Nutrition in Brain, Cognitive and Psychological Health

Dear Colleagues,

There is a rapidly growing cumulation of evidence that indicates that diet plays a crucial role not only in human physiology, body composition and cardiometabolic health, but also, broadly defined, in the brain and mental health. Diet can be viewed as an important element that shapes human cognition, emotions, mood and wellbeing. Poor diet is a lifestyle risk factor for mental disorders or cognitive decline with age. On the other hand, there is increasing recognition that adhering to a well-balanced, Mediterranean-type diet might be a protective factor against various mental conditions, e.g., depression or cognitive aging. The anti-inflammatory properties of specific food types, including pre- and probiotics, and so-called psychobiotics, are considered to act as a potential protective mechanism. Other dietary components (e.g., sugar) have been shown to be harmful to the brain and cognition, by promoting the growth of pro-inflammatory bacteria. This research area is expanding dramatically, so there is no way to capture it entirely in one issue; however, our aim is to help readers to better understand the current knowledge in this field. This Special Issue of Nutrients aims to cover the topic of the influence of nutrition and diet on, broadly defined, mental health. The expected contributions may be in the form of either review or experimental research, based on the influence of nutrition on the structure and functions of the brain, including cognition and emotions. 

Dr. Aneta Brzezicka
Dr. Dorota Zielińska
Guest Editors

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