{"id":735,"date":"2026-03-29T22:32:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T22:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/?p=735"},"modified":"2026-03-29T22:32:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T22:32:00","slug":"inexpensive-daily-supplement-appears-to-boost-brain-function-in-older-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/?p=735","title":{"rendered":"Inexpensive daily supplement appears to boost brain function in older adults"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>What&#8217;s good for your aging gut may also be good for your aging brain.<\/p>\n<p>A first-of-its-kind study in twins found that taking a daily protein and prebiotic supplement may improve memory test scores in people over 60.<\/p>\n<p>The results of this study, published in 2024, are food for thought, especially since the same visual memory and learning tests are used to detect early signs of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease.<\/p>\n<p>The double-blind study tested two inexpensive plant fiber prebiotics that are commercially available in many countries.<\/p>\n<p>Prebiotics are non-digestible consumables that help boost the gut microbiome.<\/p>\n<p>One of the supplements was inulin, a dietary fiber that is a type of fructan. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are another plant carbohydrate commonly used as a natural low-calorie sweetener.<\/p>\n<p>Watch the video below for an overview of the research.<\/p>\n<div class=\"aspect-w-16 aspect-h-9 youtube-iframe relative\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"These cheap supplements could give your aging brain a boost\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fHuab1VFbCw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> frame border=&#8221;0&#8243; permission=&#8221;accelerometer;autoplay;clipboard writing;encrypted media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture. web-share&#8221; Referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowedfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>To find out how these supplements affect the aging brain, researchers at King&#8217;s College London enrolled 36 pairs of twins, all at least 60 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Each twin was randomized, with one twin receiving a daily prebiotic mixed with protein powder and the other receiving a placebo powder.<\/p>\n<p>Twins who unknowingly took inulin or FOS generally scored higher on cognitive tests three months later.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, daily fiber supplements were associated with subtle changes in the gut microbiome between twins.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/picsura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775302625_569_Inexpensive-daily-supplement-appears-to-boost-brain-function-in-older.jpg\" alt=\"Subscribe to ScienceAlert's free, fact-checked newsletter\" width=\"642\" height=\"273\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-182810 size-medium\" srcset=\"https:\/\/picsura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775302625_569_Inexpensive-daily-supplement-appears-to-boost-brain-function-in-older.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2025\/11\/Generic-Health-Promo-Final-768x326.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2025\/11\/Generic-Health-Promo-Final-600x255.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2025\/11\/Generic-Health-Promo-Final.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>beneficial <em>Bifidobacterium<\/em>For example, it was more common in people taking inulin or FOS.<\/p>\n<p>Studies on mice suggest that: <em>Bifidobacterium<\/em> Reduces cognitive impairment by regulating the gut-brain connection.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re excited to see these changes in just 12 weeks. This holds great promise for improving brain health and memory in our aging population,&#8221; Mary Nie Lochlein, a geriatric medicine researcher at King&#8217;s College London, said when the study results were announced.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Unraveling the secrets of the gut-brain axis may provide new approaches to living longer, healthier lives.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>King&#8217;s College has the UK&#8217;s largest adult twin registry and twin studies are of great value in distinguishing between the influences of genetics and environment on human health.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_182714\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-182714\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/picsura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775302625_541_Inexpensive-daily-supplement-appears-to-boost-brain-function-in-older.jpg\" alt=\"A diagram of the human intestine in the background, with intestinal bacteria shown in a circle in the foreground\" width=\"642\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-full wp-image-182714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/picsura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775302625_541_Inexpensive-daily-supplement-appears-to-boost-brain-function-in-older.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2025\/11\/gut_microbiome_with_inset_642-600x421.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-182714\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The microorganisms in each person&#8217;s gut make up their individual microbiome. (Science Photo Library\/Canva)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Previous studies in rodents have suggested that high-fiber supplements such as inulin and FOS &#8220;feed&#8221; the colon microbiome, allowing &#8220;good&#8221; bacteria to grow.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these bacterial players have also been associated with improved cognitive function in both mice and humans.