Could dietary pyruvate restore energy reserves in the aging brain?

A new study from the University of Eastern Finland (Kuopio, Finland) has found that daily delivery of dietary pyruvate restores energy available to the brain in mice, and causes an increase in energetic and exploratory behaviours. Previous research has demonstrated that the energy reserves in the brain decrease during normal aging, and also as a result of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This new finding could hold promise of a clinical solution for re-energizing the aging brain, and to combat the effects of neurodegeneration. The brain is a demanding drain on energy resources: in humans, it uses 20–30%...