A New Year Look at November’s Brain Nutrition Research

What's New in Nutrition-Driven Brain Science

Happy New Year!

Across 135 new publications with free text available, highlights from November 2025 brain nutrition research include:

• Lutein intake protecting brain blood vessels

• Choline shaping gene expression in Alzheimer’s models

• Vitamin D altering brain connectivity in Parkinson’s and postpartum depression

• Serum carotenoids associated with slower cognitive decline in APOE ε4 carriers

• Gut Microbiome-Targeted Interventions improving depression and anxiety

• Review of dietary interventions for migraine prevention

If something stands out, confuses you, or sparks a new idea, just hit reply.

— Sarah Ferreira, MS, MPH, RD

Research Area

• Cognitive Function, Memory and Neurodegeneration

• Mood and Mental Health

• Eating Disorders

• Addiction, Eating Behavior and Food Choice

• Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

• Sleep Health and Insomnia

• Brain Injury

• Migraines, Epilepsy and Other Neurological

• Other

Cognitive Function, Memory and Neurodegeneration

Apolipoprotein E ε4-dependent associations between carotenoids and cognitive decline: Findings from the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative delay) randomized controlled trial

Association Between cMIND Diet and Dementia Among Chinese Older Adults: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Association Between Omega-3 Supplement Use and Cognitive Function in Korean Older Adults: An 8-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study

Association between plant-based dietary patterns and dementia among Chinese older adults

The association between the MIND-NL diet, Dutch dietary guidelines, and global cognitive function in an older population at risk for cognitive decline

Association of zinc deficiency and risk of new-onset dementia: a retrospective cohort study

Biological determinants of blood-based biomarker levels in Alzheimer's disease: role of nutrition, inflammation, and metabolic factors

Brain DNA Methylation Atlas of AppNL-G-F Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice Across Age and Region Reveals Choline-Induced Resilience

Challenging the Wine Component in Mediterranean Diet Scores: Cognitive Outcomes in Portuguese Adults at High Risk of Dementia

The cognitive effects of supplementation with sunflower phosphatidyl serine in healthy children aged 8 to 12 years: a randomized controlled trial

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Relationship Between Dietary Micronutrient Intake, Cognition and Academic Performance Among School-Aged Children in Taabo, Côte d'Ivoire

Curcumin-enhanced elvitegravir therapy mitigates neuroinflammation and cognitive deficits in EcoHIV mice

The Diet-Obesity-Brain Axis: Metabolic, Epigenetic, and DNA-Repair Pathways Linking Eating Patterns to Cognitive Aging, with an AI-Enabled Translational Perspective

Dietary choline-derived Trimethylamine N-oxide impairs hippocampal neuronal function via PANoptosis activation

Dietary modulation of the gut microbiome as a supportive strategy in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - a narrative review

Dietary sugar intake, genetic susceptibility, and risk of dementia: A prospective cohort study

Dose-Response Effects of Short-Term Rhodiola rosea (Golden Root Extract) Supplementation on Anaerobic Exercise Performance and Cognitive Function in Resistance-Trained Athletes: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Study

Effects of intermittent fasting on brain health via the gut-brain axis

Ellagic acid-loaded nanovesicles rescue LTP impairment and neuroinflammation in an AD ex-vivo model

Emerging insights into dairy products and Alzheimer’s disease: exploring the potential neuroprotective effects

Evidence of an anti-inflammatory diet as a key protector for subjective memory complaints in women

Exploring associations between nutritional intake and cognitive performance in Spanish older adults

Exploring the Facilitators and Barriers of Adherence to Mediterranean-Ketogenic Dietary Interventions in Parkinson's Disease: A Qualitative Study

High‑fat diet and cognitive dysfunction: Mechanistic insights into diet‑induced neurodegeneration (Review)

Impact of Diverse Dietary Patterns on Cognitive Health: Cumulative Evidence from Prospective Cohort Studies

