Dietary factors and brain health Lefèvre-Arbogast, Sophie; Thomas, Aline; Samieri, Cécilia
Current opinion in lipidology,
02/2022, Volume:
33, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Nutrition is a complex exposure (i.e., the food exposome) that influences brain function and health through multiple pathways. We review recent epidemiological studies that have improved the ...characterization of the food exposome and brain health in humans and have revealed promising nutrition-based strategies to prevent cognitive aging.
A selection of epidemiological research from the past 18 months of both observational and clinical studies is presented, with a focus on novel findings, including novel nutrient and diet patterns, diet-related approaches to rescue brain energetics defects in aging, and biomarker-based studies to decipher specific neurobiological pathways of nutrition and brain health.
Although healthy diets such as the Mediterranean diet promote brain health throughout life, specific diets, such as the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet, or specific nutrients (LC n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, vitamin D, B vitamins, polyphenols) alone or in combination, may prevent cognitive aging. Diet management approaches to rescue brain energetics defects such as the Modified Mediterranean-ketogenic diet may be promising to prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Expanding research also suggests that promotion of a healthy gut microbiome through prebiotic foods may preserve the diet-gut-brain axis with aging. Future studies should explore more individualized preventive approaches through a 'precision nutrition' framework.
CONTEXT Higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet is linked to lower risk for mortality and chronic diseases, but its association with cognitive decline is unclear. OBJECTIVE To investigate the ...association of a Mediterranean diet with change in cognitive performance and risk for dementia in elderly French persons. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective cohort study of 1410 adults (≥65 years) from Bordeaux, France, included in the Three-City cohort in 2001-2002 and reexamined at least once over 5 years. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet (scored as 0 to 9) was computed from a food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour recall. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Cognitive performance was assessed on 4 neuropsychological tests: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Isaacs Set Test (IST), Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), and Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT). Incident cases of dementia (n = 99) were validated by an independent expert committee of neurologists. RESULTS Adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, energy intake, physical activity, depressive symptomatology, taking 5 medications/d or more, apolipoprotein E genotype, cardiovascular risk factors, and stroke, higher Mediterranean diet score was associated with fewer MMSE errors (β = −0.006; 95% confidence interval CI, −0.01 to −0.0003; P = .04 for 1 point of the Mediterranean diet score). Performance on the IST, BVRT, or FCSRT over time was not significantly associated with Mediterranean diet adherence. Greater adherence as a categorical variable (score 6-9) was not significantly associated with fewer MMSE errors and better FCSRT scores in the entire cohort, but among individuals who remained free from dementia over 5 years, the association for the highest compared with the lowest group was significant (adjusted for all factors, for MMSE: β = −0.03; 95% CI, −0.05 to −0.001; P = .04; for FCSRT: β = 0.21; 95% CI, 0.008 to 0.41; P =.04). Mediterranean diet adherence was not associated with the risk for incident dementia (fully adjusted model: hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.60 to 2.10; P = .72), although power to detect a difference was limited. CONCLUSIONS Higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with slower MMSE cognitive decline but not consistently with other cognitive tests. Higher adherence was not associated with risk for incident dementia.
In this large-scale prospective epidemiological study, we examined associations of long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) and subsequent cognitive function and decline. We included ...16,058 women from the Nurses' Health Study, aged ≥70 y, who underwent cognitive testing by telephone 4 times during 6 y, beginning in 1995–2001, and provided repeated information on diet between 1984 and the first cognitive exam. Primary outcomes were the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) and composite scores of verbal memory and global cognition. MeDi adherence was based on intakes of: vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, fish, red and processed meats, moderate alcohol, and the ratio of monounsaturated:saturated fat. Long-term MeDi exposure was estimated by averaging all repeated measures of diet (>13 y, on average). In primary analyses of cognitive change, the MeDi was not associated with decline in global cognition or verbal memory. In a secondary approach examining cognitive status in older age, determined by averaging all 4 repeated measures of cognition, each higher quintile of long-term MeDi score was linearly associated with better multivariable-adjusted mean cognitive scores differences in mean Z-scores between extreme quintiles of MeDi = 0.06 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.11); = 0.05 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.08); and = 0.06 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.10) standard units; P-trends = 0.004, 0.002, and <0.001 for TICS, global cognition, and verbal memory, respectively. These associations were similar to those observed in women 1–1.5 y apart in age. In summary, long-term MeDi adherence was related to moderately better cognition but not with cognitive change in this very large cohort of older women.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The benefit of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) on health-related outcomes in middle-aged patients is firmly established. In the growing elderly population, the high prevalence of comorbidities and ...medications for chronic diseases may offset such benefit.
