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Welcome to the June edition of
The Abstract. It’s Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month, so we’re looking at the latest research on brain aging and interventions for brain longevity. In an important new study published in
PNAS, researchers uncovered a critical window for metabolic intervention that they’re calling a
“paradigm shift” in how we think about preventing brain aging. Also in this month’s longevity science newsletter: eating healthy for brain longevity (even if you start late), how sugar substitutes confuse the brain, NR supplementation improves health in a premature aging disorder, and the fading promise of taurine as a biomarker of aging.
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There’s a “midlife window” to prevent age-related brain decline
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Destabilization of brain networks follows a nonlinear trend across the lifespan. Figure adapted from Antal et al., PNAS, 2025.
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A landmark study in
PNAS of over 19,000 people found that brain aging follows an S‑shaped trajectory, with clear transition points rather than a late-life clinical onset or gradual linear decline, as previously assumed. A team led by researchers at Stony Brook University found that the effects of degeneration are first seen around age 44, peak around 67, and plateau by age 90. The key driver is neuronal insulin resistance, which limits the brain’s ability to use glucose as energy. These findings also open the door for early intervention, and the researchers showed that ketones—an alternative fuel that bypasses insulin—can stabilize brain network function. The intervention showed maximum benefits during the midlife “metabolic stress” period (40-59 years), when neurons are energy-deprived but not yet irreversibly damaged.
“This represents a paradigm shift in how we think about brain aging prevention,” said Botond Antal, Ph.D., first author of the study.
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The Expert's Take:
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“This study suggests that ketone availability may offer a potential intervention to prevent or delay neurodegenerative disease, especially when introduced before the age of 60. The findings point to impaired glucose uptake in neurons, driven by age-related insulin resistance and declining function of the insulin sensitive GLUT4 transporter, as a key contributor to brain aging. This metabolic failure appears to precede and potentially drive amyloid deposition, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, and inflammatory signaling. The acceleration of these changes beginning in midlife underscores the importance of maintaining metabolic health and supporting ketone availability through diet or supplementation during the critical window when the brain is still responsive.”
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THIS MONTH
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What We're Reading
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These are third-party articles about science that we find interesting but have no relationship to Elysium or any of our products. Elysium’s products are not intended to screen, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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It’s not too late to eat for brain longevity
Previous research has found that the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, can slow cognitive decline and promote longevity. In a new analysis of nearly 93,000 U.S. adults aged 45-75 at baseline, researchers found that following this brain-oriented diet significantly reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias—even in people who adopt it later in life. Participants who scored higher for MIND adherence at baseline had a 9% lower risk of dementia, with an even greater reduction (around 13%) among those who identified as African American, Latino, or White. Baseline MIND adherence did not confer protection to Native Hawaiian or Asian American participants. Another important finding was that people who improved their adherence to MIND over 10 years (even if they didn’t follow it at first) had a 25% lower risk of dementia compared to those who followed the diet less closely over time. This trend held across different ages and racial groups. (American Society for Nutrition)
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Sugar substitutes can disrupt your brain’s appetite signals
A new study published in
Nature Metabolism found that the common sugar substitute, sucralose, alters brain activity related to hunger and increases appetite—especially in people with obesity. Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC found that consuming sucralose, unlike sugar, increased activity in the hypothalamus (the brain’s appetite control center) and changed how it communicates with other parts of the brain involved in motivation. Unlike sugar, sucralose also did not increase blood levels of the hormones insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which create a feeling of fullness. The findings suggest that the sweet taste of sucralose without the calories may confuse the brain, increase hunger, and alter long-term eating behavior. The effects were stronger in women and in people with obesity, raising concerns for the roughly 40% of Americans who regularly consume sugar substitutes. (USC)
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NR supplementation shows promise in premature aging disorder
Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder that causes accelerated aging. Previous research has found that WS patients have decreased levels of NAD+, which is essential for cellular energy production, DNA repair, and various metabolic processes. In a new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial published in
Aging Cell, researchers found that the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) significantly improves cardiovascular, skin, and kidney health in patients with WS. Over the course of 26 weeks, NR supplementation increased NAD+ levels, reduced arterial stiffness (a marker of cardiovascular disease risk), shrunk skin ulcers, and slowed kidney decline—all without serious side effects. This is the first rigorous clinical trial of NR in WS and suggests NAD+ depletion is a central driver of the disease. (Aging Cell)
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Taurine may not be a driver of aging
A new study in
Science undermines the idea that taurine decline drives aging, finding that blood taurine levels actually increase or remain stable across adulthood in humans, monkeys, and mice. Using a combination of data from longitudinal and cross-sectional cohorts, researchers found that there was greater variation between individuals than across the life span, and that taurine levels were inconsistently associated with health outcomes. Taurine levels were also inconsistently associated with muscle strength and body weight. While previous studies in model organisms suggested taurine supplementation may improve healthspan or extend lifespan, this study casts doubt on low taurine being a root cause of aging and suggests that it’s
“unlikely to serve as a good biomarker of aging,” according to the authors. (Science)
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TERM OF THE MONTH
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Ketone
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/ˈkiː.toʊn/
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Ketones are compounds produced by the liver when the body breaks down fat for energy instead of glucose. This shift can occur during fasting, prolonged exercise, or carbohydrate-restricted diets (like the ketogenic diet). Because glucose is the body’s primary energy source under normal conditions, low glucose levels trigger fat metabolism, resulting in the release of ketones into the bloodstream. These ketones can then be used by various tissues—including the brain—as an alternative fuel source.
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AGING 101
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This nutrient combination can help preserve cognitive function
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An essential key to long-term brain health may lie in a simple but powerful combination of nutrients: a vitamin-B complex in combination with omega 3s. While these may already exist in your medicine cabinet, you’ll need a particular formation of them. Read on to find out how a unique formulation was developed based on a foundation of 30 years of research at the University of Oxford. (Read more)
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