- Iron is an important mineral for the body.
- Although iron is important for brain health, past studies show that as we age, too much can accumulate in the brain, which has been linked to cognitive issues.
- Researchers from the University of Kentucky have found that including certain nutrients in a person’s diet may help lower the amount of iron buildup in the brain.
- This could potentially help lower a person’s risk for cognitive decline.
Iron is one of the many minerals the body needs to function properly.
The body mainly uses iron to create a protein found in red blood cells called hemoglobin, which is tasked with carrying oxygen from the lungs to other areas of the body. Additionally, iron helps muscles store oxygen, is important for hormone and bone marrow production, and keeps the immune system working correctly.
Iron also plays an important role in brain health. As we age, too much iron can sometimes accumulate in the brain. Past studies have correlated high levels of iron in the brain with neurodegenerative diseases such as
Now, researchers from the University of Kentucky have found that including certain nutrients in a person’s usual diet may help lower the amount of iron buildup in the brain, potentially lowering a person’s risk for cognitive issues.
The study was recently published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
For this study, researchers focused specifically on non-heme iron, which is found in both plant and animal products and makes up about 90% of iron a person consumes through food.
“Iron is a vital element for brain health, playing a key role in essential cellular functions,” Valentinos Zachariou, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Science at the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky and the first author of this study, told Medical News Today.
“However, iron is also a potent oxidizing agent that, when unregulated, can disrupt cellular processes and damage neurons,
“However, for iron to fulfill its role in cellular functions, it must first be released from these protective complexes,” Zachariou continued.
“This unbound form of iron, known as non-heme iron, is carefully regulated by healthy brain cells to balance its functional benefits while minimizing potential harm. With aging, this intricate regulatory system becomes disrupted, leading to the accumulation of unbound or non-heme iron outside of protective complexes. This imbalance has been associated with negative cognitive outcomes, which is why our study focuses on this critical domain.”
— Valentinos Zachariou, PhD
This current study builds on findings from a previous study conducted by Zachariou and his team that was published in October 2021.
In that study, researchers found that a higher intake of antioxidants, vitamins, iron-chelating nutrients, and
In this new research, scientists followed up about three years later with the same 72 older adults from their original study. Participants had their brain iron levels measured through an MRI technique called
Researchers also examined study participants’ diets and their current cognitive performance, including memory.
The scientists found participants experienced iron accumulation in both
“This finding is significant because it demonstrates two key points: (1) the MRI modality we used to non-invasively measure non-heme iron in the brain is sensitive enough to detect increases in brain iron over a relatively short three-year period, and (2) these increases are cognitively significant,” Zachariou said.
“Specifically, the brain regions where we observed iron accumulation subserve and are associated with episodic memory and executive function, and iron accumulation in these regions was linked to declines in these particular cognitive functions,” he continued.
However, researchers also found that study participants who had higher baseline consumption of antioxidants, vitamins, iron-chelating nutrients, and polyunsaturated fatty acids presented significantly less brain iron accumulation during the three-year period.
“The significance of this finding lies in the possibility that brain iron accumulation during aging may not be an inevitable process but one that could be influenced by dietary choices. These results lay the groundwork for future randomized clinical trials to investigate the impact of specific nutritional interventions on brain iron accumulation and cognitive function.”
— Valentinos Zachariou, PhD
“The immediate next step is to identify and refine the list of specific nutrients that may mitigate the effects of age-related brain iron accumulation on cognition. This includes examining how these nutrients interact with overall dietary habits. For instance, are these nutrients effective only when consumed as part of a balanced, healthy diet, or do they provide benefits regardless of overall dietary patterns?” Zachariou continued.
“The subsequent step would involve designing a randomized clinical trial to test the impact of these nutrients on brain iron accumulation and cognitive function in older individuals, in the form of targeted nutritional interventions,” he added.
MNT spoke with Clifford Segil, DO, neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, about this study.
“As a clinical neurologist, I have never seen a test to determine brain iron levels and am curious how iron enters the central nervous system through the
“I would like to see the same MRI-based iron detecting technique aimed at the spines of people to determine how iron comes in and out of the central nervous system. I would like to see the same study repeat in patients receiving iron supplementation for anemia to see if this has associated brain iron level detectable changes,” he added.
MNT also spoke with Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, IFNCP, RYT, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight for tips on how readers can incorporate more of the antioxidants, vitamins, iron-chelating nutrients, and polyunsaturated fatty acids the study spoke about into their own diets.
Richard said if access and ability are not barriers, it is essential to incorporate fresh produce as often as possible on a daily basis.
“For the average adult, three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit a day from a variety of sources (a reminder that 1/2 cup cooked = a serving and 1 cup raw = a serving) will be beneficial to provide the nutrients and antioxidants that would be helpful,” she detailed. “Further dietary pattern considerations would be to monitor heme (primarily found in animal products) and non-heme (primarily from plants) sources of iron intake per individual to make sure that the animal sources are not in excess and appropriate as well as a wide variety of non-heme sources are provided.”
“Following a nutrient-rich dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, or plant-centric diets with healthy fats may also provide a robust defense against iron accumulation and rapid cognitive deterioration due to its high nutrient density, anti-inflammatory benefits, and protective qualities. In addition to dietary modifications, it’s also important to regularly assess supplement intake to be sure there are not excessive and unnecessary amounts of minerals affecting iron accumulation.”
— Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, IFNCP, RYT
“Adequate and optimal nutrition is essential to neuroplasticity and cognitive health but it is also important to remember that brain-stimulating activities — brain teasers, crossword puzzles, learning a new language — body movement, adequate restful sleep, fresh air, proper hydration, calm, peaceful environments, and social interaction also help everything fire on all cylinders,” she added.