Intake of fruits and vegetables (FAVs) on cognitive functions among adolescents and young adults: a scoping review

Interplay of genetic predisposition, plasma metabolome and Mediterranean diet in dementia risk and cognitive function

The ketogenic diet in Parkinson's disease: a potential therapeutic strategy

L-Theanine Mitigates Aβ1-42-Induced Apoptosis in SH-SY5Y Cells

Longer-term skin-roasted peanut consumption improves brain vascular function and memory: A randomized, single-blind, controlled crossover trial in healthy older adults

Medicine-food homology bioactives in Parkinson's disease: multi-target oxidative-stress modulation and translation to dietary supplements

Mucuna pruriens in untreated Parkinson's disease in sub-Saharan Africa: A 12-month, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial

A multi-modal medical management and lifestyle intervention increase cerebral blood flow and lowers diabetic risk in persons with early Alzheimer's disease: Mid-trial results from the PREVENTION trial

Neuroinflammatory mechanisms linking high-fat diets to Alzheimer's disease vulnerability: Beyond the amyloid hypothesis

Perinatal Choline Supplementation Promotes Resilience Against Progression of Alzheimer's Disease-Like Brain Transcriptomic Signatures in AppNL-G-F Mice

Plant-Based Diet Quality, Healthy Lifestyle, and Dementia Risk in Older Adults With Cardiometabolic Diseases

Plant-Based Diets and Cognitive Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Polyphenol-rich Morus nigra L. extract mitigates neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment through gut-brain axis modulation in an Alzheimer's disease rat model

Prebiotics improve motor function, cognition and gut health in a preclinical model of Huntington's disease

The Quantum Brain: The Untold Story of Docosahexaenoic Acid's Role in Brain Evolution, Biophysics, and Cognition

Red Blood Cell Fatty Acid Patterns and Cognitive Functions in Adolescents: A Pooled Analyses with Two Cohort Study Data Sets

Sex differences in the association between energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index and cognitive function in older adults

Short-Term New Zealand 'Blackadder' Blackcurrant Juice Supplementation Improves Learning and Memory in Young Adult Rats

Solitary eating is linked to reduced brain volume in cognitively unimpaired individuals and possible future cognitive decline

Taurine Intake, Plasma Taurine Concentration, and Dementia Risk: Findings From the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study

Vascular Roads to a Healthier Brain: Lutein Moderates the Influence of Arterial Stiffness on Cognitive Function

Vitamin D-linked vulnerability and functional connectivity alterations in the superior frontal gyrus contributing to cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease

Mood and Mental Health

Adherence to Mediterranean, DASH, Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diets, and serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in relation to psychological profile in adults

Adherence to the MIND diet and its association with the risk of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances in physically active adults: a cross-sectional study

The association between dietary exposures and anxiety symptoms: A prospective analysis of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health cohort

Association Between PURE Diet Score and Mental Disorders in Patients At-Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Findings From the Iran Premature Coronary Artery Disease (IPAD) Study, a Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Association of dietary patterns with anxiety and depression symptoms in people living with HIV: a population-based cross-sectional study from China

Association of Mediterranean Diet Scores with Psychological Distress in Pregnancy: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Associations between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and depression among pregnant and postpartum women: analysis of NHANES 2005-2018

Caffeine intake is linked to depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure: An analysis based on NHANES, 2005 to 2018

Case Report: Metabolic, inflammatory, and neurological improvements after a ketogenic diet in a woman with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome

The causal effect of folate on major depressive disorder: Mendelian randomization, LDSC, and colocalization analysis

Causal Influences of Micronutrients on Anxiety: Insights From an Observational and Mendelian Randomization Analysis

Combined healthy lifestyle and post-stroke depression: a cross-sectional study in US adults

Comparative analysis of dietary patterns and depression risk: significant inverse association with HEI-2015 and mediating role of BMI

