Oxidative Stress and Energy Metabolism in the Brain: Midlife as a Turning Point

Neural tissue is one of the main oxygen consumers in the mammalian body, and a plentitude of metabolic as well as signaling processes within the brain is accompanied by the generation of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species. Besides the important signaling roles, both ROS and RNS can damage/modify the self-derived cellular components thus promoting neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. While previously, the latter processes were thought to progress linearly with age, newer data point to midlife as a critical turning point. Here, we describe (i) the main pathways leading to ROS/RNS generation within the brain, (ii) the main defense systems for their neutralization and (iii) summarize the recent literature about considerable changes in the energy/ROS homeostasis as well as activation state of the brain’s immune system at midlife. Finally, we discuss the role of calorie restriction as a readily available and cost-efficient antiaging and antioxidant lifestyle intervention.