Brain aging is accompanied by progressive changes in immune regulation, redox imbalance, vascular function and integrity, and cellular metabolism, all of which may contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. Among these mechanisms, chronic low-grade inflammation has emerged as a key driver of age-related cognitive impairment, linking dietary exposures to changes in brain health across the lifespan. Growing evidence suggests that anti-inflammatory dietary patterns and specific nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, fiber, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds, may help modulate neuroinflammation, support neuronal resilience, and preserve cognitive function. At the same time, critical questions remain regarding which dietary strategies are most effective, in whom, and through which biological pathways.
This Research Topic aims to explore the relationship between anti-inflammatory diets and brain aging, with particular attention to cognitive decline, neuroinflammation, and related metabolic and vascular mechanisms. We welcome studies examining whole dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, MIND diet, plant-forward diets, and other anti-inflammatory nutritional approaches, as well as investigations of individual food components, supplements, and biomarkers associated with cognitive outcomes. We are especially interested in work that integrates mechanistic insights with clinical and population-based evidence, including studies on the gut-brain axis, immunometabolism, oxidative stress, neurovascular health, and diet-responsive molecular pathways involved in both healthy and pathological brain aging.
By bringing together basic, clinical, epidemiological, and translational research, this collection seeks to clarify how nutrition may reduce inflammation-related cognitive decline and support healthy brain aging. It also aims to identify biomarkers, target populations, and practical dietary strategies that can inform prevention and personalized nutrition approaches for age-related cognitive disorders.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Anti-inflammatory dietary patterns and trajectories of cognitive aging.
• Mediterranean, MIND, and plant-based diets in relation to cognition and dementia risk.
• Nutritional modulation of neuroinflammation and inflammaging.
• Diet, oxidative stress, and neuronal resilience in aging.
• Gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and the gut-brain axis in cognitive health.
• Dietary influences on vascular health, blood-brain barrier integrity, and neurodegeneration.
• Role of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds in brain aging.
• Nutritional biomarkers associated with cognitive decline or preserved cognitive function.
• Clinical trials of dietary interventions targeting memory, executive function, or neuroinflammatory markers.
• Nutrigenomic and metabolomic approaches to nutrition and cognitive aging.
• Precision nutrition strategies for prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia.
• Reviews and meta-analyses bridging mechanistic and clinical evidence in nutrition and brain aging.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Brief Research Report
- Case Report
- Clinical Trial
- Conceptual Analysis
- Data Report
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
- FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
- General Commentary
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Anti-Inflammatory Diet, Cognitive Decline, Brain Aging, Neuroinflammation, Mediterranean Diet, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Brain Health, Gut-Brain Axis, Cognitive Function, MIND Diet, Polyphenols, Precision Nutrition
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.
