Summer Lentil Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Lentils, The Mediterranean Diet for IBS and Outrunning Alzheimer’s

Lentils are the unsung heroes of the legume family—high in protein and fiber along with other nutrients and fast to cook. They’re the perfect replacement for rice in summer salads and side dishes. They also fit right into the Mediterranean diet, a way of eating that could be a welcome change from the FODMAP diet for people living with IBS, according to a new study. I’m also sharing research that takes a deeper dive into exercise as a weapon in the war against Alzheimer’s.

Summer Lentil Salad

• Summer Lentil Salad

  This protein-packed legume makes a satisfying meatless meal on its own as well as a zesty side dish for grilled tuna or salmon. 

  Ingredients

  For the lentils:

  • 1 cup dried French (du Puy) lentils
  • 3 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, more broth or water as needed
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 large bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt as desired

  For the dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, more to taste
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  Directions

  Step 1

  Place the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water, picking through to remove any pebbles. Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot, then add the lentils, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and salt. Turn down the heat to maintain a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the lentils are tender but still toothsome (think al dente), about 25 minutes. Check 5 minutes in advance to make sure there’s still some liquid so that the lentils won’t scorch. If the lentils aren’t tender once the broth evaporates, add 1/2 cup more liquid and continue cooking 5-10 more minutes.

  Step 2

  While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, shallot, black pepper, and Dijon. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and add more vinegar if desired.

  Step 3

  When the lentils are ready, strain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a large bowl; discard the bay leaf. Fold in the red onion, bell pepper, and parsley. Pour on the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add salt as desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

  Yields 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Let’s Hear It for Lentils

High in fiber, vitamin C, and other antioxidants, strawberries also deliver potassium, folate, and magnesium. But they also have a tendency to get moldy when moisture gets trapped between the berries, especially in typical clamshell plastic containers. A simple storage trick is to unpack them as soon as you get home and transfer them, unwashed, to a paper towel-lined glass container—line them up upside down, leaving a bit of room between them, and store in the fridge, uncovered, suggest the experts at the Utah State University Extension. Wash them just before hulling (a curved grapefruit knife works great) and blot dry with fresh paper towels.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Making Lentils in Advance

With 22 grams of protein in every cup of cooked French lentils, these nutrient-dense nuggets are great to have in the fridge, ready to sprinkle on green salads, add to other side dishes, or have as a satisfying snack drizzled with olive oil. Once you’ve cooked up a batch, drain them and let them come to room temperature. Transfer to a glass container and pop into the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to one week.

For Your Best Health

The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, affects an estimated 4 to 11 percent of all people, and most prefer dietary interventions to medication. Many try following the low-FODMAP diet, according to researchers at Michigan Medicine. It improves symptoms in more than half of patients, but it’s restrictive—it cuts out so many foods that people find it hard to follow. Previous investigations from these researchers, who were looking for more acceptable versions, led to their “FODMAP simple” diet, which only restricts the food groups in the FODMAP diet that are most likely to cause symptoms. Still, because any type of restrictive diets can be difficult to adopt, Michigan Medicine gastroenterologist Prashant Singh, MBBS, and his colleagues decided to look at a completely different alternative, the Mediterranean diet. 

Many physicians are already behind the Mediterranean diet because of its benefits to cardiovascular, cognitive, and general health. With so many advantages, they wanted to see whether it could also bring IBS symptom relief. “In addition to the issue of being costly and time-consuming, there are concerns about nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating when trying a low-FODMAP diet. The Mediterranean diet interested us as an alternative that is not an elimination diet and overcomes several of these limitations related to a low-FODMAP diet,” said Dr. Singh.

For the pilot study, 20 participants, all of whom were diagnosed with either IBS-D (diarrhea) or IBS-M (mixed symptoms of constipation and diarrhea), were randomized into two groups. For four weeks, one group followed the Mediterranean diet and the other followed the restriction phase of a low-FODMAP diet.

The primary endpoint was an FDA-standard 30 percent reduction in abdominal pain intensity after four weeks. In the Mediterranean diet group, 73 percent of the patients met the primary endpoint for symptom improvement versus 81.8 percent in the low-FODMAP group. Though the low-FODMAP group experienced a greater improvement measured by both abdominal pain intensity and the IBS symptom severity score, the Mediterranean diet did provide symptom relief with fewer food restrictions.

