The impact of nutritional, environmental, and lifestyle factors on neurological disorders: therapeutic implications and mechanistic insights

TL;DR

This review explores how nutrition, environment, and lifestyle impact neurological disorders and highlights potential therapeutic strategies.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of modifiable factors influencing neurological diseases and their therapeutic implications.

Findings

Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols influence neuroinflammation and mitochondrial health.

Environmental neurotoxicants contribute to neurodegeneration via oxidative damage and epigenetic changes.

Lifestyle factors affect brain plasticity and disease progression through shared pathways like inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Abstract

Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and primary psychiatric conditions are complex, arising from a mix of genetic and modifiable risks. Growing evidence indicates that nutrition, environment, and lifestyle significantly influence disease development, progression, and treatment response. Nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyphenols affect neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial health, and neurotransmitter function. Dietary patterns like the Mediterranean and ketogenic diets offer protective benefits in clinical and experimental contexts. Meanwhile, environmental neurotoxicants–air pollution, heavy metals, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors contribute to neurodegeneration via oxidative damage, synaptic impairment, and epigenetic alterations. Lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, sleep, stress, and substance use, affect brain plasticity, neurogenesis, and metabolic health, thereby influencing disease progression over time. These factors often share common pathways such as oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and protein misfolding, underscoring the need for a comprehensive prevention and treatment strategy. Emerging therapies now incorporate personalized nutrition, lifestyle changes, and environmental risk mitigation alongside traditional drugs, supported by advances in multi-omics, digital health, and systems biology. Public health efforts to reduce neurotoxic exposure and encourage healthy habits further strengthen these approaches. This review summarizes existing mechanistic and clinical knowledge, with a focus on the potential of nutritional, environmental, and lifestyle interventions in neurological diseases. It also outlines the future research required to enhance precision neurology and strategies for brain health prevention.