The double-blind trial tested two inexpensive plant-fiber prebiotics that are available over the counter in many countries.<\/p>\n
Related: 117-Year-Old Woman’s Diet Could Help Us All Live Longer<\/a><\/p>\n Prebiotics are non-digestible consumables<\/a> that help stimulate our gut microbes<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the supplements was inulin<\/a>, a dietary fiber in the fructan<\/a> class. The other, fructooligosaccharide<\/a> (FOS), is a plant carbohydrate often used as a natural low-calorie sweetener.<\/p>\n Watch the video below for a summary of the research:<\/p>\n YouTube Thumbnail<\/p>\n To look into how these supplements affect the aging brain<\/a>, researchers at King’s College London enrolled 36 pairs of twins, all at least 60 years old.<\/p>\n Each duo was randomly split: one twin received a daily prebiotic mixed into protein powder, while the other received a placebo<\/a> powder.<\/p>\n The twins who unknowingly took inulin or FOS generally scored higher on a cognitive test three months later.<\/p>\n What’s more, the daily fiber supplements were linked to subtle changes in the gut microbiome between twins.<\/p>\n Subscribe to ScienceAlert’s free fact-checked newsletter<\/p>\n The beneficial Bifidobacterium<\/a>, for instance, was more plentiful in those taking inulin or FOS.<\/p>\n Studies on mice suggest that Bifidobacterium reduces cognitive deficits<\/a> by regulating gut-brain connections.<\/p>\n “We are excited to see these changes in just 12 weeks. This holds huge promise for enhancing brain health and memory in our aging population,” said<\/a> Mary Ni Lochlainn, a geriatric medicine researcher at King’s College London, when the findings were published in 2024.<\/p>\n “Unlocking the secrets of the gut-brain axis could offer new approaches for living more healthily for longer.”<\/p>\n King’s College is home to the United Kingdom’s largest adult twin registry, and twin studies are highly valuable<\/a> when it comes to differentiating between the effects of genetics and the environment<\/a> on human health<\/a>.<\/p>\n The microbes in each person’s gut make up their individual microbiome. (Science Photo Library\/Canva)<\/p>\n Past studies on rodents<\/a> suggest that high-fiber supplements, like inulin and FOS, can ‘feed’ the colon’s microbiome, allowing ‘good’ bacteria to thrive.<\/p>\n Some of these bacterial players are also linked<\/a> to improved cognitive function in both mice and humans<\/a>.<\/p>\n Evidence for the close relationship<\/a> between the gut<\/a> and the brain<\/a> is growing<\/a> year after year<\/a>. Some experts are now so convinced by the results, they refer to the gut<\/a> as the body’s ‘second brain’<\/a>.<\/p>\n But the way these two nervous systems work together remains a mystery.<\/p>\n YouTube Thumbnail<\/p>\n The twin study at KCL hints that consuming certain ‘brain foods<\/a>‘ could be a promising way to treat cognitive decline, adding to research suggesting key nutrients<\/a> may be able to slow its progress<\/a>.<\/p>\n “These plant fibers, which are cheap and available over the counter, could benefit a wide group of people in these cash-strapped times. They are safe and acceptable too,” said<\/a> geriatrician Claire Steves at KCL.<\/p>\n “Our next task is to see whether these effects are sustained over longer periods and in larger groups of people.”<\/p>\n While prebiotics appeared to improve some aspects of cognitive function in an aging brain<\/a>, like memory and processing<\/a> times, the study didn’t identify significant physical benefits.<\/p>\n Muscle loss<\/a> didn’t improve among aging twins taking high-fiber supplements, although inulin and FOS are important factors in musculoskeletal maintenance<\/a>.<\/p>\n The twins that participated in the current trial were mostly female, and even though the researchers adjusted for sex differences in their findings, they acknowledge that there may be some selection bias amongst KCL’s twin cohort.<\/p>\n That said, females are more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease<\/a>, and studies like this one support the emerging idea that cognitive decline is not always a disease of the brain<\/a>, but may involve external factors<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n A recent Lancet Commission for Dementia estimated<\/a> that 7 percent of Alzheimer’s<\/a> risk is attributed to high midlife levels of low-density lipoprotein, which carries cholesterol and fatty acids<\/a> around the body.<\/p>\n This risk factor may explain why women develop Alzheimer’s at twice the rate of men, according to a 2025 study<\/a> led by researchers at King’s College London.<\/p>\n Related: This Mysterious Molecule Is Crucial to Brain Health, And We May Finally Know Why<\/a><\/p>\n Also this year, researchers reported<\/a> that in humans and mice, a lower ratio of Bifidobacterium to Akkermansia<\/a> in the gut bacteria is linked to multiple sclerosis, and this imbalance was also associated with more severe disease.<\/p>\n The gut has its fingers in many bodily ‘pies’<\/a>, including the immune system and the central nervous system. Feeding its microbiome<\/a> certain prebiotics and probiotics<\/a> could open the door to treating a plethora of illnesses<\/a> and diseases<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/56bbae08072d21ad8124b70099aab510.jpeg\"\/)
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Twin studies are highly valuable when it comes to differentiating between the effects of genetics and the environment on human health. (recep-bg\/Canva<\/a>)<\/p>\n