<\/p>\n<p>Evidence of the close connection between the gut and the brain is increasing every year. Some experts are so convinced of this result that they call the gut the &#8220;second brain&#8221; of the body.<\/p>\n<p>However, how these two nervous systems work together remains a mystery.<\/p>\n<div class=\"aspect-w-16 aspect-h-9 youtube-iframe relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/picsura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775302625_873_Inexpensive-daily-supplement-appears-to-boost-brain-function-in-older.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube thumbnail\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" class=\"youtube-thumbnail-preview\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Our Brain and Gut Work Together\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uXEf1Xfh1bY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> frame border=&#8221;0&#8243; permission=&#8221;accelerometer;autoplay;clipboard writing;encrypted media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture. web-share&#8221; Referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowedfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The KCL twin study hints that consuming certain &#8220;brain foods&#8221; may be a promising way to treat cognitive decline, adding to research suggesting that key nutrients may slow the progression of cognitive decline.<\/p>\n<p>Claire Steves, a geriatrician at KCL, said: &#8220;These plant fibers are cheap and available over the counter and could benefit a wide range of people in these cash-strapped times. They are also safe and tolerable.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our next challenge is to see whether these effects persist over longer periods of time and in larger populations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Prebiotics appear to improve some aspects of cognitive function in the aging brain, such as memory and processing time, but the study did not identify any significant physical benefits.<\/p>\n<p>Despite inulin and FOS being important factors in musculoskeletal maintenance, muscle loss did not improve in older twins taking high-fiber supplements.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_144937\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144937\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/TwinsSmiling642.jpg\" alt=\"Twin sisters smiling with arms crossed\" width=\"642\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/TwinsSmiling642.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/TwinsSmiling642-533x415.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/TwinsSmiling642-600x467.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-144937\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twin studies are of great value in differentiating the effects of genetics and environment on human health. (recep-bg\/Canva)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Most of the twins in the current trial were female, and although the researchers adjusted for gender differences in their findings, they acknowledge that some selection bias may exist within the KCL twin cohort.<\/p>\n<p>However, women are more susceptible to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, and studies like this one support the emerging idea that cognitive decline is not necessarily a brain disease, and that external factors may also be involved.<\/p>\n<p>recent <em>lancet<\/em> The Dementia Committee estimates that 7% of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease risk is due to high middle-age levels of low-density lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol and fatty acids throughout the body.<\/p>\n<p>This risk factor may explain why women are twice as likely as men to develop Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, according to a 2025 study led by researchers at King&#8217;s College London.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED: 117-year-old woman&#8217;s diet could help us all live longer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong>Also in 2025, researchers found that in humans and mice, <em>Bifidobacterium<\/em> to <em>Akkermansia<\/em> Gut bacterial balance has been linked to multiple sclerosis, and this imbalance has also been linked to more severe diseases.<\/p>\n<p>The gut is involved in many \u201cpies\u201d of the body, including the immune system and central nervous system. Feeding the microbiome with specific prebiotics and probiotics could open the door to treatments for many diseases and illnesses.<\/p>\n<p>This research <em>nature communications<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>A previous version of this article was published in March 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>#Inexpensive #daily #supplement #appears #boost #brain #function #older #adults<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What&#8217;s good for your aging gut may also be good for your aging brain. A first-of-its-kind study in twins found that taking a daily protein and prebiotic supplement may improve memory test scores in people over 60. The results of this study, published in 2024, are food for thought, especially since the same visual memory &#8230; <a title=\"Inexpensive daily supplement appears to boost brain function in older adults\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/picsura.com\/?p=735\" aria-label=\"Read more about Inexpensive daily supplement appears to boost brain function in older adults\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,484],"tags":[1607,1604,1204,672,786,1605,1603,1602,1606,917],"class_list":["post-735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","category-nutrition","tag-adults","tag-appears","tag-boost","tag-brain","tag-daily","tag-function","tag-inexpensive","tag-msft-content","tag-older","tag-supplement"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/picsura.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}