“This study adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that a Mediterranean diet might be a useful addition to the menu of evidence-based dietary interventions for patients with IBS,” said William Chey, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan, president-elect of the American College of Gastroenterology, and senior author of the research paper.

Researchers found the results of this pilot study encouraging enough to warrant future and larger controlled trials to investigate the potential of the Mediterranean diet as an effective intervention for patients with IBS. They believe studies comparing the long-term efficacy of the Mediterranean diet with long-term outcomes following the reintroduction and personalization phases of the low-FODMAP diet are needed.

Fitness Flash

Outrunning Alzheimer’s?

A Mass General Brigham study, published in Nature Neuroscience, has revealed how exercise rewires the brain at the cellular level. “While we’ve long known that exercise helps protect the brain, we didn’t fully understand which cells were responsible or how it worked at a molecular level,” said senior author Christiane D. Wrann, DVM, PhD, a neuroscientist and leader of the Program in Neuroprotection in Exercise at the Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute and the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Now, we have a detailed map of how exercise impacts each major cell type in the memory center of the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.”

The research team from Mass General Brigham and collaborators at SUNY Upstate Medical University leveraged advanced single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), a relatively new technology that allows researchers to look at activity at the molecular level in single cells for an in-depth understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s, along with a widely used preclinical model for Alzheimer’s disease. Focusing on a part of the hippocampus, a critical region for memory and learning damaged early in Alzheimer’s, they identified specific brain cell types that responded most to exercise. 

They exercised a common mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease using running wheels, which improved the mice’s memory compared to their sedentary counterparts. They then analyzed gene activity across thousands of individual brain cells, finding that exercise changed activity both in microglia, a disease-associated population of brain cells, and in a specific type of neurovascular-associated astrocyte (NVA), newly discovered by the team, which are cells associated with blood vessels in the brain. Furthermore, the scientists identified the metabolic gene Atpif1 as an important regulator to create new neurons in the brain. “That we were able to modulate newborn neurons using our new target genes set underscores the promise our study,” said lead author Joana Da Rocha, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow working in Dr. Wrann’s lab.

To ensure the findings were relevant to humans, the team validated their discoveries in a large dataset of human Alzheimer’s brain tissue, finding striking similarities. “This work not only sheds light on how exercise benefits the brain but also uncovers potential cell-specific targets for future Alzheimer’s therapies,” said Nathan Tucker, a biostatistician at SUNY Upstate Medical University and co-senior author of the study. “Our study offers a valuable resource for the scientific community investigating Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment.”

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Berry Trifle Recipe, Spotlight on Strawberries, A Smart Way to Satisfy Food Cravings, and Are You Running on Empty?

This lavish crowd-pleaser can be made in advance and is perfect for any July 4th celebration. Even better, enjoying a few spoonfuls could be the answer to satisfying a craving for sweets—rather than derailing healthy eating plans, smartly indulging can keep you on track, according to a new study from the University of Illinois. I’m also sharing new findings on how to best fuel before exercise—turns out that women may not be getting all the nutrients they need to exercise effectively.

A Very Berry 4th of July Trifle

• A Very Berry 4th of July Trifle

  With all the components premade, this layered dessert of cake, custard, berries, and cream can be assembled in minutes…and up to 6 hours in advance. A footed trifle bowl is elegant, but any clear glass serving bowl that lets the layers show will create a festive presentation.

  Ingredients

  For the custard:

  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 3 cups whole milk 
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  For the assembly:

  • 1 quart or more mixed berries, preferably blueberries and strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 cups whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 olive oil chiffon cake recipe, 1 pound cake, or 1 package ladyfingers

  Directions

  Step 1

  Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt, then whisk in the yolks followed by the whole eggs. Continue whisking until the mixture turns light yellow; set aside.

  Step 2

  Place the milk in a saucepan and scald—you should see a light skin start to form, but don’t let it come to a boil. Vigorously whisk 1/4 cup milk into the egg mixture, then slowly whisk in the rest. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes (lower the heat as needed to prevent scorching). It should become quite thick. 

