In this new series, we discuss ground-breaking research being conducted on human nutrition, paving the way for Americans to lead healthier lives while reducing the risk of diseases. ARS funded research supports human health at all stages of life by better understanding relationships between nutrient intake, eating patterns, exercise, health conditions, disease prevention, and how nutrition promotes health. In this article, we look at possible associations between different dietary patterns and brain aging. Our guests are Dr. Sarah Booth, Center Director and Senior Scientist for the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, MA, and Dr. Paul Jacques, Senior Scientist at the Jean Mayer Center. Drs. Booth and Jacques recently completed a review titled, “Dietary Patterns and Brain Aging: Enthusiasm Before Evidence?” Pictured Left to Right: Dr. Sarah Booth and Dr. Paul Jacques Welcome to Drs. Booth and Jacques to Under the Microscope: UM: Before conducting the study, what did you already know from previous research on associations between brain aging and diet? SB/PJ: Research suggests that what we eat may help slow down memory loss and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. In this study, we looked at and summarized existing research on how healthy diets are connected to changes in the aging brain, both normal changes and those linked to disease. We also evaluated how strong and reliable that evidence is and pointed out areas where more research is needed to better understand how diet affects brain aging. UM: What did your study confirm or change about this linkage? SB/PJ: Our findings support the evidence that healthy dietary patterns, which include higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish and other seafood, and unsaturated vegetable oils and lower consumption of red and processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages, are associated with lower risk of age-related neurodegenerative disease. Family eating healthy. (Getty stock photo) While there is some promising evidence, many of the existing studies have important limitations. For example, researchers use different tests to measure memory and thinking, and study groups vary widely in their health and cognitive status, making it hard to compare results. Some studies may also have biases or inaccuracies—for instance, people may not report their diets perfectly, and early memory problems could already be affecting what they eat. Another issue is that many studies don’t track how people’s diets change over time, so they may miss important shifts in dietary patterns. Finally, much of the research focuses on older adults, which makes it harder to understand whether eating habits earlier in adulthood might have a bigger impact on preventing cognitive decline. UM: For Americans looking to avoid cognitive diseases later in life, is it as simple as eating more vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish and/or seafood, and unsaturated vegetable oils/fats and less red and processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages? SB/PJ: While there are still gaps in our understanding of the role of diet and brain aging, we know that healthy diet patterns lower risk of conditions such as diabetes and other cardiovascular disease risk factors, which are also risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. However, it is unlikely that consumption of a healthy dietary pattern alone will achieve clinically relevant success in reducing risk of cognitive decline and/or dementia given the many risk factors other than diet that are associated with variation in age-related cognitive decline and dementia risk. UM: What other risk factors play a part in cognitive decline and associated diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia? SB/PJ: Age is the single biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias—the chances of developing it roughly double every 5 years between ages 65 and 90. Sex also plays a role, with women having about twice the risk of men. Other known risk factors include a history of serious head injury and carrying a certain genetic trait called ApoE4. However, these risks can’t be changed. Conversely, some risk factors are modifiable. In addition to diet, these include heart and metabolic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity, as well as lifestyle factors such as physical activity, alcohol use, smoking, education level, and social connections. UM: Can improving your diet later in life help lower the risk of cognitive decline? SB/PJ: While our study did not directly address this issue, there is limited evidence that individuals in their 60’s and 70’s who consumed a healthier diet have less risk of dementia. However, we are not aware of any studies showing that improvements in diet in individuals in their 80’s and older lowers dementia risk. Seniors eating healthy. (Getty stock photo) Given that the pathological processes that ultimately lead to dementia are believed to start 20 to 30 years prior to the diagnosis of dementia, consuming a healthier diet at younger and middle ages may provide the best opportunity to prevent or delay the onset of pathological cognitive decline. That said, it would