Study Shows A Fiber Supplement Can Help Strengthen Your Memory*

At mindbodygreen, we often cover the best ways to protect your brain as you age—so you can preserve your memory and the ability to keep doing what you love (whether that's gardening, running, or playing with grandkids) for as long as possible. Eating plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and healthy fats often tops these lists, but a recent study published in Nature Communications reinforces that prebiotic fibers deserve a rightful place in your diet. 

The notion that the gut and the brain are connected is not a new area of research (you can read about the gut-brain axis here). But understanding how the gut microbiome influences how you think and feel is of particular interest. 

So the researchers of this study recruited 36 pairs of twins (72 individuals) over the age of 60. Twins were randomly divided to receive either a placebo or a prebiotic fiber supplement. While fiber is a broad term used to describe nondigestible carbohydrates, prebiotics are a specific type of carbohydrate that only nourish the good bacteria in your gut.* 

The prebiotic supplement used in this study provided 7.5 grams of a mixture of fructooligosaccharides and inulin—both well-researched and readily available fiber supplements. Everyone was also given a protein supplement and instructions for weekly resistance exercises. 

At the end of the study, those who received the prebiotic fiber supplement scored significantly better on a memory test and had more beneficial bacteria—specifically Bifidobacteria—than those who were given the placebo. 

Why is this big news? Well, the memory test researchers used is validated and is often one of the first indicators of a more pressing memory concern. And seeing meaningful improvements in scores over a relatively short three-month period is pretty impressive. 

As this change coincided with a more flourishing gut microbiome, the researchers attributed these cognitive improvements to the presence of the prebiotic supplement.* This aligns with previous research showing that people who eat a higher-fiber diet are more likely to maintain their memory1 with age.

You can get prebiotics from the diet. They're in foods like dandelion greens, chicory root, chia seeds, and oats. It can be a pretty select list since not all fibrous foods are prebiotics.

And that's where prebiotic supplements can really come into play. Taking a prebiotic supplement is a smart choice to ensure your gut bacteria are getting the nutrition they need while helping to make sure you reach your daily fiber goal (which about 95% of U.S. adults2 fall short of). 

The two prebiotics used in this study are found in a variety of supplements and are just a couple of the many options out there. And we'd be remiss to mention that these two are also high in FODMAPS (aka fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols)—so although some folks won't have a problem with these, others may have a harder time digesting these carbs.