Dietary Patterns and Executive Function Across the Lifespan: Cognitive and Affective Outcomes of Nutrition

Emerging evidence highlights the fundamental role of nutrition not only in physical health but also in cognitive and affective functioning throughout life. Dietary patterns, rather than isolated nutrients, have increasingly been associated with executive functions, including inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and decision-making. These functions are essential for self-regulation, academic performance, mental health, and long-term behavioral outcomes.At the same time, a growing body of research suggests that unhealthy dietary patterns, particularly those characterized by high consumption of ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and saturated fats, can negatively impact neurocognitive development and emotional regulation. Conversely, adherence to balanced dietary patterns, such as Mediterranean diets, has been linked to better cognitive performance and a lower risk of mood disorders.Despite this growing evidence, the field remains fragmented. Studies often focus on specific age groups, isolated cognitive domains, or individual dietary components, limiting our understanding of how nutrition interacts with executive function across developmental stages, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood and old age. Furthermore, an integrative approach that considers the bidirectional relationships between diet, cognition, emotional regulation, and behavioral health outcomes is lacking, particularly in at-risk populations such as people with obesity. On this last point, high rates of overweight and obesity have not decreased despite implemented actions. Promoting actions focused on executive cognition could help prevent and control obesogenic consumption patterns.This research aims to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary perspective on the relationship between dietary patterns and executive function across the life span. It invites submissions of original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and exploratory reviews that analyze the cognitive and affective outcomes associated with nutrition in diverse populations and contexts.Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:* Dietary patterns and executive function in children, adolescents, adults, and older adults* Nutrition, self-regulation, and behavioral outcomes* Diet-related cognitive and emotional processes in obesity and metabolic disorders* The role of ultra-processed foods in cognitive and affective functioning* Mechanisms linking nutrition to brain function, including neurobiological and psychosocial pathways* Diet-focused intervention studies to improve cognitive and mental health outcomes* Family, school, and environmental influences on the relationship between diet and cognition Topic editors: HÉCTOR BURGOS, Eddy Roccati Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84454/dietary-patterns-and-executive-function-across-the-lifespan-cognitive-and-affective-outcomes-of-nutrition