How Nutrition Shapes Brain Health: A New Special Collection from The Journal of Nutrition

Food fuels the body, but research increasingly shows that it also supports the brain. A new Special Collection on Nutrition and the Brain in ASN’s The Journal of Nutrition brings together research from the growing field of nutritional cognitive neuroscience. In the opening editorial, Guest Editor Aron K. Barbey, PhD, introduces the collection and explains why nutrition is becoming central to how researchers understand brain health.

Mental and neurological health challenges are increasing worldwide. At the same time, research continues to show that nutrition plays an important role in how the brain functions across the lifespan. Food does more than provide energy. It supports the systems involved in memory, mood, learning, and overall brain health.

Figure 1 from **Memory-Enhancing Effects of Daidzin, Possibly Through Dopaminergic and AChEergic Dependent Pathways**

Nutritional cognitive neuroscience looks at brain health through four connected dimensions of human experience:

Environmental factors that influence risk and access to healthy foods
Psychological factors that affect and are influenced by food choices
Biological factors that affect how the brain processes and uses nutrients
Lifestyle factors such as exercise, sleep, and daily habits that shape eating patterns

Together, these dimensions help explain why nutrition can affect people differently and how diet can support brain flexibility, resilience, and mental well-being over time.

This Special Collection on Nutrition and the Brain brings together research spanning genetic, molecular, cellular, and systems levels. Together, the 14 research articles and 3 reviews examine how nutrition affects the brain across different stages of life and areas of health. Highlights from the collection include:

Maternal nutrition and brain development: Several studies examine how a mother’s diet during pregnancy can shape brain development and behavior later in life. For example, research suggests that imbalances in certain fats during pregnancy may affect learning, social behavior, and memory in offspring well into adulthood.

Specific nutrients and brain health: Some studies focus on individual nutrients and foods, such as antioxidant-rich foods and vitamin K, and how they may help reduce brain inflammation, protect memory, and support learning.

The gut-brain connection: Research in the collection shows how what we eat affects gut bacteria, which can influence brain development. The reported findings suggest that a host of dietary components and nutritional interventions may play an important role in regulating metabolic and inflammatory pathways that affect cognitive function and brain health.

When we eat, not just what we eat: The collection also includes studies on eating patterns and timing. One study found that adults who ate more frequently performed better on tests of memory, language, and executive function, suggesting that meal timing and regularity may play a role in cognitive health.

Personalized nutrition: Other studies look at large population datasets to show that genetic differences can influence how the brain responds to nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids. These findings suggest that personalized dietary approaches should take individual genetic differences into account.

Aging and dementia risk: Several papers explore eating patterns, including elements of the MIND diet, to better understand how diet may lower the risk of dementia and support healthy brain aging.

Mental health and infectious disease: Some research in the collection examines how what we eat may affect brain health and inflammation in people with conditions such as depression or HIV.

Nutrition in mental health education: Some research highlights that nutrition is often overlooked in psychiatry. More than two-thirds of psychiatrists and psychologists report no formal instruction in nutrition, and very few consider nutrition when treating patients. These findings point to the need for broader public health efforts to raise awareness about the importance of diet and nutrition in mental health.

Explore the Special Collection

Read Dr. Barbey’s opening editorial for an overview of why this research matters, and explore the full Special Collection in The Journal of Nutrition to learn how nutrition is becoming central to our understanding of brain health.