. None of the food groups was associated with memory performance. (4) Conclusions: Despite non-significant associations between food groups and memory, possibly due to participants’ cognitive profile and/or compensatory mechanisms, the study documented a possible beneficial role of low-to-moderate alcohol and a harmful role of full-fat dairy and red meat and cold cuts on limbic WM tracts.

Accumulative evidence links MIND diet with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, but the connecting mechanisms remain unclear. We explored whether this dietary patterns and its components was associated with Amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition in dementia-free middle-life individuals. 250 participants [65 (58, 73) years, 63.2% women] underwent neurological cognitive assessments and dietary assessment (through four 24-hour dietary recalls). Aβ concentrations were measured in cerebrospinal fluid samples. MIND diet adherence was examined both as a continuous variable and as a distribution-based categorical variable using quartiles (Q1-Q4), with higher quartiles reflecting higher adherence. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted using MIND diet adherence (continuous or quartile-based) as the independent variable and Aβ deposition as the dependent variable. Compared to lower MIND adherence (Q1), higher adherence (Q4) was associated with less pathological Aβ concentrations (OR = 0.431, 95% CI: 0.195-0.950, p = 0.037). Each 1-SD increase in adherence was associated with a 26% reduction in the odds of having pathological Aβ concentrations (OR = 0.736, 95% CI: 0.563-0.962, p = 0.025). Among MIND diet components, only leafy vegetables intake showed a significant association with Aβ burden (OR = 0.519, 95% CI: 0.277-0.972, p = 0.040, q = 0.485). These cross-sectional findings suggest a potential mechanism that may partially explain the association between MIND diet adherence and cognitive function. Ηowever, they should be interpreted with caution, as the study sample may not be representative of community-based populations. Randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm this relationship.