Correlation Between Food Habits and Mental Disorders in the Adult Population of São Paulo City, Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dietary antioxidants and CKM-depression comorbidity: a primary analysis with a secondary evaluation of all-cause mortality using six machine learning algorithms

The effect of dietary carbohydrate quality on depression and anxiety levels in adolescents

The effect of Lactobacillus casei on postpartum depression: a randomized controlled trial

Effects of a Scutellaria baicalensis/ Crataegus laevigata, magnesium and chromium supplement on stressed individuals: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial

Efficacy of Gut Microbiome-Targeted Interventions on Mental Health Symptoms in Women Across Key Hormonal Life Stages: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Exploring the relationship between dietary quality, eating behavior, and mental health among young adults

From Food to Mood: Psychological and Psychiatric Impact of Diet in Bipolar Disorder

Gluten affects behaviors related to activity and anxiety in mice fed high-fat diets

Ketogenic diet is less effective in ameliorating depression and anxiety in obesity than Mediterranean diet: A pilot study for exploring the GUT-brain axis

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and mortality risk in depression: immune-inflammatory mediation in NHANES 1999-2018

Perturbations of Zinc Homeostasis and Onset of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Plant-based diets especially healthy ones are negatively associated with depression: a cross-sectional study

Probiotic Formulation for Patients With Bipolar or Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Prospective associations between Mediterranean diet and mental health and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis: Analysis of UK MS Register data

A Recipe for Resilience: A Systematic Review of Diet and Adolescent Mental Health

A Systematic Review of the Correlation Between Micronutrient Levels and Perinatal Depression

Unhealthy diet quality as a clinical phenotype in bipolar disorder: A potential treatment target for improved mood and metabolic outcomes

Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy Is Associated with Postpartum Depression: A Cohort Study in Southern Brazil

Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa symptoms are induced after specific gut microbiota dysbiosis transfer in germ-free mice

Attentional bias toward food in binge eating disorder: baseline differences and the limits of attention modification training

Deciphering the association between morphological differences in hypothalamic subregions and circulating ghrelin and leptin concentrations: exploratory evidence in anorexia nervosa and obesity

Examining Clinical Symptoms and Personological Traits in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: A Network Analysis Approach

Laying the groundwork for a culturally sensitive pediatric primary care eating disorders intervention for the Latino community: insights from focus groups

Liver Function Tests and Complete Blood Counts Among Adolescents With Restrictive Eating Disorders: What Are the Differences?

Pancitopenia and refeeding syndrome in anorexia nervosa, regarding a clinical case

Pilot study: PORTION-O-MAT-a mixed reality solution for investigating perceptual and behavioural abnormalities during food portioning in adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Prevalence, Characteristics, and Genetic Architecture of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Phenotypes

Risk of eating disorders among university students and its association with dieting, weight control behavior and non-substance addictions

Telemedicine in Eating Disorder Treatment: Systematic Review

Addiction, Eating Behavior and Food Choice

The association between food addiction, eating attitudes, self-esteem, and emotional appetite: a cross-sectional study

Beyond BMI: the complex interplay of reward sensitivity, eating behaviors, and BMI in female college students

Consumption of Unprocessed and Ultraprocessed Foods in Adolescents with Obesity: Associations with Neuroendocrine Mediators of Appetite Regulation and Binge Eating Symptoms

The development and validation of Coffee Use Disorder and Coffee Addiction Scale (CUDCAS) and its correlation with insomnia and anxiety symptoms

Eating rate has sustained effects on energy intake from ultraprocessed diets: a 2-week ad libitum dietary randomized controlled crossover trial

In defense of pleasure: We need to rethink food reward and obesity

The impact of energy-dense food consumption on brain responses to alcohol rewards

The interface between the homeostatic and hedonic energy balance circuitries in the regulation of appetitive behavior: A focus on steroidogenic factor-1/pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide neurons in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus

The relationship between social emotions and intuitive eating behaviors: an exploration based on text analysis

Understanding food addiction through the lens of psychological well-being, self-control, and eating behavior: a cross-sectional study

