Association Between Egg Consumption and Dementia Risk in the EPIC-Spain Dementia Cohort

Abstract

BackgroundCurrent evidence suggests that egg composition might have potential neuroprotective effects. Our aim was to determine the association between egg consumption and the risk of dementia in a Mediterranean population.MethodsThis study was carried out in 3 centers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Spain Dementia Cohort, i.e., 25,015 participants aged 30–70 years, recruited in 1992–1996, and followed up for a mean of 21.5 years.ResultsA total of 774 incident dementia cases were diagnosed and validated, of which 518 were Alzheimer's disease (AD). Data on egg consumption were estimated using a validated dietary history questionnaire at recruitment. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for confounders, were used in the analyses. No association was observed between egg consumption and either total dementia [hazard ratio between extreme quartiles (HRQ4vs.Q1: 1.05; 95% CI 0.85–1.31; p-trend = 0.93)] or AD (HRQ4vs.Q1 0.93; 95% CI 0.72–1.21; p-trend = 0.50) risks. After dividing the population by adherence to the relative Mediterranean diet (rMED) score, a borderline inverse association was found between egg intake and both total dementia (HRQ4vs.Q1: 0.52; 95% CI 0.30–0.90; p-trend = 0.10) and AD (HRQ4vs.Q1: 0.52; 95% CI 0.27–1.01; p-trend = 0.13) risks within participants with low adherence to rMED score. However, no association was observed in participants with medium and high adherence to rMED score.ConclusionThis prospective study suggests that egg consumption is associated with a reduced risk of dementia, and specifically of AD, in the adult population with low adherence to rMED score; whereas it has no impact in subjects with moderate and high MD adherence.

Lutein from Chicken Eggs Prevents Amyloid β-Peptide Aggregation In Vitro and Amyloid β-Induced Inflammation in Human Macrophages (THP-1)

“…Previous studies suggest that chicken eggs contain active constituents against AD other than proteins . We screened for free small molecular compounds in chicken eggs to identify the active constituents.…”

“…Previous studies suggest that chicken eggs contain active constituents against AD other than proteins. 15 We screened for free small molecular compounds in chicken eggs to identify the active constituents. ARA, LPC, LTN, POA, and ZX were identified as anti-Aβ 1–42 aggregation compounds in chicken eggs after screening using the ThT assay.…”

“…The proteins in chicken eggs showed no significant effect on the development of dementia. Eggs contain carotenoids and vitamins, which may also have a preventive effect on dementia …”

“…Eggs contain carotenoids and vitamins, which may also have a preventive effect on dementia. 18 This study aimed to identify chicken egg components other than proteins that may have anti-AD effects. We screened 34 low-molecular-weight compounds in chicken eggs for their inhibitory effects on Aβ aggregation using the thioflavin T (ThT) assay.…”

The Relationship between Diet, Depression, and Alzheimer's Disease: A Narrative Review

“…[9,10] A growing body of prospective cohort evidence shows that multiple bioactive components of food are associated with reduced risk of depression and dementia. [11] Much of this research has considered how depression and AD are likely influenced by differing dietary factors. Furthermore, a large retrospective cohort study has shown that a healthy diet partly mitigates the negative effect of high genetic risk for dementia.…”