  Step 3

  Remove from the heat. Whisk in the olive oil and vanilla and transfer to a glass bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then press a round of parchment paper over the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, 4 hours up to overnight.

  Step 4

  Rinse and hull the strawberries. Set aside 6 of the best ones for a garnish and halve or slice the rest. Rinse the blueberries and pat dry; reserve a few for the garnish and add the rest to a large bowl with the cut strawberries. Toss with the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; wait 20 or more minutes before assembly or refrigerate until needed, up to a day in advance.

  Step 5

  Whip the cream and the confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form; place in fridge for up to 6 hours if not using right away.

  Step 6

  Assemble the trifle: If using cake, cut into 1-inch cubes. Spread a dollop of custard across the bottom of your serving bowl; add a layer of ladyfingers or cake cubes. Top with half the remaining custard and half the berries. Repeat with another layer of ladyfingers or cake and the rest of the custard and the berries. Top with the whipped cream and decorate with the remaining berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 hours before serving.

  Yields 10 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Strawberry Storage

High in fiber, vitamin C, and other antioxidants, strawberries also deliver potassium, folate, and magnesium. But they also have a tendency to get moldy when moisture gets trapped between the berries, especially in typical clamshell plastic containers. A simple storage trick is to unpack them as soon as you get home and transfer them, unwashed, to a paper towel-lined glass container—line them up upside down, leaving a bit of room between them, and store in the fridge, uncovered, suggest the experts at the Utah State University Extension. Wash them just before hulling (a curved grapefruit knife works great) and blot dry with fresh paper towels.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Sugaring Berries

Ripe berries are delicious just as they are, but when you’re cutting them to use in recipes like trifle, tossing them in a small amount of sugar both helps release their juices, creating a natural syrup, and enhances their sweetness. Simply toss the fruit with the sugar in a bowl—1 tablespoon per cup of fruit—and wait between 20 and 60 minutes before using. 

For Your Best Health

A Smart Way to Satisfy Food Cravings

Are you in a constant battle with food cravings? Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign may have a solution. Their study, published in the journal Physiology and Behavior, found that eating dessert may be the optimal strategy for losing weight, keeping it off, and keeping cravings at bay: Incorporate craved foods into a balanced meal plan.

Researcher Nouf W. Alfouzan, PhD, and nutrition professor Manabu T. Nakamura, PhD, found that dieters’ food cravings decreased while they were losing weight and remained minimal as long as they did not regain weight. Said Dr. Nakamura, “Cravings are a big problem for many people. If they have a lot of cravings, it is very difficult to lose weight. Even when they are able to control their cravings and lose weight, if the cravings come back, they regain the weight.

“We recruited obese patients ages 18 to 75 who had comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes and could benefit from losing weight,” he added. The participants were part of a larger project conducted with physicians at Carle Clinic in Urbana that aimed to broaden the outreach of an in-person weight-loss program called the Individualized Dietary Improvement Program by converting it to an online format called EMPOWER.

Although many dieters reported in prior research that their cravings decreased while they were losing weight, it was unclear whether these changes persisted when they reached their weight-loss goal or quit dieting while trying to maintain their weight. Dr. Alfouzan wanted to investigate that, along with whether reduced cravings correlated with greater weight loss.

The dietary program used in the study educated dieters about key nutrients, helping them make informed decisions about their food selections until sustainable dietary changes were achieved, Dr. Nakamura detailed. Dieters used a data visualization tool that plots foods’ protein, fiber, and calories so they could enhance nutrition while minimizing the calories they consumed. “If you are eating and snacking randomly, it’s very hard to control,” he said. “Some dietary programs exclude certain foods. Our plan used an ‘inclusion strategy,’ in which people incorporated small portions of craved foods within a well-balanced meal.”

