Muscle Fat Linked to Cognitive Health [new study]

Muscle fat linked to cognitive decline ⤵️

This was just discovered, but it makes sense.

Researchers measured muscle fat in 1600+ adults in their 70s and tracked their cognitive function over 10 years. They found that increases in muscle fat from year 1 to year 6 were associated with greater cognitive decline over time.

This is the first time muscle fat has been linked to brain health, but I say it makes sense because muscle fat also correlates with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, which both increase dementia risk.

And ALL of these things relate to 🙌metabolism🙌.

👉 The takeaway here is that we MUST address metabolic health if we want to preserve brain health over the years.

Reference

Rosano C, Newman A, Santanasto A, Zhu X, Goodpaster B, Miljkovic I. Increase in skeletal muscular adiposity and cognitive decline in a biracial cohort of older men and women [published online ahead of print, 2023 Jun 7]. J Am Geriatr Soc. 202. [link]

Incredible News: Multivitamin Improves Cognition 🧠

Most people think there’s nothing that can be done about memory and cognitive decline with age. Or they think that it has to be hard. 

🔥 But a new study (COSMOS-Mind) proved that to be wrong 🔥 

This just-published study showed that older adults who took a multivitamin for 3 years showed improved cognitive function. 

Here’s how the study went:

👫 2262 adults with an average age of 73 participated in the study. 

🎲 Participants were randomized to take a multivitamin, cocoa extract, or a placebo daily. 

🧠 Tests of cognitive function were run at baseline and after 3 years. 

🍫 Results showed no effect of cocoa extract on cognitive function. 

💊 Taking a multivitamin improved global cognition (an overall measurement of brain function), episodic memory (memory of everyday events), and executive function (related to self-regulation and behavior). 

WOW.

These results are incredible for a few reasons:

1️⃣ This was a well-designed study that included a large number of participants tracked over time. 

2️⃣ Cognitive function typically declines with age, but it was seen to IMPROVE after consistently taking a multivitamin. 

3️⃣ The multivitamin used in the study was Centrum Silver. Imagine what might be possible with a professional-grade supplement?

I’m never one to say that a pill can fix anything, but I hope this new study inspires you to realize that improving your health (even with age) does not necessarily have to be hard.  

Reference

Baker, LD, Manson, JE, Rapp, SR, et al. Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: A randomized clinical trial. Alzheimer's Dement. 2022; 1- 12. [link]