Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly Japanese

IntroductionThe large number of elderly patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment with cognitive decline in Japan has become a social problem. In this study, a food intervention study was conducted to test whether a food intervention approach targeting intestinal microbiota can improve co...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kouta Hatayama, Kanako Kono, Kana Okuma, Hiroaki Masuyama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Nutrition
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1585111/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849429587883196416
author Kouta Hatayama
Kanako Kono
Kana Okuma
Hiroaki Masuyama
author_facet Kouta Hatayama
Kanako Kono
Kana Okuma
Hiroaki Masuyama
author_sort Kouta Hatayama
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionThe large number of elderly patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment with cognitive decline in Japan has become a social problem. In this study, a food intervention study was conducted to test whether a food intervention approach targeting intestinal microbiota can improve cognitive function in elderly Japanese individuals.MethodsJapanese participants (144 males and 87 females) aged 60–79 years were assigned to one of the test food groups: Tamogitake mushroom (Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus), Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves, and rice bran for each sex, respectively. After 4 weeks of pre-observation, each group consumed the test foods for 8 weeks; cognitive function and intestinal microbiota tests were performed after each 4-week period. The intestinal microbiota of each participant was determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.ResultsThe participants were divided into responders (improved cognitive function) and non-responders (no improvement) within each sex group. Responders exhibited variations in intestinal bacteria belonging to specific taxa, including Agathobaculum, Anaerobutyricum, Blautia, Faecalibacterium, Parabacteroides, and Phascolarctobacterium, compared to non-responders, indicating that cognitive function may be improved by changes in specific intestinal bacteria with food intake. However, improvements in cognitive function would require consuming foods suitable for the composition of the intestinal microbiota.ConclusionFood intervention approaches targeting the intestinal microbiota could lead to innovative solutions for improving cognitive function in the elderly.
format Article
id doaj-art-7a6ff4fd755944bfa702ade20d8c3a91
institution Kabale University
issn 2296-861X
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Nutrition
spelling doaj-art-7a6ff4fd755944bfa702ade20d8c3a912025-08-20T03:28:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2025-07-011210.3389/fnut.2025.15851111585111Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly JapaneseKouta HatayamaKanako KonoKana OkumaHiroaki MasuyamaIntroductionThe large number of elderly patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment with cognitive decline in Japan has become a social problem. In this study, a food intervention study was conducted to test whether a food intervention approach targeting intestinal microbiota can improve cognitive function in elderly Japanese individuals.MethodsJapanese participants (144 males and 87 females) aged 60–79 years were assigned to one of the test food groups: Tamogitake mushroom (Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus), Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves, and rice bran for each sex, respectively. After 4 weeks of pre-observation, each group consumed the test foods for 8 weeks; cognitive function and intestinal microbiota tests were performed after each 4-week period. The intestinal microbiota of each participant was determined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.ResultsThe participants were divided into responders (improved cognitive function) and non-responders (no improvement) within each sex group. Responders exhibited variations in intestinal bacteria belonging to specific taxa, including Agathobaculum, Anaerobutyricum, Blautia, Faecalibacterium, Parabacteroides, and Phascolarctobacterium, compared to non-responders, indicating that cognitive function may be improved by changes in specific intestinal bacteria with food intake. However, improvements in cognitive function would require consuming foods suitable for the composition of the intestinal microbiota.ConclusionFood intervention approaches targeting the intestinal microbiota could lead to innovative solutions for improving cognitive function in the elderly.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1585111/fullintestinal microbiotacognitive functionJapanmild cognitive impairmentdementiaTamogitake
spellingShingle Kouta Hatayama
Kanako Kono
Kana Okuma
Hiroaki Masuyama
Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly Japanese
Frontiers in Nutrition
intestinal microbiota
cognitive function
Japan
mild cognitive impairment
dementia
Tamogitake
title Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly Japanese
title_full Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly Japanese
title_fullStr Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly Japanese
title_full_unstemmed Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly Japanese
title_short Effect of a specific food intervention with Tamogitake mushroom, Moringa leaves, or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly Japanese
title_sort effect of a specific food intervention with tamogitake mushroom moringa leaves or rice bran on intestinal microbiota and cognitive function in elderly japanese
topic intestinal microbiota
cognitive function
Japan
mild cognitive impairment
dementia
Tamogitake
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1585111/full
work_keys_str_mv AT koutahatayama effectofaspecificfoodinterventionwithtamogitakemushroommoringaleavesorricebranonintestinalmicrobiotaandcognitivefunctioninelderlyjapanese
AT kanakokono effectofaspecificfoodinterventionwithtamogitakemushroommoringaleavesorricebranonintestinalmicrobiotaandcognitivefunctioninelderlyjapanese
AT kanaokuma effectofaspecificfoodinterventionwithtamogitakemushroommoringaleavesorricebranonintestinalmicrobiotaandcognitivefunctioninelderlyjapanese
AT hiroakimasuyama effectofaspecificfoodinterventionwithtamogitakemushroommoringaleavesorricebranonintestinalmicrobiotaandcognitivefunctioninelderlyjapanese