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Research Ties Anti-Inflammatory Diet To Larger Gray Matter & Total Brain Volume

Author:

Morgan Chamberlain

Expert reviewer:

Emma Engler, M.S.

June 15, 2022

Former mbg Supplement Editor

By Morgan Chamberlain

Former mbg Supplement Editor

Morgan Chamberlain is mindbodygreen's former supplement editor. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in magazine journalism and a minor in nutrition.

Expert review by

Emma Engler, M.S.

mbg Nutrition Research Scientist

Emma Engler, M.S., is a Nutrition Research Scientist at mindbodygreen supporting nutrition product research, development, and innovation, as well as science education and communications.

Group of people eating and chatting at outdoors dinner party.

Image by Lumina / Stocksy

June 15, 2022

It's well-known that certain nutrients help support cognitive health and brain longevity (hello, omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenol-rich berries!), but it turns out our diet has even more of an impact on the brain than we had realized.

According to a recently published investigation of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, a pro-inflammatory diet can result in smaller brain volume 1. This makes a case that anti-inflammatory foods also have a positive impact on brain volume.

What's the Framingham Heart Study?

If you aren't already familiar, the Framingham Heart Study is a population-based study of heart-health outcomes in several generations of participants from Framingham, Massachusetts. The Original Cohort was recruited in 1948, and the study has added three additional generations of participants since then that make up a grand total of six cohorts.

The Offspring Cohort.

This particular finding looks at the Offspring Cohort, which includes children of the original participants and their respective spouses. These individuals joined the Offspring Study in 1971 and actively participated in the study until 2014.

What the investigation reveals about diet & brain volume.

After analyzing cross-sectional associations between a pro-inflammatory diet and brain volume, researchers found that participants who ate higher quantities of pro-inflammatory foods over time had a smaller total brain volume.

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Pro-inflammatory diet among participants was also associated with smaller gray matter volume (i.e., the part of the central nervous system that processes information and affects everything from memory and movement to emotional health) and larger lateral ventricular volume (i.e., an MRI biomarker associated with certain cognitive health concerns).

These findings indicate that anti-inflammatory foods can help promote not only cognitive function and overall brain health but longevity outcomes as well. That said, this investigation is one of the first of its kind, and additional research is needed to confirm the significance of the link between an anti-inflammatory diet and brain volume.

The takeaway.

When it comes to brain longevity nutrition, an anti-inflammatory diet is the way to go. In addition to packing your plate with anti-inflammatory foods (e.g., omega-3-rich fish and polyphenol-packed fruits, veggies, and whole grains), choosing a targeted brain health supplement like mbg's brain guard+, which includes the polyphenol resveratrol and other brain-supporting ingredients, is another way to promote a healthy brain and optimize your cognitive function—today and later in life.*

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.