RECENT RESEARCH
to 2.4 years ) of prevalence of use estimates on the questionnaires was acceptable for common DSs . Given the limited body of research on measurement error in DS assessment , only tentative conclusions on these DS instruments can be drawn at present . Further research is critical to advancing knowledge in DS assessment for monitoring purposes .
Cerdó T , Nieto-Ruíz A , García-Santos JA , Rodríguez-Pöhnlein A , García-Ricobaraza M , Suárez A , Bermúdez MG , Campoy C . Current knowledge about the impact of maternal and infant nutrition on the development of the microbiota-gut-brain axis . Ann Rev Nut . 2023 ; 43 , 251 – 278 . doi : 10.1146 / annurevnutr-061021-025355
The prenatal and early postnatal periods are stages during which dynamic changes and the development of the brain and gut microbiota occur , and nutrition is one of the most important modifiable factors that influences this process . Given the bidirectional cross talk between the gut microbiota and the brain through the microbiota – gut – brain axis ( MGBA ), there is growing interest in evaluating the potential effects of nutritional interventions administered during these critical developmental windows on gut microbiota composition and function and their association with neurodevelopmental outcomes . We review recent preclinical and clinical evidence from animal studies and infant / child populations . Although further research is needed , growing evidence suggests that different functional nutrients affect the establishment and development of the microbiota – gut – brain axis and could have preventive and therapeutic use in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders . Therefore , more in-depth knowledge regarding the effect of nutrition on the MGBA during critical developmental windows may enable the prevention of later neurocognitive and behavioral disorders and allow the establishment of individualized nutrition-based programs that can be used from the prenatal to the early and middle stages of life .
Ekawidyani KR , Abdullah M . Diet , nutrition and intestinal permeability : A mini review . Asia Pacific
Journal of Clinical Nutrition . 2023 ; 32 ( 1 ), 8-12 .
Background and Objectives : Intestinal permeability ( IP ) is known to contribute to the immune system activation and inflammation ; thus , it is proposed to have a role in the pathogenesis and exacerbation of many chronic diseases . Several studies have indicated that diet and nutritional status are risk factors for increased IP . In this mini review , we discussed the recent evidence on the association of diet , nutritional status , and intestinal permeability assessed by zonulin concentrations in serum and feces .
Methods and Study Design : Literature searching was conducted in Pubmed , ProQuest and Google Scholar using the keywords " diet quality ", " intestinal permeability ", " nutritional status ", and " zonulin " combined with Boolean operators " AND " and " OR ".
Results : Some studies indicated that intake of proper nutrition and good diet such as low total calorie intake , high intakes of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids , fiber , vitamins , minerals , probiotics , and polyphenol-rich diet have significant impact on improvement of intestinal permeability marked by lower zonulin concentrations . Higher zonulin concentrations are found in those with overweight and obesity indicating that these population have increased IP . Most studies were conducted in adults and there are limited studies in children and adolescents . In addition , no studies have assessed diet quality to obtain a comprehensive picture on the complexities of diet in the population in relation to intestinal permeability .
Conclusions : Diet and nutritional status are linked to zonulin concentrations , indicating a role in intestinal permeability . Further research should be conducted to investigate the relationship between diet quality , as measured by appropriate diet quality indices , and intestinal permeability in children , adolescents , and adults .
Lanou AJ , Mast AC , Hill BD , Kim S-S , Hanaway P . A randomized , placebo-controlled clinical trial of a novel dietary supplement on standardized CNS vital signs cognitive performance parameters . J .
Complement . Integr . 2023 ; 29 ( 5 ): 303-312 .
Objective : To test the effectiveness of a novel dietary supplement as a support for cognitive function in healthy younger and older adults .
Design : A double-blind , randomized , placebo-controlled trial of the dietary supplement , Braini ® in two age cohorts with 60 participants : 31 healthy younger adults ( 18-30 years ) and 29 healthy older adults ( 55-80 years ).
Intervention : A 28-day intervention of a dietary supplement ( active or placebo ) taken daily with cognitive assessment using CNS Vital Signs computer-based testing at day 0 and 28 . Participants were asked to fill out a daily survey regarding compliance with supplement protocol , changes in health , adherence to the protocol , and reported side effects . CNS Vital Signs provides aged normed aggregated outcome measures for Processing Speed , Psychomotor Speed , Reaction Time , Cognitive Flexibility , Executive Function , and Motor Speed .
Results : Significant improvements in performance were found for two CNS Vital Signs domains , Cognitive Flexibility ( p = 0.048 ), and Executive Function ( p = 0.025 ) in the treated younger adults ( n = 12 ) compared with the placebo group ( n = 19 ) at day 28 compared with baseline . The Shifting Attention Test Reaction Time ( SAT-RT ), a measure of shifting attention correct response reaction time , showed significant improvement at 28 days in those taking Braini in both younger ( p = 0.004 ) and older adult cohorts ( p = 0.05 ) with an average improvement over the control subjects of 44 %. No serious side effects were reported .
Conclusions : The dietary formulation , Braini , safely and significantly improved cognitive flexibility and executive function in younger adults and trended positively in older adults in this study that was stopped prematurely due to pandemic restrictions . Scores on SAT-RT significantly improved in both younger and older adults . Further studies are needed to confirm that Braini reliably improves cognitive function in additional CNS domains in healthy adults .
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