Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are looking for volunteers for a trial into whether eating certain foods can reduce memory loss in old age. They are looking to recruit 120 local adults who are over 55 and have noticed some decline in their memory over the past two or three years, and are worried about it.
The ‘Cognitive Ageing, Nutrition and Neurogenesis’ (CANN) trial will be replicated with a further 120 volunteers in Melbourne, Australia.
Over the course of a year, volunteers will be given a novel combination of fish oils, and high cocoa dark chocolate, to see if a dietary intervention can slow – or even reverse – memory loss.
They will undergo computer-based tests to investigate different types of memory and overall cognitive (brain) function. The research team will also carry out brain scans to track whether any changes happen in the hippocampus – the part of the brain responsible for memory.
Lead researcher Prof Anne-Marie Minihane, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “We know that dietary and other lifestyle changes can help retain brain function in old age. Taking regular exercise, undergoing intellectually stimulating activities and maintaining social ties with family and friends are all hugely helpful.
“Stopping smoking, keeping hydrated, not drinking too much alcohol, sleeping well, maintaining a BMI of 18-25 kg/m2 and eating a balanced diet are also known to be beneficial.
“We want to go one stage further and test whether specific changes to your diet can prevent or reverse memory loss in older people.
“The hippocampus area of the brain tends to shrink as we get older – particularly among those with dementia. We will use MRI imaging at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital to test whether taking supplements such as fish oils, or eating dark chocolate, can stop this happening.”
