Vitamin C could help boost cognitive function in older adults, research suggests.
A study of 2044 participants aged above 64 discovered that those with lower vitamin C levels in their blood plasma had a lower volume of grey matter.
The team analysed MRI scans and plasma vitamin C levels, measuring each participant’s grey and white brain matter. They then evaluated its connection with the default mode network (DMN) – a key brain network associated with functions including attention. Participants with lower plasma vitamin C levels also tended to have lower connectivity within the DMN.
While the findings can’t confirm a cause-effect relationship between vitamin C levels and brain health, and more research is needed, the authors say it offers positive possibilities.
Researcher Tomohiro Shintaku said: ‘This finding generates the exciting hypothesis that a diet rich in vitamin C might play a supportive role in maintaining brain health and mitigating age-related cognitive decline in older adults.’
Study PLOS One
Image | ISTOCK
