Duration‐dependent Effects of Diet on Cognition and Gut Microbial Composition in an Aging Rat Model

Cognition was not impacted by diet until 15.5 months, indicating that the duration of a diet should be considered. Additionally, there were subtle differences in microbial taxa between time points as animals aged and duration increased. The differentially abundant bacteria at 15 months, coinciding with the time point of reduced cognitive performance, may serve as potential microbial biomarkers related to cognition.