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A study of 746 older people followed for six years identifies a “microbial signature” associated with this dietary pattern and more favourable cognitive ageing

Following a Mediterranean diet not only benefits the heart and metabolism, but could also help preserve cognitive function as ageing progresses. This is according to research led by the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), the IISPV and CIBERobn, which shows how this dietary pattern is associated with a healthier gut microbiota and slower cognitive decline in older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome.

The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, analysed data from 746 older adults at high cardiometabolic risk, who were followed for six years. The research team assessed adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the composition of the gut microbiota and the progression of cognitive function over time. The results indicate that those who most faithfully followed this dietary pattern had a more favourable gut microbiota and a more positive cognitive trajectory.

One of the most innovative aspects of the work is the identification of a “microbial fingerprint” characteristic of the Mediterranean diet. This new biomarker, based on the presence and abundance of certain gut bacteria associated with this type of diet, is also linked to slower cognitive decline. According to the authors, this finding provides new clues about the biological mechanisms that explain the benefits of the Mediterranean diet on the brain.

Eix intestí-cervell

Cognitive function includes abilities such as memory, attention, learning, language and decision-making, which are essential for maintaining autonomy in everyday life. In parallel, the gut microbiota is composed of trillions of bacteria that are involved in key processes such as digestion, immunity and the production of substances that influence the body’s functioning. In recent years, research has revealed the existence of the so-called gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication system through which intestinal microorganisms can produce compounds that reach the brain and affect its functioning.

“Aquest estudi demostra que la microbiota intestinal és una peça clau en els beneficis cognitius de la dieta mediterrània”, explica Jiaqi Ni, primera autora del treball i investigadora predoctoral de la URV. “Els nostres resultats suggereixen que alguns bacteris intestinals associats a una major adherència a aquest patró alimentari podrien protegir davant del deteriorament cognitiu”.

En la mateixa línia, el catedràtic de la URV Jordi Salas-Salvadó, director de l’estudi, destaca que “identificar una empremta microbiana associada a la dieta mediterrània obre noves oportunitats per dissenyar intervencions nutricionals o microbianes orientades a promoure un envelliment cognitiu saludable”. De la seva banda, les investigadores del Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia de la URV Nancy Babio i Stephanie K. Nishi subratllen la rellevància dels resultats en un context d’envelliment poblacional i augment de la prevalença de la demència, i apunten que millorar la qualitat de la dieta és una estratègia senzilla i accessible amb beneficis reals per a la salut cerebral.

El treball ha estat liderat per la investigadora predoctoral Jiaqi Ni i dirigit per Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Nancy Babio i Stephanie K. Nishi, membres de la Unitat de Nutrició Humana del Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia de la URV, amb la col·laboració d’investigadors del consorci PREDIMED-Plus. L’estudi s’emmarca en una recerca multicèntrica que contribueix a aprofundir en la relació entre alimentació, microbiota intestinal i salut cerebral al llarg de l’envelliment.

Referència bibliogràfica: Ni J, Hernández-Cacho A, Nishi SK, Babio N, Belzer C, Konstati P, Vioque J, Corella D, Castañer O, Vidal J, Moreno-Indias I, Torres-Collado L, Coltell O, Fitó M, Ruiz-Canela M, Wang DD, Tinahones FJ, Salas-Salvadó J. Mediterranean diet, gut microbiota, and cognitive decline in older adults with obesity/overweight and metabolic syndrome: a prospective cohort study. BMC Med. 2025 Dec 1;23(1):669. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-04488-y.