be reasonable to suggest that a healthier diet could help maintain cognitive health for older individuals of any age who have yet to experience cognitive decline. UM: Your study discussed a possible link between type 2 diabetes and dementia. Please elaborate. SB/PJ: Type 2 diabetes is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. It develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone that helps control blood sugar. Insulin resistance can also happen in the brain itself, and this may play an important role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Importantly, insulin resistance in the brain is not the same as insulin resistance in the rest of the body, and it can occur even in people who do not have type 2 diabetes. It is an emerging area but requires more research to unravel the underlying mechanisms that link it to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. UM: Do the consumption of individual nutrients, such as polyphenols and vitamins D and K, play a role in reducing the risk of cognitive diseases later in life? If so, are there also risks to overconsuming these nutrients? SB/PJ: There is evidence that several individual nutrients may play a role in brain health, but adequate intakes of most of these nutrients, including the polyphenols, lutein, vitamin K, choline, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and other dietary bioactive compounds, are readily achieved in healthy dietary patterns that include a variety of plant foods (including whole grains), fish and other seafoods, dairy, healthy oils, and limit refined gain products, saturated fats, and added salt and sugar. While each nutrient might have small individual effects on cognitive function, together in a healthy diet, their combined effects could provide much greater benefits, negating the need for consuming multiple supplements. This is consistent with studies of diet patterns, which generally show stronger and more consistent protective associations than seen with individual nutrients. Two exceptions where supplements may be beneficial are vitamins B12 and D, particularly for older individuals who may experience greater inadequacies of these vitamins. UM: Your study mentions several diets, including the Mediterranean-style diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet. What were your conclusions from studying these diets? SB/PJ: The research shows that all these healthy eating patterns are linked to better brain health and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This isn’t surprising because these diets are quite similar, even though they emphasize slightly different foods. All of these diets encourage eating plenty of plant-based foods like fruits (especially berries), vegetables (especially leafy greens), beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. They also recommend using healthy fats like olive oil. Fish and poultry are included in moderate amounts, while red and processed meats, as well as sweets and pastries, should be limited. Mediterranean-style food. (Getty stock photo) There are a few differences—for example, the DASH diet includes more low-fat dairy, the Mediterranean diet allows moderate dairy, and the MIND diet mainly recommends limiting cheese and butter. The main takeaway is that there isn’t just one “perfect” diet. Healthy eating can look a little different for everyone, but in general, it should focus on mostly plant-based, minimally processed foods; include smaller amounts of healthier animal foods; and limit processed foods that are high in salt, unhealthy fats, and added sugars. This concept that healthy diets can take different forms is important for helping people adhere to dietary recommendations. It allows for cultural, medical, and personal preferences, and shows that there are many ways to eat healthfully—more than we may have previously thought. UM: What is the big takeaway for Americans in each age group? SB/PJ: The importance of diet in neurodevelopment and cognitive health of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults is established, and evidence is accumulating to suggest that diet may affect brain aging as well. Despite our incomplete understanding of the latter, we know that healthy diets can have important impacts on many different health outcomes across the lifespan so we should not only focus on the role of diet on the brain but also on the role of diet in overall healthy aging.
在湖南生物机电职业技术学院食品科技学院，有一支由食品检验检测专业学生组成的“检测先锋团队”。在张朝辉教授、文星星副教授的指导下，他们不仅扎根实验室苦练技术，更主动走出校园，深入产业一线，用专业技能服务蜂企发展。明园蜂业，便是他们重点服务的龙头企业之一。 团队带着前期在蜂场、认证机构调研中积累的疑问，主动联系并走进明园蜂业。这家湖南蜂产品行业龙头企业，拥有从原料到成品的全链条质量管控体系。师生们与企业生产、质量部门深入交流，围绕蜂蜜真假鉴别、溯源难点、生产监控等产业共性痛点展开讨论。学生们不是被动听讲，而是结合自己在田间地头看到的问题，主动向技术员请教。他们实地参观生产中心和检测实验室，亲眼看到“指纹图谱”等先进技术如何在流水线上快速甄别真假蜂蜜，对课堂所学的检测原理有更深刻的认知。 图1 师生团队在明园蜂业与企业人员合影留念 返校后，团队将明园蜂业提出的实际难题作为攻关课题。在学校生产实训基地和农产品检测实验室，学生们反复优化检测方法，简化操作流程，力求让技术更贴近企业日常应用。他们曾在全国职业院校技能竞赛、金砖国家技能大赛中摘金夺银，如今把赛场上的严谨带进实验室，一次次试错、一次次验证，最终在蜂蜜真假鉴别、生产管理监测等方面形成多项可操作建议。例如，针对企业提出的在蜂蜜生产过程中的羟甲基糠醛（HMF）监控问题，团队展开深入研究。现行国家标准为液相色谱检测方法，企业检测成本高、耗时长，且对检测人员专业能力依赖较强，团队成员反复试验，优化检测方法、缩短检测流程，并进行方法学验证，目前已形成可实施、可推广的检测方案。 一次明园之行，打通了课堂与车间之间的壁垒；一项技术攻关，磨砺出职教学子的产业担当。团队表示，将继续扎根蜂产业，用专业技能助力更多企业提质增效，在服务地方产业的道路上稳步前行。 免责声明：市场有风险，选择需谨慎！此文转自网络内容仅供参考，不作买卖依据。
