The nutrient could play a role in supporting cognitive health in later life
Consuming vitamin C could enhance brain function in elderly people, according to fresh research. Blood levels of the nutrient appear to be connected with brain connectivity amongst older adults, the study suggests. The research, which examined more than 2,000 Japanese individuals aged over 64, discovered that participants with reduced vitamin C levels in their blood plasma typically showed a smaller volume of grey matter in their brains.
They also displayed reduced connectivity across a group of brain regions called the default mode network (DMN), the study published in the journal PLOS One revealed. Scientists say their results indicate that maintaining optimal vitamin C levels may support brain health. Vitamin C, also referred to as ascorbic acid, is a vital nutrient that humans cannot manufacture themselves.
Research demonstrates it plays a key role in tissue building and repair, maintaining a robust immune system, and functioning as an antioxidant to shield cells from free radical damage. However, since the body cannot store it, daily consumption is necessary. Food sources include citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons, bell peppers and chilli peppers, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes.
Earlier studies have identified connections between diets richer in vitamin C and reduced risk of cognitive decline in elderly people. Yet few investigations had examined blood plasma vitamin C levels directly and any possible links with brain structure and connectivity within neural networks. In the new study, researchers at Hirosaki University in Japan examined MRI scans and plasma vitamin C levels from 2,044 Japanese adults aged over 64. They measured each participant’s grey and white brain matter volume, taking into account individual variations in total brain size between subjects.
The team also assessed connectivity within the default mode network, which plays a role in various cognitive functions, including attention and autobiographical memory. After controlling for other factors that might influence brain structure and connectivity – such as age and education levels – the scientists discovered that participants with lower plasma vitamin C levels generally had reduced grey matter volume, alongside decreased connectivity within the default mode network, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Study co-author Dr Haruka Nagaya said: “These findings suggest the possibility that optimal levels of vitamin C in blood plasma could potentially support cognitive function and counteract cognitive decline. However, the findings do not confirm any such cause-effect relationship between vitamin C levels and brain health, and further research is needed to explore the biological mechanisms behind the observed statistical associations.”
Researchers suggested that future studies could expand on these results by taking repeated plasma vitamin C measurements over time, factoring in additional lifestyle and nutritional influences, and incorporating participants from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Co-author Dr Tomohiro Shintaku said: “Our study demonstrates that higher plasma vitamin C levels are associated with better preserved structural connectivity of the default mode network, a key brain network involved in cognitive function.
“This finding generates the exciting hypothesis that a diet rich in vitamin C might play a supportive role in maintaining brain health and mitigating age-related cognitive decline in older adults.”
He added: “What I found most fascinating about this research is that we were able to detect these subtle but significant associations between a single nutritional factor and large-scale brain networks by utilising a robust, community-based cohort of over 2,000 older adults.
“It truly highlights the potential impact of our everyday dietary habits on our brain structures.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.dailyrecord.co.uk
