Cognitive decline lowers life quality by limiting independence and increasing caregiving needs. Severe cases can lead to dementia, affecting about 20% of the elderly by 2025. Worldwide, over 55 million live with dementia, with 10 million new cases yearly. Its annual economic cost reached $1.3 trillion in 2019, significantly impacting individuals, caregivers, and society. Addressing dementia requires urgent global action.
Factors like oxidative stress, inflammation, and brain protein buildup contribute to cognitive decline. Obesity and unhealthy habits heighten dementia risk, making lifestyle improvements essential. The brain-gut connection highlights probiotics and prebiotics as potential solutions, as gut bacteria influence brain health via the nervous and immune systems. Supporting gut health could help prevent cognitive decline.
Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG), a water-soluble fiber from guar beans, is mainly grown in arid regions like India and Pakistan. PHGG is made by processing guar gum to lower viscosity, making it easy to add to foods. Its fermentable galactomannan content promotes short-chain fatty acid production and supports gut health. Clinical trials confirm its benefits for improving bowel movements and relieving diarrhea, highlighting its role as a prebiotic. Research shows that probiotics and prebiotics enhance cognitive function, mood, depression, and sleep.
Consuming functional foods daily is a promising approach to maintaining cognitive health. One study examined the effects of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) on cognitive function and mental health in healthy elderly individuals. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, participants consumed either 5 g/day of PHGG or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. Cognitive functions, sleep quality, and subjective mood evaluations were assessed at baseline and after 8 and 12 weeks of either PHGG or placebo intake (1).
The visual memory scores in cognitive function tests and sleepiness on rising scores related to sleep quality were significantly improved in the PHGG group compared to the placebo group. No significant differences were observed in mood parameters between the groups. Vigor–activity scores were significantly improved, while the scores for Confusion decreased significantly in the PHGG group when compared to the baseline. In summary, supplementation with PHGG was effective in improving cognitive functions, particularly visual memory, as well as enhancing sleep quality and vitality in healthy elderly individuals (1).
Dietary fiber intake is essential for gut health. Fiber supports beneficial gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, enhance immunity, and strengthen the gut barrier. Without enough fiber, such as in the Western diet, gut bacteria become imbalanced, leading to problems like constipation and diarrhea.
Gut bacteria influence overall health, including obesity, chronic diseases, and mental health, through the brain-gut axis. Stress affects gut bacteria, which in turn impacts the brain, potentially contributing to depression, anxiety, and sleep issues.
Probiotics and prebiotics can improve gut bacteria. One study examined the effects of partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) on gut and mental health in healthy adults. Participants took 3 g/day or 5 g/day of PHGG for 8 weeks. Results showed that PHGG reduced harmful gut bacteria and improved constipation, sleep quality, and motivation, with better results at the higher dose. PHGG is effective in improving gut and mental health (2), which can boost cognitive function.
Another aspect of how guar gum may affect cognition is related to its effect on glucose regulation. Since glucose is vital for brain function, its delivery rate to the blood after meals may impact cognitive performance. One study examined how guar gum may affect glucose absorption and cognitive abilities (3).
The researchers developed a white wheat bread enriched with guar gum (G-WWB) that causes a steady, low blood sugar increase. They tested the G-WWB's effects on cognitive function (working memory and selective attention) in 40 healthy adults (aged 49–71, BMI 20–29 kg/m²) compared to regular white wheat bread (WWB) in a randomized crossover study. The G-WWB test bread was made from white wheat flour supplemented with guar gum (15% on a dry weight basis) (3).
The G-WWB breakfast led to a smaller, sustained rise in blood sugar after eating, compared to the WWB breakfast, which caused a quick, high blood sugar spike. G-WWB improved cognitive test performance (selective attention) in the later post-meal period (75–225 minutes) compared to WWB (p<0.01). Participants with better blood sugar regulation performed better overall (p<0.05) (3).
G-WWB enhanced cognitive performance in the later post-meal period, likely due to the slowly released glucose, which sustained the brain energy supply and improved insulin sensitivity. The findings suggested that including guar gum in carbohydrate foods can be beneficial for regulating blood sugar for cognitive function. For those of you who are concerning blood sugar levels while still enjoying eating bakeries, adding guar gum, like what these researchers did, may be an alternative for you to consider for glucose management.
Key contributors to cognitive decline include oxidative stress, inflammation, and unhealthy lifestyles. Addressing these risks involves lifestyle improvements. Probiotics and prebiotics, like PHGG, can provide support for gut health and glucose regulation, thus improving brain health and cognitive performance.
References:
1. Abe A, Kapoor MP, Morishima S, Ozeki M, Sato N, Takara T, Naito Y. Effectiveness of Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum on Cognitive Function and Sleep Efficiency in Healthy Elderly Subjects in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, and Parallel-Group Study. Nutrients. 2024 Apr 19;16(8):1211. doi: 10.3390/nu16081211. PMID: 38674901; PMCID: PMC11054110.
2. Abe A, Morishima S, Kapoor MP, Inoue R, Tsukahara T, Naito Y, Ozeki M. Partially hydrolyzed guar gum is associated with improvement in gut health, sleep, and motivation among healthy subjects. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2023 Mar;72(2):189-197. doi: 10.3164/jcbn.22-75. Epub 2023 Jan 13. PMID: 36936875; PMCID: PMC10017317.
3. Nilsson A, Radeborg K, Björck I. Effects on cognitive performance of modulating the postprandial blood glucose profile at breakfast. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012 Sep;66(9):1039-43. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.80. Epub 2012 Jul 11. PMID: 22781020.
Photo from Caduser2003 at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
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