Dietary Restriction as a Potential Intervention to Retard Age-associated Impairment of Brain Functions

The search for interventions to improve or slow down the age-associated decline in cognitive abilities has interested human beings forever. Out of the various environmental factors that are known to facilitate healthy aging process, dietary restriction (DR) seems to be the most promising regimen as it is known to prolong the lifespan, attenuate aging and prevent and/or delay the onset of numerous age associated diseases in model systems. In our recent studies, we have provided a scientific evidence for cognition and motor coordination enhancing properties of late onset short term intermittent fasting DR (IF-DR) regimen in aging rats. The improvement in motor coordination and memory task by IF-DR in aging rat brain was further linked to reversal/decline in protein and DNA damage by reducing mitochondrial ROS generation. The promise of dietary interventions to enhance plasticity can open a new line of non-invasive treatments to improve age-related functional impairments. The life-style interventions such as dietary restriction could be used to improve mental health and quality of life during normal aging. Further, the implementation costs of these strategies are rather economical and affordable almost to everyone. Moreover, late onset short term DR has the ability to resist cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, and hence may be a potential intervention to partially reverse age-related impairment of brain functions.