Inulin – Beneficial for Brain Function in Older Adults
It is now being recognised that your digestive health and gut microbiome has wider impacts on the health of the whole body, this also includes the brain.
New research has shown that a daily plant fibre supplement improved the brain function of adults over 60 in just 12 weeks. In the study which was published in Nature Communications by researchers from the School of Life Course & Population Sciences, 72 individuals received a daily supplement of Inulin and FOS or a placebo for 12 weeks. The fibre supplement led to significant changes in participants’ gut microbiome composition and increased the numbers of beneficial bacteria. The group receiving the fibre supplement performed better in tests assessing brain function. The results demonstrated that the addition of prebiotic supplements Inulin and FOS to the diet improved performance in memory tests associated with the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
The research shows exciting promise in the consideration of age-related conditions and measures for how we might be able to increase quality of life as we age.
References:
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/daily-fibre-supplement-improves-older-brain-12-weeks
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