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

Adolescent nutritional influences on the brain: implications for eating behaviors

The association between maternal prenatal folic acid and multivitamin supplementation and autism spectrum disorders in offspring: An umbrella review

Choline in Adolescent Pregnancy: The Impact on Fetal Brain Development and Long-Term Cognitive Outcomes of Offspring

Complementary therapies for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: a scoping review

Dietary Patterns, Not Gut Microbiome Composition, Are Associated with Behavioral Challenges in Children with Autism: An Observational Study

Effects of kefir on symptoms, sleep, and gut microbiota in children with ADHD: a randomised controlled trial

Future Directions in Choline: From Neurodevelopment to Cardiometabolic Health

Gut Microbiota and Autism: Unlocking Connections

Harnessing the microbiota-gut-brain axis to prevent and treat pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders: translational insights and strategies

Imbalanced nutrition and increased dietary inflammatory index in children with autism spectrum disorder: associations with neurodevelopmental disorders

Impact of Maternal Iron Deficiency in Early Pregnancy on Neonatal Iron Status and Neurodevelopment at Two Years of Age: a Prospective, Maternal-Infant Cohort Study

Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Late Preterm Children: A Pilot Study on the Role of Early Nutrition

The impact of trans fatty acids on ADHD in relation to the gut microbiome

Maternal nut and fish consumption during pregnancy and child risky decision-making at 11 years old

Nutrition and Lifestyle Behaviours for the Prevention and Management of Multiple Sclerosis

Decreased Cerebral Blood Flow in Young Children With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Sleep Health and Insomnia

Association between adherence to Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet with sleep quality, sleep duration, inflammation, and oxidative stress among Iranian adults

Association of alternative healthy eating index with sleep quality among female students

Vitamin D3 Improves Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function, Immunological Responses, and Gut Dysbiosis in Sleep Desynchrony

Brain Injury

Myrcene as a potential natural treatment in mild traumatic brain injury: Neurosensory changes

The Potential Protective Effects of Intermittent Fasting Against Radiation-Induced Brain Damage in a Rat Model: Suggested Involvement of IRS-1/PI3 K/AKT and BDNF/TrkB Signaling Pathways

Migraines, Epilepsy and Other Neurological

Alteration of Gut Microbiota by Ketogenic Diet as an Alternative Therapeutic Target for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Associations between dietary intake of mitochondria-related nutrients with the risk of migraine: a prospective study of 202,656 participants

Diet, gut-brain axis, and metabolism-epigenome-immunity networks: A triad in neurological disease management

Dietary Antioxidant Quality Score and Epilepsy Odds in the US Adults: A Cross-Sectional NHANES Study

Food in Migraine Management: Dietary Interventions in the Pathophysiology and Prevention of Headaches-A Narrative Review

Hippocampal proteomic signatures of the ketogenic diet in a model of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome

Ketogenic diet for status epilepticus in adult intensive care unit patients: a standard operating procedure

Over twenty-five years of ketogenic diet therapy: Supporting children and adults with drug-resistant epilepsy using nutritionally complete ketogenic formulations: A scoping review

Vitamin D Deficiency and Supplementation in Migraine: A Scoping Review of Clinical Efficacy, Evidence Gaps, and Research Priorities

Vitamin E-valproate co-therapy attenuated oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, related cognitive deficits and neuronal damage in Cypermethrin exacerbated seizure

The utility of ketogenic diet therapy in the management of epileptic spasms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Other

Crosstalk between MSC-extracellular vesicles and Olea europaea leaf extract in encapsulated liposomal hydrogel: attenuation of neuroinflammation and brain neurotransmitter and memory impairment associated with obesity-induced high-fat diet

Micro-encapsulation differentially impacts probiotic effects on brain structure and function in an elderly population - A randomised placebo-controlled trial

Polyphenols Bioactive Metabolites, and Their Anti-Biofilm and Neuroprotective Potential

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