Abstract
Many relationships between nutrition and physical function are well established. However, much less information is available on associations between diet and cognitive function. This gap in our knowledge regarding brain-nutrition relationships is addressed by the interdisciplinary field of "Nutritional Neuroscience." Lay interest in the possible effects of nutritional factors on the brain and behavior, and the multibillion dollar international dietary supplements industry have been significant factors in the emergence of this new field. Many firms providing dietary supplements, as well as advocates of particular dietary regimes, base their claims on direct or indirect effects of their interventions on cognitive and brain function. Recently, my colleagues, Robin Kanarek and Chandan Prasad, and I co-edited a book entitled Nutritional Neuroscience intended to summarize, in a single comprehensive volume, many of the key areas of Nutritional Neuroscience. Various issues addressed by that book are outlined below, including appropriate methods for studying the effects of nutritional factors on the brain and behavior, as well as the effects of a wide variety of macronutrients and micronutrients on humans and other animals.