New research indicates that higher levels of vitamin C are associated with greater structural connectivity in the default mode network, a part of the brain that plays a key role in attention, autobiographical memory, and other aspects of cognition. The findings, published in PLOS One, suggest that a diet rich in vitamin C could support brain health.
”What I found most fascinating about this research is that we were able to detect these subtle but significant associations between a single nutritional factor and large-scale brain networks by utilizing a robust, community-based cohort of over 2,000 older adults. It truly highlights the potential impact of our everyday dietary habits on our brain structures,” said study author Tomohiro Shintaku of the Department of Radiology at Hirosaki University, Japan, in a press release.
Although previous studies have suggested that higher vitamin C intake reduces the likelihood of cognitive impairment with aging, relatively little research has investigated whether blood vitamin C levels are associated with physical changes in the brain.
To improve understanding of this issue, the researchers behind the current study analyzed blood plasma samples and MRI scans from just over 2,000 participants with an average age of 69 years old. After adjusting for factors such as age, education level, and physical activity, they found that participants with lower plasma vitamin C levels tended to have lower gray matter volume and weaker connectivity within the default mode network.
While the findings suggest maintaining healthy vitamin C levels could support cognitive function and healthy brain aging, they do not prove causation, wrote the researchers. They added that as the study cohort consisted exclusively of older Japanese residents with relatively high educational attainment, the findings may not apply to more diverse ethnicities and socioeconomic contexts.
Future research is needed to explore the findings’ underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic implications, they wrote in their study.
Sources: Science Daily, PLOS One