About this Research Topic
The metabolic syndrome is a diet-related problem that associates with a number of impaired metabolic conditions such as glucose utilisation, pre-diabetes and diabetes type II, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. It is known that metabolic disturbances are also linked to chronic pro-inflammatory immune responses called 'meta-inflammation'. This is happening due to gut integrity dysfunction, which are triggering inflammatory pathways in the brain too, affecting cognition and raising the risk for dementia and even Alzheimer's disease.
Nowadays, the increased childhood overweight and obesity (> 41 million children worldwide being under 5 years of age) requires a new drastic prevention strategy. The obesity during childhood can lead to metabolic disturbances already in early life that is affecting development of all risk factors including risk for cognitive disorders and even 'early onset' dementia. One possible way to prevent cognitive disorders is to improve gut integrity to down-regulate chronic inflammation in the body via changes in the diet.
This Research Topic will focus, thus, on food-gut-brain connections exploring food bioactive compounds and fermentable dietary fibers with high potential to improve gut integrity, reduce inflammation and improve cognition.
We welcome the submission of original research, mini-reviews and reviews that discuss the following research questions:
1. Investigating the role of different fermentable dietary fibers and bioactive food components in the prevention of diet-related systemic meta-inflammation and brain health.
2. Estimation of the role of the interplay between food compounds and gut microbiota composition and its functional alterations in relation to prevention of neuro-inflammation and cognitive decline.
3. Identification of novel gut-brain related biomarkers that are associated with initiation of cognitive disorders and might be implemented for estimation of the effectiveness of the selected foods.
Nowadays, the increased childhood overweight and obesity (> 41 million children worldwide being under 5 years of age) requires a new drastic prevention strategy. The obesity during childhood can lead to metabolic disturbances already in early life that is affecting development of all risk factors including risk for cognitive disorders and even 'early onset' dementia. One possible way to prevent cognitive disorders is to improve gut integrity to down-regulate chronic inflammation in the body via changes in the diet.
This Research Topic will focus, thus, on food-gut-brain connections exploring food bioactive compounds and fermentable dietary fibers with high potential to improve gut integrity, reduce inflammation and improve cognition.
We welcome the submission of original research, mini-reviews and reviews that discuss the following research questions:
1. Investigating the role of different fermentable dietary fibers and bioactive food components in the prevention of diet-related systemic meta-inflammation and brain health.
2. Estimation of the role of the interplay between food compounds and gut microbiota composition and its functional alterations in relation to prevention of neuro-inflammation and cognitive decline.
3. Identification of novel gut-brain related biomarkers that are associated with initiation of cognitive disorders and might be implemented for estimation of the effectiveness of the selected foods.
Keywords: Gut integrity, gut microbiome, neuro-inflammation, obesity, Alzheimers
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
