The Brain Food Digest: September 2025

What's New in Nutrition and Brain Health

This summary is inclusive of publication dates 9/1/25-9/30/25.

Key: Full text available*

I’ll be unpacking a couple of these publications in coming weeks on the Nourished Brain Podcast, so head over to your favorite podcast app to subscribe if audio is best for you!

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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

• Brain Injury

• Migraines, Epilepsy and Other Neurological

• Other

Cognitive Function, Memory and Neurodegeneration

2'-Fucosyllactose Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment and Neuroinflammation in AD Mice

Adhering to Healthy Dietary Patterns Prevents Cognitive Decline of Older Adults with Sarcopenia: The Mr. OS and Ms. OS Study*

Aging-related decline in the liver and brain is accelerated by refined diet consumption

Alzheimer’s disease: where do we stand now and what are the strategic interventions?*

Association between dietary fat intake and long-term risk of dementia: a prospective cohort study

The association of dietary choline intakes with cognitive function among the older people in underdeveloped regions: findings from the NCDFaC study*

Association of Habitual Diet Quality and Nutrient Intake with Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study*

Association of lifestyle, dietary pattern, and liver function with cognition in older adults: findings from a cross-sectional study*

Association of vitamin D with risk of dementia : a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies*

Clinical Benefits of Exogenous Ketosis in Adults with Disease: A Systematic Review*

Daily Intake of Recommended Servings of Fruit Improves Nutrient Intake but Shows no Major - Effect on Cardiovascular Health or Cognition in Low Fruit Consumers*

Diet as a Modulator of Gut Microbiota May Reduce Alzheimer's Disease Risk*

Dietary intake of folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and riboflavin and the risk of incident dementia

Discovery of powerful multifaceted antioxidant for combating oxidative stress associated with neurodegenerative disorders*

Effects of probiotics on cognitive function across the human lifespan: a meta-analysis

Ellagitannin component punicalin prevents cognitive impairment by inhibiting metabolic disorders, TLR4/NF-kB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, and mitochondrial dysfunction in high-fat diet-fed mice

Fibre supplementation alters the gastrointestinal microbiome, the microbial metabolites and indicators of neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer´s disease*

From Fork to Brain: The Role of AGE-RAGE Signaling and the Western Diet in Neurodegenerative Disease*

Gut Microbiome Alterations in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Findings from the ALBION Greek Cohort*

Early Oral Administration of D-Chiro-Inositol Reverses Hippocampal Insulin and Glutamate Signaling Deficits in the 3×Tg Humanized Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease*

Effects of blackcurrant juice on pre-frontal cortical haemodynamics and cognition in healthy young adults*

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum as a Psychobiotic Strategy Targeting Parkinson's Disease: A Review and Mechanistic Insights

The long-term neuroprotective effect of MIND and Mediterranean diet on patients with Alzheimer's disease*

Mini-review: Processed red meat intake and risk of neurodegenerative diseases*

Molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of polyphenols: implications for cognitive function*

Neuroprotection by Resveratrol in Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion: A Study on Synaptogenesis Enhancement and Apoptosis Inhibition*

Neuroprotective crosstalk from vitamin B12 and sphingolipid signaling pathways in therapy for multiple sclerosis

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in neurodegenerative disorders: Mixed designs = mixed results*

Precision Nutrition and Gut-Brain Axis Modulation in the Prevention of Neurodegenerative Diseases*

Red blood cell ω-3 status and longitudinal cognition in individuals at risk of Alzheimer disease*

Single-domain and multidomain lifestyle interventions for the prevention of cognitive decline in older adults who are cognitively unimpaired: a systematic review and network meta-analysis*

Spermidine for cognitive ageing: insights into observational and interventional studies*

Study protocol for design of a personalized dietary supplement based on the gut microbiota of Alzheimer's patients and evaluation of its effects in a pilot randomized controlled trial*

A Systematic Review of Food-Derived DNA Methyltransferase Modulators: Mechanistic Insights and Perspectives for Healthy Aging*

Thymoquinone regulates RSL3-induced ferroptosis in the alzheimer mouse hippocampus*

Ursolic acid improves cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetic mice by preventing complement 3 secretion and neuropathy*

Vitamin D3 alleviates AD-like pathology in APP/PS1 mice by inhibiting pyroptosis and neuroinflammation via DJ-1/PARK7*

Vitamin D Associated with Exercise Can Be Used as a Promising Tool in Neurodegenerative Disease Protection*