Every six months, participants completed a questionnaire about their cravings for specific foods, such as high-fat foods like hot dogs and fried chicken, fast-food fats like those in hamburgers and chips, sweets like cakes and cookies, and carbohydrates like biscuits and pancakes. The researchers also assessed the frequency and intensity of participants’ cravings with another survey. Using a scale ranging from 1 (never) to 6 (always), individuals rated themselves on statements such as “Whenever I have food cravings, I find myself making plans to eat” and “I have no willpower to resist my food cravings.” The intensity of each dieter’s cravings was calculated by adding their scores for a total of 15 statements. Dieters also weighed in daily after getting out of bed and before breakfast using a Wi-Fi scale that transmitted the data to the researchers so they could track the changes.

A total of 30 people began the weight-loss program, and the 24 who remained at the end of the first year had lost an average of 7.9 percent of their starting weight. Of these, 20 completed a yearlong maintenance program, but because a few regained some of what they had lost, their average weight loss was 6.7 percent, the researchers found. Participants who lost more than 5 percent by the end of the study experienced consistent reductions in the frequency and intensity of their cravings, while those who lost less than that did not. 

The team also found that individuals’ craving for food in general and for specific types of foods such as sweets and carbohydrates diminished during the year of weight loss and stabilized during maintenance. Of the 24 participants who remained in the study at 12 months, more than half reported they used the inclusion strategy to manage cravings—some people used it as frequently as one to three times a day, while others used it once a week or more. Those who used the strategy lost significantly more weight compared with other participants and experienced significant reductions in their cravings for sweet and high-fat foods, the researchers found.

The study suggests that individuals’ reduced cravings correlated with decreased body fat rather than the negative energy balance of dieting, Dr. Nakamura said. “This basically debunks the hungry fat cell theory, a long-standing hypothesis that fat cells become starved for energy and trigger cravings, causing dieters to eat and ultimately regain what they lost. But that is not the case. As long as you stay at a healthy weight, your cravings will remain low.” Consistency is another key to managing cravings and weight, he said. “Fluctuations in eating patterns, meal times and amounts trigger cravings, too. You have to be consistent.”

Fitness Flash

Are You Running on Empty?

Proper nutrition is crucial for enhancing athletic performance, supporting recovery, and maintaining overall health. A study from the University of South Australia (UniSA) reveals that proper nutrition is also key to reducing the risk of injury, especially for women.

In a systematic review of nearly 6,000 adult distance runners, researchers examined the link between diet and exercise-related injury. They found that lower energy and fat intakes were strongly associated with a higher risk of injury in female runners and that a low-fiber diet increased the likelihood of bone stress injuries in both female and male runners.

Specifically, injured female runners consumed 450 fewer calories and 20 grams less fat per day than their uninjured counterparts. Both injured female and male runners took in three grams less daily fiber compared to those who remained injury free. Interestingly, runners’ intakes of protein, carbohydrates, alcohol, and calcium did not influence injury risk.

Sports dietitian and UniSA researcher Erin Colebatch said nutrition plays a crucial role in reducing injury risk. “Distance running is a popular activity for many people, helping them stay healthy and keep fit. Yet about 50 percent of adult runners sustain running-related injuries,” Colebatch said. “Nutrition is key to optimizing athletic performance, providing the energy, recovery support, and injury prevention needed to maintain both endurance and overall health. Many long-distance runners underestimate their energy needs. When they don’t fuel their bodies properly, they increase their injury risk. Recognizing the impact of diet on injury risk helps minimize it.”

UniSA Senior Researcher Dr. Alison Hill said that clinicians need to support female runners to achieve sufficient energy and fat intakes while guiding all runners to optimize their fiber consumption. “When runners don’t consume enough energy, their body’s needs go unmet, which over time can lead to issues like skeletal demineralization, loss of lean body mass, fatigue, and stress fractures,” Dr. Hill said. “While this research offers valuable insights for runners of all levels, additional studies are necessary to explore how these findings apply to a broader range of athletic abilities.”

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Soft Scrambled Eggs Recipe, Spotlight on Eggs, Vitamin D and Biological Aging, plus Exercise Boosts Brain Health—Even When Energy is Low

There are a few foods that can be satisfying at any meal—breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Whether piled high on toast, topped with a crumble of bacon, or served alongside hearty potatoes, scrambled eggs is one of those dishes. They’re not complicated to make…once your pan is properly prepped. Eggs are a nutrient powerhouse, but there have been lingering concerns about their saturated fat. A study from Australia offers some welcome new thinking. I’m also sharing a study on a very special benefit of vitamin D and a fresh perspective on exercise for brain health.