This study analyzed the association of ideal CVH with mortality, incident coronary heart disease, and stroke events in elderly individuals from the community.
Between 1999 and 2001, 9,294 men and women, noninstitutionalized and aged 65 years and over were examined, and thereafter followed up for the occurrence of vascular events and mortality within the Three-City Study. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard model and compared subjects with 3 to 4 and subjects with 5 to 7 ideal metrics with those with 0 to 2 ideal metrics, respectively.
The mean age was 73.8 ± 5.3 years, and 36.7% were men. Only 5% of the participants had ≥5 metrics at the ideal level. After a median follow-up of 10.9 years and 8.6 years, respectively 1,987 deaths and 680 adjudicated coronary heart disease or stroke events had occurred. In multivariate analysis, the risk of mortality and of vascular events decreased across the categories of ideal metrics. In particular, in subjects with ≥5 metrics at the ideal level (compared with those with ≤2), there was a 29% (hazard ratio HR: 0.71; 95% confidence interval CI: 0.55 to 0.90) decreased risk of all-cause mortality and 67% (HR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.57) for coronary heart disease and stroke combined (p for trend <0.001).
Even in the elderly, higher CVH status is highly beneficial regarding mortality and vascular event risks.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Higher coffee consumption has been associated with reduced dementia risk, yet with inconsistencies across studies. CYP1A2 polymorphisms, which affects caffeine metabolism, may modulate the ...association between coffee and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We included 5964 participants of the Three-City Study (mean age 74 years-old), free of dementia at baseline when they reported their daily coffee consumption, with available genome-wide genotyping and followed for dementia over a median of 9.0 (range 0.8–18.7) years. In Cox proportional-hazards models, the relationship between coffee consumption and dementia risk was modified by CYP1A2 polymorphism at rs762551 (p for interaction = 0.034). In multivariable-adjusted models, coffee intake was linearly associated with a decreased risk of dementia among carriers of the C allele only (“slower caffeine metabolizers”; HR for 1-cup increased 95% CI 0.90 0.83–0.97), while in non-carriers (“faster caffeine metabolizers”), there was no significant association but a J-shaped trend toward a decrease in dementia risk up to 3 cups/day and increased risk beyond. Thus, compared to null intake, drinking ≥ 4 cups of coffee daily was associated with a reduced dementia risk in slower but not faster metabolizers (HR 95% CI for ≥ 4 vs. 0 cup/day = 0.45 0.25–0.80 and 1.32 0.89–1.96, respectively). Results were similar when studying AD and another CYP1A2 candidate polymorphism (rs2472304), but no interaction was found with CYP1A2 rs2472297 or rs2470893. In this cohort, a linear association of coffee intake to lower dementia risk was apparent only among carriers of CYP1A2 polymorphisms predisposing to slower caffeine metabolism.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
27.
Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in older adults Féart, Catherine; Samieri, Cécilia; Barberger-Gateau, Pascale
Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care,
2010-January, 2010-Jan, 2010-01-00, 20100101, 2010-01, Volume:
13, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
PURPOSE OF REVIEWThe effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic diseases has been largely evidenced. Although nutrition constitutes an ...interesting approach in preventing age-related brain disorders, the association between the Mediterranean-style diet and cognitive functions has been very occasionally explored.
RECENT FINDINGSResults are provided from only two recent prospective cohorts of older Americans and French individuals (≥65 years) on the relationship of Mediterranean diet to cognitive functions. A high adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with slower cognitive decline, with reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment conversion to Alzheimerʼs disease and with reduced risk of Alzheimerʼs disease.
