Nutrients for the Brain Across the Lifespan: Supporting Development, Function, and Healthy Aging

Dear Colleagues,

Nutrition plays a fundamental role in supporting brain health across the lifespan. From development to aging, diet influences neurotransmission, brain glucose utilization, neuronal plasticity, and structure, with direct consequences for behavior and function. This Special Issue, “Nutrients for the Brain Across the Lifespan: Supporting Development, Function, and Healthy Aging”, aims to highlight studies that capture how nutrition sustains the brain throughout life.

Genetic variants that alter nutritional status add further complexity, shaping brain outcomes from the prenatal period through to later years. Critical developmental windows represent particularly sensitive stages, where nutrients such as choline, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids exert long-lasting effects on neural outcomes. Nutrition is also key for the aging brain, so understanding what can support resilience, cognitive function and neural health in later life remains a pressing challenge.

We invite contributions that explore mechanistic pathways, the application of artificial intelligence to brain and nutrition research, and the impact of dietary patterns on brain health. Original research articles, methodological advances, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Steven Zeisel
Guest Editor

Dr. Isis Trujillo-González
Co-Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.