Soft Scrambled Eggs

• Soft Scrambled Eggs

  One of the simplest dishes can often be the most difficult to make. If your pan isn’t preheated properly or if it isn’t well prepped, scrambled eggs can brown rather than stay yellow, stick in spots, or take seemingly forever to set. Here’s my simple hack for eggy perfection.

  Ingredients

  • 4 extra-large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Fine sea salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

  Directions

  Step 1

  Heat your sauté or fry pan over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, thoroughly whisk the eggs in a large bowl until no whites are visible. 

  Step 2

  When the pan is ready (a drop of water will sizzle and evaporate), lower the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil, rotating the pan so that it covers the bottom surface. Pour the eggs into the pan and immediately start moving them around with a heat-resistant spatula so that they cook evenly. Constant movement will help prevent brown spots. Take the eggs off the heat just before they’re completely firm—they will keep cooking.

  Step 3

  Divide the eggs between two plates, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

  Serves 2

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

A Fresh Look at Eggs

Chances are you’ve read conflicting advice over the years about whether to eat eggs and how many per day or week to have. A new study from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, found that eggs have certain benefits for a specific part of the population. 

Published in the journal Nutrients, the study found that for relatively healthy older adults, consuming eggs 1 to 6 times per week was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) and CVD mortality compared to those who rarely or never eat eggs.

The study involved 8,756 adults aged 70 years or older, who self-reported the frequency of their total egg intake as never/infrequently (1 to 2 times/month), weekly (1 to 6 times/week), or daily (daily/several times per day), as part of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) sub-study. ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) was a large primary prevention aspirin trial of more than 19,000 participants in Australia and the US, mostly 70 years and older, and continues today as a longitudinal study.

First author Holly Wild, a PhD candidate and lecturer from the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said that, compared to older adults who never or infrequently ate eggs, those who ate eggs 1 to 6 times a week had a 15 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 29 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death. “Eggs are a nutrient-dense food, a rich source of protein, and a good source of essential nutrients, such as B vitamins, folate, unsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins (E, D, A, and K), choline, and numerous minerals and trace elements,” Wild said. “Eggs are also an accessible source of protein and nutrition in older adults, with research suggesting that they are the preferred source of protein for older adults who might be experiencing age-related physical and sensory decline.”

The work also explored the relationship between egg consumption and mortality across different levels of diet quality—low, moderate, and high. “The study found that older adults with a moderate- to high-diet quality reported a 33 percent and 44 percent lower risk of CVD-related death, suggesting that the addition of eggs to moderate- and high-quality diets may improve longevity,” the researchers wrote.

The current Australian Dietary Guidelines and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that adults with normal cholesterol can eat up to seven eggs per week, while some European countries suggest limiting eggs to 3 to 4 per week. The AHA also supports up to 2 eggs per day for older adults with normal cholesterol.

“Previous research has observed a higher risk of mortality with egg consumption for those who have high cholesterol. For this reason, we also explored the association between egg consumption and mortality in people with and without dyslipidemia (clinically diagnosed high cholesterol),” Wild said. “We found a 27 percent lower risk of CVD-related death for participants with dyslipidemia who consumed eggs weekly, compared to their counterparts that consumed eggs rarely or never, suggesting that in this study cohort, the presence of dyslipidemia does not influence the risk associated with egg consumption. Our results suggest that eating up to six eggs a week may reduce the risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular-related diseases in older adults. These findings may be beneficial in the development of evidence-based dietary guidelines for older adults.”

Of course, everyone is unique. Before increasing how many eggs you eat, talk to your doctor to see what makes sense for your health profile. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Eggs: Checking for Freshness

Want a quick hack to see whether the eggs in your fridge are still fresh? Try the float test. Fill a large bowl or even a wide glass with cold water and gently add an egg. If it sinks and rests on one side, it’s fresh. If it sinks but stands upright, use it right away. If it floats, toss it. An egg that floats has lost moisture through the shell and its contents have shrunk.

