Chapter 19 – Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Dietary Phytochemicals: Implications for Successful Brain Aging

Energy demand is particularly high in neurons to maintain brain function and cognitive ability. The high rate of oxidative metabolism makes the brain highly sensitive and vulnerable to reactive species attack, which promotes cell damage and subsequent inflammation. Promising studies indicate that the interplay between oxidative stress and inflammation is one of the main determinants of brain aging and cognitive decline. Converging evidence suggests that plant-based foods have a profound effect on many aspects of brain health including successful aging. It is now becoming clear that the consumption of diets rich in phytochemicals can modulate cellular stress response pathways, playing an important protective role to attenuate pro-inflammatory and oxidative damages. Most known phytochemicals induce a mild adaptive stress response and mediate the activation of hormetic signaling pathways, leading to the expression of cytoprotective and restorative proteins. In this chapter, we discuss the intriguing role of specific phytochemicals as effective modulators of brain aging.