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Nutrients
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The Essential Role of Nutrient Intake in Neurological Diseases
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The Essential Role of Nutrient Intake in Neurological Diseases

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Neuro Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2026) | Viewed by 6604

Editor

Dr. Lisa S. Robison

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Interests: cognitive dysfunction; dementia; Alzheimer’s disease; vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID); cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA); diet; diabetes; metabolic disease; exercise; traumatic brain injury; drug repurposing; sex differences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurological diseases, encompassing neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular events, and psychiatric disorders, represent a critical and growing global health challenge. Emerging research continues to highlight the profound influence of nutritional status on the central nervous system, identifying diet as a key modifiable factor in both disease prevention and management. This Special Issue, “The Essential Role of Nutrient Intake in Neurological Diseases,” aims to elucidate the complex biological mechanisms linking nutrition to brain health. We invite researchers to submit original research and reviews that explore the therapeutic potential of dietary patterns (e.g., the Mediterranean, MIND, and ketogenic diets), as well as the specific roles of omega-3 fatty acids, micronutrients, bioactive compounds, and nutraceuticals. Contributions addressing the impact of the microbiota on neurological outcomes in conditions including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and traumatic brain injury are also encouraged to advance our understanding of how targeted nutritional strategies can support neurological resilience and recovery.

Dr. Lisa S. Robison
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.

Keywords

  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • cerebrovascular disease
  • stroke
  • multiple sclerosis
  • epilepsy
  • traumatic brain injury
  • psychiatric disorders
  • neuroinflammation
  • ketogenic diet
  • Mediterranean/MIND diet
  • omega-3 fatty acids
  • macronutrients
  • micronutrients
  • neutraceuticals
  • gut–brain axis
  • microbiota

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 463 KB  
Article
Per-Capita Food Availability and Global Dementia Burden Across Multiple Exposure Windows
by Carmelo Mario Vicario, Simona Massimino, Vanni Caruso, Carmelo M. Porto, Enrico Nicosia, Alessio Avenanti, Antonino Pennisi, Alessandra Falzone, Sebastiano Nucera, Antonina Lax, Antonino Germanò, Francesca Ferraioli, Sabrina Castellano, Angelo Quartarone and Francesco Tomaiuolo
Nutrients 2026, 18(16), 2700; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18162700 - 18 Aug 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Per-capita food availability may represent a large-scale indicator of nutritional environments potentially associated with dementia risk. However, whether national dietary environments are associated with dementia burden across different exposure periods remains unclear. Methods: We linked model-derived estimates of per-capita food [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Per-capita food availability may represent a large-scale indicator of nutritional environments potentially associated with dementia risk. However, whether national dietary environments are associated with dementia burden across different exposure periods remains unclear. Methods: We linked model-derived estimates of per-capita food availability based on Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food supply data for 2005, 2010, and 2015 with 2018 age-standardized dementia incidence, prevalence, and mortality across 109 countries. Multivariable ordinary least-squares models were estimated with adjustment for socioeconomic, demographic, environmental, and metabolic covariates. Results: Higher per-capita food availability was positively associated with dementia outcomes in minimally adjusted models, particularly for the 2005 exposure window, although these associations were substantially attenuated after full covariate adjustment. In contrast, the 2010 exposure window showed positive associations with dementia incidence and prevalence after full adjustment using the conventional significance threshold (α = 0.05), whereas no significant associations were observed for mortality or for the 2015 exposure window. Sensitivity analyses indicated that associations varied according to exposure timing and model specification. Conclusions: Overall, these findings suggest that large-scale nutritional environments are associated with variations in dementia burden across countries, although the substantial temporal overlap among exposure measures precludes inference regarding temporally specific effects; these associations should therefore be interpreted within the broader socio-demographic and metabolic context in which national food environments are embedded. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Essential Role of Nutrient Intake in Neurological Diseases)
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16 pages, 620 KB  
Article
Effects of a Mediterranean Diet-Based Program on Cognitive Decline: Non-Blinded Non-Randomized Controlled Trial of the CESPORT Program
by Juan Carlos Checa Olmos, Montserrat Monserrat Hernández, Ángeles Arjona Garrido, Jose Antonio Salinas and Manuel Díaz-Pérez
Nutrients 2026, 18(7), 1073; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071073 - 27 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: Age-related cognitive deccline is a significant health issue in Spain, especially among adults over 60 years of age. Addressing this involves establishing intervention guidelines and identifying early diagnostic biomarkers. Objective: To evaluate changes in urine of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, concentration and [...] Read more.
Background: Age-related cognitive deccline is a significant health issue in Spain, especially among adults over 60 years of age. Addressing this involves establishing intervention guidelines and identifying early diagnostic biomarkers. Objective: To evaluate changes in urine of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, concentration and cognitive performance after the implementation of the multicomponent CESPORT program (incorporating a Mediterranean Diet, nutritional education, and continuous support). Methods: This controlled trial included 76 older adults, divided into an experimental group (n = 58; mean age 66.9 years; 75.9% female) that participated in the CESPORT program, and a control group (n = 18; mean age 68.8 years; 72.2% female). Cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Cognifit® battery. Urinary BDNF concentrations were quantified via ELISA. Results: After adjusting for baseline scores via ANCOVA, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher post-intervention outcomes compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Substantial improvements with medium-to-large effect sizes were observed in global cognition, reasoning, attention, coordination and perception. Furthermore, urinary BDNF levels were significantly elevated in the experimental group. Positive correlations were found between Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor concentrations and cognitive performance in multiple domains (p < 0.05), particularly regarding global status and reasoning. Conclusions: The multicomponent CESPORT intervention demonstrates a potential protective effect against age-related cognitive decline. Furthermore, urinary BDNF emerges as a promising, non-invasive early biomarker for cognitive health. Further research is warranted to validate these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Essential Role of Nutrient Intake in Neurological Diseases)
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Review

