Lewis John E, Poles Jillian, Shaw Delaney P, Karhu Elisa, Khan Sher Ali, Lyons Annabel E, Sacco Susana Barreiro, McDaniel H Reginald
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
J Clin Transl Res. 2021 Aug 4;7(4):575-620. eCollection 2021 Aug 26.
Brain health is becoming more important to the average person as the number of people with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), is rising significantly. The current Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacotherapeutics for dementia neither cure nor halt cognitive decline; they just delay the worsening cognitive impairment. This narrative review summarizes the effects of nutrients and phytonutrients on cognitive function.
A comprehensive literature search of PubMed was performed to find clinical trials in humans that assessed the effects of nutrients and phytonutrients on cognitive function published in English between 2000 and 2021. Six independent reviewers evaluated the articles for inclusion in this review.
Ninety-six articles were summarized in this narrative review. In total 21 categories of nutrients and phytonutrients were included, i.e., α-lipoic acid, , B vitamins, cholinergic precursors, vitamin D, vitamin E, , ginseng, lion's mane mushroom, N-acetyl cysteine, omega-3 fatty acids, aloe polysaccharides, , rosemary, saffron, tart cherries, turmeric, wild yam, , xanthines, and zinc. Particular noteworthy effects on cognition included memory, recollection, attention, intelligence, vocabulary, recognition, response inhibition, arousal, performance enhancement, planning, creative thinking, reaction time, vigilance, task switching, orientation to time, place, and person, reading, writing, comprehension, accuracy, learning, information processing speed, executive function, mental flexibility, daily functioning, decrease in mental fatigue, and freedom from distractibility. Some nutrients and phytonutrients also improved mood and contentedness and reduced anxiety and the need for caregiving. These effects are not completely consistent or ubiquitous across all patient populations or health statuses. Adverse effects were minimal or nonexistent.
Due to the growing population of people with cognitive impairment and the lack of effective pharmacotherapeutics, it is prudent for those afflicted or their caregivers to find alternative treatments. Our narrative review shows that many of these nutrients and phytonutrients may be promising for treating some aspects of cognitive impairment, especially for people afflicted with AD.
As demonstrated in a number of clinical trials, healthy adults and patients with various health challenges (e.g., AD, mild cognitive impairment, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease) exhibiting a wide range of severity in cognitive defects would be best served to consider multiple nutrients and phytonutrients to improve aspects of their cognitive function.
随着认知障碍患者数量显著增加，如阿尔茨海默病（AD）患者，大脑健康对普通人而言变得愈发重要。目前美国食品药品监督管理局批准的用于治疗痴呆症的药物疗法既无法治愈疾病，也无法阻止认知能力下降；它们只是延缓认知障碍的恶化。本叙述性综述总结了营养素和植物营养素对认知功能的影响。
对PubMed进行全面文献检索，以查找2000年至2021年间发表的评估营养素和植物营养素对认知功能影响的英文人类临床试验。六位独立评审员评估了纳入本综述的文章。
本叙述性综述总结了96篇文章。总共纳入了21类营养素和植物营养素，即α-硫辛酸、B族维生素、胆碱能前体、维生素D、维生素E、人参、猴头菇、N-乙酰半胱氨酸、ω-3脂肪酸、芦荟多糖、迷迭香、藏红花、酸樱桃、姜黄、野生山药、黄嘌呤和锌。对认知的特别显著影响包括记忆、回忆、注意力、智力、词汇、识别、反应抑制、觉醒、表现增强、计划、创造性思维、反应时间、警觉性、任务切换、时间、地点和人物定向、阅读、写作、理解、准确性、学习、信息处理速度、执行功能、心理灵活性、日常功能、精神疲劳减轻以及注意力不分散。一些营养素和植物营养素还改善了情绪和满足感，减轻了焦虑以及护理需求。这些影响在所有患者群体或健康状况中并非完全一致或普遍存在。不良反应极小或不存在。
由于认知障碍患者人数不断增加且缺乏有效的药物疗法，患者及其护理人员寻找替代治疗方法是明智之举。我们的叙述性综述表明，许多这些营养素和植物营养素可能有望治疗认知障碍的某些方面，尤其是对AD患者。
正如一些临床试验所表明的，健康成年人以及患有各种健康问题（如AD、轻度认知障碍、多发性硬化症和帕金森病）且认知缺陷严重程度各异的患者，最好考虑多种营养素和植物营养素以改善其认知功能的各个方面。
