14 Sep 2018 --- There may be a way to delay the inevitable decline of cognitive function as we age: consuming dietary fiber, according to a new study from the University of Illinois. As mammals age, immune cells in the brain known as microglia become chronically inflamed. In this state, they produce chemicals known to impair cognitive and motor function, explaining why memory fades and other brain functions decline during old age. Although the study was conducted in mice, the researchers are comfortable extending the findings to humans, if only in a general sense.
