Common vitamin may influence brain aging in ways scientists didn't expect

Higher levels of vitamin C levels were linked to healthier encephalon operation successful older adults, suggesting a imaginable relation for nutrition successful encephalon aging.

That’s according to caller probe from Japan, published successful the diary PLOS ONE.

The observational survey included 2,044 participants surviving successful Hirosaki City, Japan, who were primitively included successful a survey exploring dementia and bosom illness risk. The mean property was 69, and 61% of them were female.

SKIP THE MULTIVITAMIN: 5 NUTRIENT-RICH FOODS RECOMMENDED BY DOCTORS INSTEAD

The researchers measured the participants’ vitamin C levels utilizing humor samples and performed MRI scans to cipher the measurement of grey substance and achromatic substance successful their brains.

Even aft accounting for outer factors similar age, smoking habits, diabetes and different manner behaviors, they recovered that those with little vitamin C levels appeared to person little encephalon insubstantial volumes and weaker structural web patterns.

Higher levels of vitamin C levels were linked to healthier encephalon operation successful older adults, suggesting a imaginable relation for nutrition successful encephalon aging. (iStock)

"Our survey demonstrates that older adults with higher humor levels of vitamin C thin to person better-preserved encephalon operation (gray matter) and stronger connections wrong the default mode web (DMN), a important encephalon web progressive successful representation and cognitive function," Tomohiro Shintaku, MD, PhD, adjunct prof successful the Department of Radiology Graduate School of Medicine astatine Hirosaki University, told Fox News Digital.

BRAIN AGING MAY SLOW WITH GREEN TEA, WALNUTS AND TINY SWAMP PLANT, STUDY FINDS

"While diets affluent successful vitamin C are known to little the hazard of cognitive decline, our survey is the precise archetypal to show a nonstop relation betwixt existent humor plasma vitamin C levels and the structural connectivity of the DMN," helium added.

This web is often affected by conditions specified arsenic Alzheimer's illness and depression, according to the researchers.

The researchers measured the participants’ vitamin C levels utilizing humor samples and performed MRI scans to cipher the measurement of grey substance and achromatic substance successful their brains. (iStock)

The vitamin C measurement was much close than studies that relied connected dietary estimates, the researchers noted.

"What I recovered astir fascinating is that we could observe specified wide associations betwixt a azygous nutritional origin (vitamin C) and large-scale encephalon networks successful a robust cohort of implicit 2,000 older adults," Shintaku said. "It highlights however importantly our mundane dietary habits mightiness interaction encephalon structure."

BRAIN HEALTH WARNING SIGN COULD BE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, SAY RESEARCHERS

The survey underscores the value of obtaining vitamin C from the regular diet, arsenic humans cannot synthesize it connected their own, the researchers noted.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

"Our findings suggest that maintaining optimal vitamin C levels done a steadfast fare — affluent successful citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and greenish leafy vegetables — could beryllium a elemental yet almighty mode to enactment encephalon wellness arsenic we age," Shintaku said.

Those with little vitamin C levels appeared to person little encephalon insubstantial volumes and weaker structural web patterns. (iStock)

The survey did person immoderate limitations, the researchers noted. 

"Because our survey is observational and cross-sectional, we tin lone amusement an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship," Shintaku told Fox News Digital. "Other limitations see relying connected a azygous humor measurement per participant."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Other outer factors, specified arsenic dietary intake, assemblage wide scale and socioeconomic variables, could person played a relation successful the outcomes.

Also, the nexus was comparatively humble compared to established hazard factors similar precocious humor unit and humor sugar, the researchers noted.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Findings from other, larger studies, including UK Biobank probe with much than 9,000 people, suggest that vitamin C is conscionable 1 of respective factors that whitethorn power encephalon health.

Because the participants were astir each older Japanese adults, the findings whitethorn not beryllium generalized to different populations.

"It is champion viewed arsenic a awesome that vitamin C presumption whitethorn beryllium 1 portion of a overmuch larger brain-health picture."

"This survey recovered an relation betwixt higher plasma vitamin C levels and MRI markers of encephalon health, including grey substance measurement and connectivity successful the default mode network, which is progressive successful respective cognitive functions," Dung Trinh, MD, an interior medicine doc and laminitis of the Healthy Brain Clinic, commented to Medical News Today.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

"That said, the survey does not beryllium that vitamin C prevents cognitive diminution oregon that taking supplements volition amended encephalon health. It is champion viewed arsenic a awesome that vitamin C presumption whitethorn beryllium 1 portion of a overmuch larger brain-health picture."