Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning

‘You are what you eat’. It’s a saying that we’ve all heard time and time again. The notion that good nutrition is essential for adequate growth and sound physical wellbeing is very well established. Further, in recent years, there has been an overwhelming increase in research dedicated to better und...

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Hoofdauteurs: Michael Smith, Andrew Scholey
Formaat: Online
Taal:Engels
Gepubliceerd in: Frontiers Media SA 2021
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Online toegang:18668
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author Michael Smith
Andrew Scholey
author_browse Andrew Scholey
Michael Smith
author_facet Michael Smith
Andrew Scholey
author_sort Michael Smith
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description ‘You are what you eat’. It’s a saying that we’ve all heard time and time again. The notion that good nutrition is essential for adequate growth and sound physical wellbeing is very well established. Further, in recent years, there has been an overwhelming increase in research dedicated to better understanding how nutritional factors influence cognition and behaviour. For example, several studies have suggested that higher foetal exposure to omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins such as folate promotes neurodevelopment. B vitamins may also play a role in neurocognitive functioning in later life, with some suggestion that lower vitamin B levels are associated with increased risk of dementia (although randomised controlled trials investigating B vitamin supplementation as a cognitive enhancer in the elderly have provided inconclusive evidence as to the benefits of such therapy for dementia). In fact, the nutritional underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders of cognitive ageing is becoming a much researched topic. In addition, consumption of several other foods has been found to convey more acute cognitively enhancing effects. For example, ingestion of carbohydrates (e.g. glucose), caffeine, resveratrol and several ‘nutraceutical’ herbal extracts has been associated with short-term improvements in cognitive performance. Beyond specific micronutrients and macronutrients, the current literature seems to support anecdotal evidence that consumption of a balanced breakfast is crucial to various measures of school performance, including attention in the classroom. What is clear from this emerging literature is that the relationship between nutritional status and neurocognitive functioning at various stages of the lifespan is complex. An aim of this Research Topic is to bring together some recent empirical findings, reviews and commentaries of the literature to date and opinion pieces relating to future directions for this burgeoning field.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-549772024-04-05T12:36:09Z Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning Michael Smith Andrew Scholey RC321-571 Q1-390 Neuroimaging Brain nutrition Diet neurocognitive functioning thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAN Neurosciences ‘You are what you eat’. It’s a saying that we’ve all heard time and time again. The notion that good nutrition is essential for adequate growth and sound physical wellbeing is very well established. Further, in recent years, there has been an overwhelming increase in research dedicated to better understanding how nutritional factors influence cognition and behaviour. For example, several studies have suggested that higher foetal exposure to omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins such as folate promotes neurodevelopment. B vitamins may also play a role in neurocognitive functioning in later life, with some suggestion that lower vitamin B levels are associated with increased risk of dementia (although randomised controlled trials investigating B vitamin supplementation as a cognitive enhancer in the elderly have provided inconclusive evidence as to the benefits of such therapy for dementia). In fact, the nutritional underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders of cognitive ageing is becoming a much researched topic. In addition, consumption of several other foods has been found to convey more acute cognitively enhancing effects. For example, ingestion of carbohydrates (e.g. glucose), caffeine, resveratrol and several ‘nutraceutical’ herbal extracts has been associated with short-term improvements in cognitive performance. Beyond specific micronutrients and macronutrients, the current literature seems to support anecdotal evidence that consumption of a balanced breakfast is crucial to various measures of school performance, including attention in the classroom. What is clear from this emerging literature is that the relationship between nutritional status and neurocognitive functioning at various stages of the lifespan is complex. An aim of this Research Topic is to bring together some recent empirical findings, reviews and commentaries of the literature to date and opinion pieces relating to future directions for this burgeoning field. 2021-02-11T21:23:52Z 2021-02-11T21:23:52Z 2016-03-10 08:14:32 2014 book 18668 16648714 9782889193363 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/54977 eng Frontiers Research Topics image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International http://www.frontiersin.org/books/Nutritional_influences_on_human_neurocognitive_functioning/350 http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/1147/nutritional-influences-on-human-neurocognitive-functioning Frontiers Media SA 10.3389/978-2-88919-336-3 10.3389/978-2-88919-336-3 bf5ce210-e72e-4860-ba9b-c305640ff3ae 9782889193363 153 open access
spellingShingle RC321-571
Q1-390
Neuroimaging
Brain
nutrition
Diet
neurocognitive functioning
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAN Neurosciences
Michael Smith
Andrew Scholey
Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning
title Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning
title_full Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning
title_fullStr Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning
title_full_unstemmed Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning
title_short Nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning
title_sort nutritional influences on human neurocognitive functioning
topic RC321-571
Q1-390
Neuroimaging
Brain
nutrition
Diet
neurocognitive functioning
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAN Neurosciences
topic_facet RC321-571
Q1-390
Neuroimaging
Brain
nutrition
Diet
neurocognitive functioning
thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSA Life sciences: general issues::PSAN Neurosciences
url 18668
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