CHANGSHA/FUZHOU, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- For companies and cities, industrial tourism means more than ticket revenue and another tourist attraction on the map. Many Chinese industrial cities were once stereotyped by pollution and factory noise. However, with industrial tourism showcasing their green and smart improvements, these sites are now being reimagined as public leisure destinations. In the city of Xiangtan, an old industrial base in central China's Hunan Province, visitors are often surprised by the park-like environment at the plant of Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd., a company established in 1958. The company is among those shedding their old, dirty image by inviting more visitors to see their production sites firsthand. What were once niche, industry-only names are gaining wider public recognition. "In my mind, a steel plant always meant thick smoke, rust-red iron and gray walls. I never expected the environment here to be as relaxing as a city park," said He Manting, a student at Xiangtan University. The site features many art pieces crafted from scrap steel by workers. Such scenes are the outcome of the company's green efforts. Over the past five years, it has invested more than 6 billion yuan (about 883.72 million U.S. dollars) in green upgrades. Beyond environmental transformation, industrial tourism serves as a bridge to cultural heritage. Once seen as a dark, salty workshop, the 280-plus-year-old soy sauce garden of Longpai Food Co., Ltd. has now become a popular travel destination, receiving nearly 20,000 visits each year. "When visitors step into the garden, it's like stepping back in time," said Zhang Yue, a senior leader of Longpai Food. "Transforming our brand's history into a cultural tourism asset, and turning that asset into new consumption, is why we ventured into industrial tourism." During visits, Zhang explains the science behind brewing to children in simple terms, describing how enzymes break down soybean proteins. Though the science was complex, many visitors, including sixth-grader Wang Zongyi, found the experience rewarding. "I learned some fun science facts and got to see our intangible cultural heritage in action," said Wang. "I really admire the down-to-earth dedication of the artisans. It taught me that to do things well, you have to stay focused and keep at it." Modern manufacturing is also taking center stage. At the smart control center of Xiangtan Iron and Steel Group, AI algorithms manage steel production, replacing grueling manual labor. "In the past, some processes required experienced workers to stand guard," said Wen Han, a staff member at the company. "From sweating profusely by the furnaces to working comfortably in air-conditioned control rooms, new technologies are reshaping steel production." "As more factories open their doors, they are dispelling outdated stereotypes about old industrial bases while uncovering new avenues for value growth in traditional industries," said Zhao Yi, deputy director of Xiangtan municipal bureau of culture, tourism, radio, television and sports. Zhao added that industrial tourism breaks down traditional boundaries between sectors, unlocking massive consumption potential. Industry research institutions predict that this sector will maintain average annual growth of about 18 percent between 2024 and 2029, with the market expected to exceed 300 billion yuan in size. To elevate the experience, companies are integrating industrial tourism with lifestyles. For instance, the creative space of sportswear giant Anta in Jinjiang, a county-level city in east China's Fujian Province, is redefining the traditional factory outlet. The space blends shopping with interactive fun by introducing six experience zones, including indoor climbing, skiing and basketball. "I unexpectedly found a ski zone with on-site coaching when I was shopping for clothes. The experience was top-notch," a user said on Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform. To ensure tourism is accessible and high-quality, Jinjiang has introduced supportive measures. Addressing scattered locations, the city launched two free vintage tram lines in late May, connecting factories and commercial districts for hassle-free travel. Last year, 11 sightseeing factories in Jinjiang welcomed 486,800 visits, generating over 20 million yuan in revenue. "Industrial tourism revitalizes existing resources and drives traditional industry upgrades," said Chen Xinxin, deputy director of Jinjiang's culture, sports and tourism bureau. Chen added that Jinjiang has rolled out targeted policies, including subsidies, to encourage more local factories to open to the public and upgrade their tourism offerings. Across China, the world's manufacturing powerhouse, the trend of popular industrial tourism has received fresh support from policymakers. In May, China issued a circular on promoting industrial culture, preserving industrial heritage and advancing industrial tourism. The outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) calls for coordinated development of industrial tourism alongside "red tourism," rural tourism and wellness tourism.
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