Mood and Mental Health

(-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate Ameliorates Chronic Stress-Induced Depression-Like Behavior in Rats by Inhibiting the NF-κB/Caspase-1 Signaling Pathway and Reducing IL-1β and IL-18 Expression*

Adherence to the Japanese Diet is Associated with Lower Risk of Geriatric Depression: A Prospective-Cohort Study Based on the New Integrated Suburban Seniority Investigation (NISSIN) Project*

Analysis of the correlation between serum vitamin D and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormone levels in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder*

Association Between Serum Magnesium Levels and Suicidal Behavior in Patients Diagnosed With Depression: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study*

Body mass index as a mediator of the relationship between Dietary Inflammatory Index and depression in diabetes: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey*

A Comprehensive Review of Nutritional Influences on the Serotonergic System*

A Comprehensive Review on Anxiolytic Effect of Lavandula Angustifolia Mill. in Clinical Studies*

Dietary inflammatory index and risk of depressive symptoms: a Cohort study of university students

Efficacy and Safety of Morinda Officinalis Oligosaccharides Combined with Probiotics as a Therapeutic Strategy for Major Depressive Disorder with Gastrointestinal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial*

Food and Mood: Current Evidence on Mental Health and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

Gut-brain axis in adolescent depression: a systematic review of psychological implications and behavioral interventions*

High dietary phosphate intake induces anxiety in normal male mice*

Higher depressive symptoms are associated with lower eating competence among patients with moderate to severe depressive disorder*

Nonlinear dose-response relationship between dietary inflammatory index and risk of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis*

 Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial on the contributions of vitamin D in the control of cardiovascular risk factors, depressive symptoms and suicide risk*

Soft Drink Consumption and Depression Mediated by Gut Microbiome Alterations

Validation of the hypothesis on the protective role of functional beverages in mitigating the adverse health effects of digital technologies*

Vegetable intake is associated with lower psychological stress via increased anti-inflammatory responses in pregnant women with chronic diseases*

Eating Disorders

Adolescent anorexia nervosa treated in primary care with a family-based method - long-term outcomes*

Dietary assessment methodologies in eating disorders: a pilot comparative validation study exploring the diet history method*

How Engagement Changes Over Time in a Digital Eating Disorder App: Observational Study*

Parent-Focused Group Schema Coaching; CAREFREE (Carers Programme for Fluency in Resonance and Empowerment in Eating Disorders) Intervention for Parents of Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: A Multiple Baseline Design

Addiction, Eating Behavior and Food Choice

A holistic exploration of the psychosocial, environmental, neurobiological, and individual factors influencing children's food choices: a narrative review*

A Review of the Mechanisms and Risks of Panax ginseng in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder*

Complex carbohydrate utilization by gut bacteria modulates host food consumption*

Ultra-processed food addiction in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the USA

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

Long-term cognitive benefits of human milk phospholipids in breastfed children at preschool age: results from MUAI study

Metagenomic Characterization of Gut Microbiota in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Microbial Signatures and Modulation by Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Probiotics*

Selenium improves behavioral performance in a rat model of autism spectrum disorder by mitigating oxidative stress and modulating the Sirt1/Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway*

Brain Injury

Comparative effects of enteral nutrition strategies on nutritional indices, inflammatory factors, and clinical outcomes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury*

Migraines, Epilepsy and Other Neurological

Adherence to an antioxidant diet is associated with reduced risk of epilepsy among American adults: NHANES 2013-2018*

Analysis of clinical features and genetic variants in Chinese children with pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy: a case series study*

Causal factors for migraine in Mendelian randomization studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis*

The effectiveness of the ketogenic diet in treating refractory epilepsy: A study of different seizure forms*

Impact of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet on seizure frequency in children with drug-resistant epilepsy: a systematic review and Meta-analysis*

Other

Neuronutrition and Nrf2 Brain Resilience Signaling: Epigenomics and Metabolomics for Personalized Medicine in Nervous System Disorders from Bench to Clinic*

Red meat consumption in higher healthy eating index diets is associated with brain health critical nutritional adequacy, and fecal microbial diversity*

The Role of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation in Human Health*

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) extract promotes myelin restoration and reduces oxidative stress in cuprizone-induced demyelination in C57BL/6 mice*

Unveiling the mechanistic nexus: how micronutrient enrichment shapes brain function, and cognitive health*

Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this newsletter. Reliance on any information provided in this newsletter is solely at your own risk. The authors and publishers of this newsletter are not liable for any losses, injuries, or damages arising from the use of the information provided.

Copyright © 2025 Sarah Thomsen Ferreira.