Elderly people who take a daily prebiotic fiber supplement may perform better than others on cognitive tests on memory and processing speed. The placebo-controlled trial contains biases assumed by the researchers.
Taking prebiotic fiber supplements daily may improve memory test scores in people over 60 years old. New research published in Nature Communications involves two food supplements available in pharmacies: fructo-ologisaccharide – a hydrate of carboncarbon plant used as a natural sweetener – and inulin, a dietary fiber from the fructan class.
The double-blind English trial controlled by placeboplacebo focused on 36 pairs of twins over 60 years old. In each pair, one twin received a prebiotic and the other a placebo daily for 12 weeks. THE King’s College of London is home to the UK’s largest adult twin registry, with twin studies proving very useful in differentiating the effect of genetics and environment on human health.
Unlocking the secrets of the gut-brain axis
Three months later, the twin who had taken – without knowing it – one of the two prebiotics generally performed better on cognitive tests of memory and reactivity than his twin. Daily fiber supplementation has also been linked to small changes in the gut microbiota, with increased levels of bacteriabacteria beneficial (like Bifidobacteriam). “ Unlock the secrets of the intestinal axis-brainbrain could offer new approaches to living longer in good health said Mary Ni Lochlainn, geriatric medicine researcher at King’s College from London.
The researchers note that despite the fact that these prebiotics are important factors in maintaining the musculoskeletal system, muscle strength did not improve in the participants. Additionally, most of the twins were female, which could include some selection bias in the cohortcohort.