For Your Best Health

Vitamin D and Biological Aging

Results of a landmark study called the VITAL randomized controlled trial reveal that vitamin D supplementation helps maintain telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten during aging and are linked to the development of certain diseases. The report, published inThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is based on data from the VITAL Telomere sub-study co-led by researchers at Mass General Brigham and the Medical College of Georgia, and supports a promising role in slowing a pathway for biological aging.

VITAL looked at the effects of vitamin D3 (2,000 IU/day) and omega 3 fatty acid (1 g/day) supplementation on US women aged 55 years and older and men aged 50 years and older for five years. The sub-study included 1,054 participants, whose telomere length in white blood cells was assessed at baseline and at year 2 and year 4.

“VITAL is the first large-scale and long-term randomized trial to show that vitamin D supplements protect telomeres and preserve telomere length,” said co-author JoAnn Manson, MD, principal investigator of VITAL and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “This is of particular interest because VITAL had also shown benefits of vitamin D in reducing inflammation and lowering risks of selected chronic diseases of aging, such as advanced cancer and autoimmune disease.”

Telomeres are made of repeating sequences of DNA, or base pairs, that prevent chromosome ends from degrading or fusing with other chromosomes. Telomere shortening is a natural part of aging and is associated with an increased risk of various age-related diseases.

A few short-term small-scale studies have suggested that vitamin D or omega 3 fatty acid supplementation may help support telomeres, but results have been inconsistent. This study showed that compared with taking a placebo, taking vitamin D3 supplements significantly reduced telomere shortening over four years, preventing the equivalent of nearly three years of aging compared with placebo. Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation had no significant effect on telomere length throughout follow-up.

“Our findings suggest that targeted vitamin D supplementation may be a promising strategy to counter a biological aging process, although further research is warranted,” said Haidong Zhu, PhD, first author of the report and a molecular geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University.

Fitness Flash

Exercise Boosts Brain Health—Even When Energy is Low

We know exercise is good for our body, but what about our brain? A new study from the University of Missouri suggests that exercise plays a crucial role in keeping our mind sharp, even when one of the brain’s key energy sources isn’t available. The study, led by researchers Taylor Kelty, PhD, and R. Scott Rector, PhD, offers fresh insight into brain health and suggests that exercise could play a bigger role in preventing cognitive decline than previously thought.

When the body runs low on its usual fuel—glucose—the liver makes ketones, an alternative energy source that helps power the brain. These molecules support cognitive memory, learning, and overall brain health. But what happens when the liver can’t produce enough of them? Can exercise help compensate for this ketone deficiency? Dr. Rector, the director of the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building and a professor in the School of Medicine, and Dr. Kelty were determined to find out.

For the study, they looked at what happens when ketone production is limited in the liver. As expected, the result was a noticeable decline in brain function and memory. But then something remarkable happened: Exercise managed to help reverse some of the cognitive decline, even with the ketone production impaired.

“Going into the study, we thought that with fewer ketones and the cognitive impairments that causes, exercise may not be able to overcome that impairment,” said Dr. Kelty, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Rector’s lab. “But it seems like exercise is so powerful that there are other mechanisms going on in the brain that allow it to circumvent those impairments and still receive the benefits from exercise.”

“This study highlights how exercise benefits the body in a multitude of ways, even when we don’t fully understand all the molecular mechanisms involved,” Dr. Rector said. “Even when we remove a single pathway, exercise is doing so many other things that it can help mitigate those deficiencies.”

The findings are especially promising for people with liver conditions that prevent the body from making ketones. Dr. Kelty pointed out that the emerging field of liver-brain research is beginning to show that individuals with severe liver dysfunction have a higher risk of developing dementia. “If ketone production in the liver is disrupted, it could be a potential cause of cognitive decline, ultimately leading to conditions like dementia,” he said.

Ideally, this research helps raise awareness about the importance of ketone production to brain health and the impact exercise can have on staying mentally sharp. “There’s so much we’re still uncovering, and with all the state-of-the-art resources and interdisciplinary collaborations at Mizzou, it’s exciting to think about where this research might take us next,” Dr. Kelty said. “Exercise could be a key piece of the puzzle in preserving brain health as we age.”

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