NUTRICIA is a 36-month research initiative that tackles one of the most pressing challenges of population ageing: the link between peripheral insulin resistance and cognitive decline. By exploring how disrupted insulin signalling accelerates brain ageing, the project seeks nutritional solutions that can delay or even prevent dementia-related disorders.
The work unfolds along a three-pillar pathway. First, investigators mine data and biobank samples from over 7,000 participants in the long-running Rotterdam Study to map dietary patterns, metabolic biomarkers and gut-brain interactions that foreshadow memory loss. Second, advanced pre-clinical models of diet-induced obesity probe the molecular circuits—from autophagy to neuroinflammation—that couple insulin resistance to neuronal damage. Finally, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will enrol 350 adults with subjective memory complaints to test D-Pinitol, a patented inositol derivative recognised by EFSA for its insulin-sensitising and neuroprotective properties.
All datasets flow into an explainable AI platform that fuses human, animal and molecular read-outs, producing predictive signatures for early intervention and personalised nutrition. By uniting epidemiology, translational neuroscience and machine learning, NUTRICIA aims to deliver actionable biomarkers and a readily translatable dietary therapy for healthier brain ageing.
Financed by: ERA4HEALTH
Project Duration:
36 months (01/03/2025 - 28/02/2028)
Budget:
- Total Budget: 1.1M€
- Holisun Budget: 286k€