SUMMARYThe possibility that the Mediterranean diet may affect not only the risk for Alzheimerʼs disease, but also the evolution of cognitive performances a long time before the clinical diagnosis of dementia and subsequent disease course constitutes major promising results. Replication of these results in other populations seems necessary to allow their generalization and to propose the Mediterranean diet as a potential preventive approach against cognitive decline or dementia in addition to its expected benefits against many other unfavorable outcomes in a public health perspective.
Among food groups with putative benefits for brain structures, dairy products (DP) have been poorly studied. The sample included participants without dementia from the ancillary brain imaging study ...of the Three-City cohort who were aged 65+ years, had their DP intake assessed with a FFQ at baseline and underwent an anatomical scan 3 years (n 343) or 9 years (n 195) after completing the dietary survey. The frequencies of consumption of total DP, milk and cheese were not associated with brain structure. Compared with the lowest frequency, the highest frequency of fresh DP (F-DP) consumption (< 0·5 v. > 1·5 times/d) was significantly associated with a lower medial temporal lobe volume (MTLV) (β = −1·09 cm3, 95 % CI − 1·83, −0·36) 9 years later. In this population-based study of older adults, the consumption of F-DP more than 1·5 times/d was associated with a lower MTLV, which is considered an early biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, 9 years later. This original study should be replicated in different settings before conclusions are drawn.
To analyze the association between dietary patterns and the 12-year risk of frailty and its components in community-dwelling elderly French adults.
A prospective cohort study.
The Bordeaux sample of ...the Three-City Study.
A total of 972 initially nonfrail nondemented participants (336 men and 636 women) aged 73 years on average, re-examined at least once over 12 years.
Five sex-specific dietary clusters were previously derived at baseline. Frailty incident to the baseline visit was defined as having at least three out of the following 5 criteria: unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, low energy expenditure, slowness, and muscle weakness. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between dietary clusters and the risk of frailty and its components.
In total, 78 men for 3719 person-years and 221 women for 7027 person-years became frail over the follow-up. In multivariate analyses, men in the "pasta" pattern and women in the "biscuits and snacking" pattern had a significantly higher risk of frailty compared with those in the "healthy" pattern hazard ratio (HR) 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-4.4 and HR 1.8; 95% CI 1.2-2.8, respectively; P = .09 and P = .13 for the global test of significance of risk difference across clusters, respectively. In men, "biscuits and snacking" and "pasta" patterns were significantly associated with higher risk for muscle weakness (HR 3.3; 95% CI 1.6-7.0 and HR 2.1; 95% CI 1.2-3.7, respectively; P = .003 for global test).
This 12-year prospective population-based study suggests that some particular unhealthy dietary patterns may increase the risk of frailty in older adults.
This study aimed to investigate the role of cardiovascular health (CVH) and vascular events as potential contributors to socioeconomic inequalities in dementia using causal mediation analyses. We ...used data from the Three-City Cohort, a French population-based study with 12 years of follow-up, with active search of dementia cases and validated diagnosis. Individual socioeconomic status was assessed using education, occupation and income. A CVH score as defined by the American Heart Association and incident vascular events were considered separately as mediators. We performed multi-level Cox proportional and Aalen additive hazard regression models to estimate the total effects of socioeconomic status on dementia risk. To estimate natural direct and indirect effects through CVH and vascular events, we applied two distinct weighting methods to quantify the role of CVH and vascular events: Inverse Odds Ratio Weighting (IORW) and Marginal Structural Models (MSM) respectively. Among 5581 participants, the risk of dementia was higher among participants with primary education (HR 1.60, 95%CI 1.44–1.78), blue-collar workers (HR 1.62, 95%CI 1.43–1.84) and with lower income (HR 1.23, 95%CI 1.09–1.29). Using additive models, 571 (95% CI 288–782) and 634 (95% CI 246–1020) additional cases of dementia per 100 000 person and year were estimated for primary education and blue-collar occupation, respectively. Using IORW, the CVH score mediate the relationship between education or income, and dementia (proportion mediated 17% and 26%, respectively). Yet, considering vascular events as mediator, MSM generated indirect effects that were smaller and more imprecise. Socioeconomic inequalities in dementia risk were observed but marginally explained by CVH or vascular events mediators.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
PDF