This Thursday, 22 January at 4 p.m., Dr Carlos Castaño, a postdoctoral researcher, will take part in the CIBEROBN Webinars 2026 series with a presentation focused on an emerging topic in the field of host–microbiome interaction. His talk, titled “Isolation and Characterization of Circulating Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles: A Novel Approach to Understanding Host–Microbiome Interactions in Obesity”, will explain how bacterial extracellular vesicles found in the bloodstream may offer new tools to understand the molecular mechanisms that link the microbiome to obesity. This innovative approach opens the door to new research lines and possible diagnostic or therapeutic applications. Later, on 16 February at 4 p.m., the SEBBM group “Molecular Bases of Pathology”, coordinated by Dr Sonia Fernández‑Veledo, will organise another webinar dedicated to the neurobiology of eating behaviour. Researcher Roberta Haddad‑Tovolli (IDIBAPS) will give the lecture “Neuronal circuits underlying appetitive behaviors in the maternal brain and the programming of offspring health”. The session will explore how the neuronal circuits of the maternal brain regulate food‑related behaviours and how these processes may influence the long‑term health of the offspring.
In the coming months, the scientific community interested in biomedical research and the molecular basis of disease will have the opportunity to attend two high‑level online sessions led by experts in their fields.
This Thursday, 22 January at 4 p.m., Dr Carlos Castaño, a postdoctoral researcher, will take part in the CIBEROBN Webinars 2026 series with a presentation focused on an emerging topic in the field of host–microbiome interaction. His talk, titled “Isolation and Characterization of Circulating Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles: A Novel Approach to Understanding Host–Microbiome Interactions in Obesity”, will explain how bacterial extracellular vesicles found in the bloodstream may offer new tools to understand the molecular mechanisms that link the microbiome to obesity. This innovative approach opens the door to new research lines and possible diagnostic or therapeutic applications. Later, on 16 February at 4 p.m., the SEBBM group “Molecular Bases of Pathology”, coordinated by Dr Sonia Fernández‑Veledo, will organise another webinar dedicated to the neurobiology of eating behaviour. Researcher Roberta Haddad‑Tovolli (IDIBAPS) will give the lecture “Neuronal circuits underlying appetitive behaviors in the maternal brain and the programming of offspring health”. The session will explore how the neuronal circuits of the maternal brain regulate food‑related behaviours and how these processes may influence the long‑term health of the offspring.
The webinar is part of the growing interest in understanding how neurobiological and environmental factors during pregnancy and breastfeeding affect development and future health. Both webinars are an excellent opportunity to update knowledge, discover new research perspectives and connect with the specialised scientific community.

A URV-IISPV-CIBEROBN study warns that 80% of children’s products are not nutritionally adequate and should not be promoted

Saangheta Shyam, Nancy Babio, Paulina Leszczynska, Sara de Las Heras and Jordi Salas.

Most foods for children under three years of age marketed in Spain are of low nutritional quality and do not meet the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is indicated by a study led by the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) together with the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV) and the CIBER of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), which warns that these products should not be promoted for sale.

To carry out the study, which has been published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, more than 800 products were analyzed, including purees, dairy products, snacks and beverages. The research team detected repetitive nutritional problems in these foods, such as a high content of added sugars -often in the form of concentrated juices-, low caloric intake and low energy density. In addition, many of the product labels analyzed were the result of marketing strategies that were misleading because they showed confusing product names, such as “veal with carrots”, in cases where veal was a minority ingredient. They also found food packaging with messages such as “no added sugars” and even with unscientific health claims.

“Many of these products generate a false perception of quality, when in fact they are not suitable according to WHO for the healthy development of children,” warns Paulina Maria Leszczynska, first author of the study.

“No podemos permitir que los intereses comerciales prevalezcan sobre la salud infantil. Es imprescindible contar con una normativa clara, vinculante y basada en evidencias científicas que proteja a la población más pequeña”, advierte Nancy Babio, investigadora del Departamento de Bioquímica y Biotecnología de la URV e investigadora principal del proyecto.

Stopped regulation

Currently, food advertising in Spain is governed by the PAOS Code, a voluntary self-regulation system with no sanctioning mechanisms. In 2022 the Ministry of Consumer Affairs proposed a Royal Decree to regulate the advertising of food and beverages aimed at children, using the WHO criteria as a basis, but the processing of the text is still blocked pending approval by the Council of Ministers.

In view of these facts, the research team has called on the Government to approve without further delay the Royal Decree regulating the advertising of baby food and to prohibit the promotion of products that are not suitable for children under 3 years of age, especially those with excessive sugar or misleading claims.

The work has been carried out by the dietitian-nutritionist Paulina Maria Leszczyńska and the research team of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of the URV Sara de Heras-Delgado, Sangeetha Shyam, Jordi Salas-Salvadó and Nancy Babio, which is also part of the IISPV and CIBEROBN. The study has counted with Diane Threapleton and Janet Cade, from the University of Leeds, authors of the Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model Calculator tool, used to evaluate the nutritional and promotional performance of children’s products according to the WHO model.

Bibliographic Reference: Leszczyńska PM, de Las Heras-Delgado S, Shyam S, Threapleton D, Cade J, Salas-Salvadó J, Babio N. Nutricional contento y promocionar prácticas de foods para niños y jóvenes en el español mercado: en el cross-sectional product evaluation. Eur J Pediatr. 2025 May 10;184(6):333. doi: 10.1007/s00431-025-06156-y. PMID: 40347273; PMCID: PMC12065749.