Objectives While touted for their health benefits, research on the effects of avocado consumption on health is limited. Given their dense content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), carotenoids, fiber, and micronutrients, avocados have the potential to boost cognitive function. It has been shown that diets rich in MUFA may improve global cognitive performance and prevent cognitive decline. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin may also enhance brain function. Only one randomized trial assessing the effects of avocado intake on cognition has been published to date, and the results were positive. The objective of this current study is to determine if consuming a meal of avocado on toast yields measurable changes in cognitive performance. Methods Using a randomized 2 × 2 cross-over design, acute cognitive changes were assessed via a 25-minute long test battery in 27 participants after an isocaloric test meal of either avocado on wheat toast or cream cheese and jelly on wheat toast. After an approximately 2-week wash out period, participants returned to complete the study protocol with the alternate meal. Verbal learning and memory, working memory, processing speed, semantic fluency, and global cognition were measured in the fasting state and again in the postprandial state (3 hours after consumption of the breakfast test meal). Linear mixed models analysis was used to determine if meal type provided any significant boost in acute cognitive scores. Results The following fixed effects were included in the model: visit number, sequence of intervention, test meal, age, pre/post measures, and interaction between test meal and pre/post measures. Subjects were included as a random effect. No significant differences between intervention groups in pre/post measures were detected. Conclusions These preliminary results need to be confirmed with a larger sample (currently underway). Also, given the nutrient composition of avocados, it is possible that longer term studies may yield different results. Funding Sources Hass Avocado Board, Mission Viejo, CA.

Potential long-term health benefits may be afforded to grandparents in close contact with their grandchildren, although whether such benefits are visible on a day-to-day basis and among others in similar caretaking roles is unclear. We investigated how the quality and quantity of social contacts, as well as caretaker or grandparenting roles, may mediate symptom perceptions in day-to-day context in a consecutive six-day period. Older adults were recruited using an online survey service aged 59-88 years (Mage= 64.8, 55.8% grandparents, 67.8% female). Participants completed a baseline survey (N=152) followed by up to six daily surveys (N=85 of 152). Measures included daily positive and negative affect, and overall frequency of physical health symptoms. Daily social contacts were rated by participants in terms of importance/closeness of the contact. Last, participants indicated the degree of regular contact and non-custodial caretaking roles of children and their grandparent status. Findings indicated that grandparents tended to report daily contacts with closer social convoy members (B=1.40 (.437); p = .002). Moreover, a trend of reduced symptom reporting across days for grandparents was observed (B=-0.145 (.073), p=.048) adjusting for sex and age. Last, grandparents who regularly took care of their grandchildren and reported increased daily positive affect, reported fewer symptoms throughout the week (B=-0.326 (.139), p=0.02). Although modest, results indicate potentially important health benefits of grandparenting in terms of daily physical functioning that may play out over the longer term to impact health and well-being.