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25 pages, 1326 KB  
Review
Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Benfotiamine in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Critical Review of Mechanistic Rationale and Clinical Evidence Within a Nutritional Therapeutic Framework
by Alin Ciubotaru, Cristina Grosu, Daniel Alexa, Laura-Elena Cucu, Thomas Gabriel Schreiner, Cătălina Elena Bistriceanu, Alexandra Maştaleru, Doina Azoicāi, Albert Vamanu, Alexandru Patrascu, Dan Iulian Cuciureanu and Emilian Bogdan Ignat
Nutrients 2026, 18(10), 1538; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18101538 - 12 May 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4921
Abstract
Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) affects up to 50% of diabetes patients and is driven by hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, polyol pathway activation, advanced glycation end-product formation, and inflammation. Current management is largely symptomatic, prompting interest in metabolic/nutritional therapies. This review critically [...] Read more.
Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) affects up to 50% of diabetes patients and is driven by hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, polyol pathway activation, advanced glycation end-product formation, and inflammation. Current management is largely symptomatic, prompting interest in metabolic/nutritional therapies. This review critically evaluates the mechanistic rationale and clinical evidence for alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and benfotiamine as adjunctive treatments for DPN. Methods: A structured narrative review of PubMed/MEDLINE was conducted using predefined keywords for DPN, oxidative stress, metabolic therapy, and thiamine derivatives. Randomized controlled trials, clinical studies, systematic reviews, and relevant experimental studies were included. Evidence was synthesized qualitatively with emphasis on mechanistic plausibility, clinical efficacy, intervention duration, and methodological rigor. Results: ALA consistently improves short-term symptoms across multiple randomized trials. The long-term NATHAN 1 trial reported a marginal, borderline significant effect on the primary composite endpoint (NIS-LL, p = 0.05) without significant improvements in nerve conduction studies; therefore, evidence for functional stabilization is very limited and inconclusive. ALA’s effects are attributed to antioxidant activity, mitochondrial protection, and improved microvascular function. Benfotiamine has a strong biochemical rationale (transketolase activation, diversion of glycolytic intermediates from damaging pathways), but clinical evidence remains limited to short-duration, symptom-based studies, with no large-scale, long-term trials published. Conclusions: Both agents target key pathways in DPN pathogenesis. ALA is the most established adjunctive metabolic therapy for symptomatic DPN, although no study has demonstrated structural nerve regeneration or a definitive disease-modifying effect. Benfotiamine is biologically plausible but requires further validation in long-term randomized trials with structural and biomarker-based endpoints. Outside of documented thiamine deficiency, its routine use cannot be recommended based on current evidence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Essential Role of Nutrient Intake in Neurological Diseases)
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