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REVIEW article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Microbes
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1539355
This article is part of the Research Topic Dietary Modulation of Gut Microbiota-X axis View all 6 articles

The Intricate Interplay between Dietary Habits and Cognitive Function: Insights from the Gut-Brain Axis

Provisionally accepted
Zhang Ruyi Zhang Ruyi 1,2Pengyu Wang Pengyu Wang 1,2*
  • 1 Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
  • 2 Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The intricate relationship between dietary habits and cognitive function is gaining increasing attention, with a focus on the gut-brain axis as a modifiable target for intervention. This review synthesizes evidence on the impact of dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean diet, plant-based diets, and low-carbohydrate diets, on cognitive health. These diets, rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and neuroprotective nutrients, are suggested to slow cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disorders through mechanisms such as reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, and enhanced neurogenesis. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with improved cognitive performance and a delay in cognitive decline in elderly populations. However, challenges in dietary intervention implementation, including adherence and individual variability, remain. Future research must adopt a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating long-term, large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled trials to assess the enduring impacts of various dietary patterns on cognitive function, considering socioeconomic and cultural factors. This review underscores the potential of dietary interventions to prevent and mitigate cognitive impairment, ultimately aiming to improve quality of life.

    Keywords: Cognitive Function, gut-brain axis, mediterranean diet, Plant-based diet, Low-carbohydrate diet, Neuroprotective Nutrients

    Received: 04 Dec 2024; Accepted: 10 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Ruyi and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Pengyu Wang, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.