Correlation Between Dietary Nutrition and Glymphatic System Activity in Healthy Participants

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Dietary nutrition impacts human physical and mental health.
• Nutrients like B vitamins, zinc, and iron have known neuroprotective effects.
• The relationship between nutrient levels and brain waste clearance remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between serum nutrient concentrations and brain glymphatic system activity.
• To assess the correlation between serum nutrient levels and macroscopic waste clearance, including reactive oxygen species.

Main Methods:

• 159 healthy participants underwent 1.5-Tesla diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and blood sampling.
• The diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index was computed as a measure of glymphatic system activity.
• Statistical analyses, including multiple regression, were used to determine relationships between the DTI-ALPS index and serum nutrient levels (Vitamin B6, B12, folate, zinc, ferritin, iron).

Main Results:

• The DTI-ALPS index showed significant positive correlations with age and sex.
• Multiple regression analyses identified age, sex, and serum zinc level as significant independent predictors of the DTI-ALPS index.
• A significant correlation was found between brain clearance system activity and serum zinc levels in healthy participants.

Conclusions:

• Serum zinc levels are significantly correlated with brain waste clearance activity in healthy individuals.
• While zinc is vital for the central nervous system (CNS), both deficiency and excess may contribute to neurodegeneration.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the neuroprotective role of zinc within optimal concentration ranges.