Is the Mediterranean diet a feasible approach to preserving cognitive function and reducing risk of dementia for older adults in Western countries? New insights and future directions

Knight, Alissa; Bryan, Janet; Murphy, Karen

doi:10.1016/j.arr.2015.10.005

Cited by 78 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 129 publications

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“…Our data also suggest that a higher aMED is associated with less depressive symptoms (32). This relation might be related to prior research suggest that a higher aMED is associated with better cognitive performance, which may also influence the significant association with depression (33).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with better quality of life: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Veronese

Stubbs

Noale

et al. 2016

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

130

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Background: The Mediterranean diet has positively influenced various medical conditions, but only a paucity of studies has considered the relation between the Mediterranean diet and quality of life (QOL) among people living in North America. Objective: We investigated whether a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (aMED) was associated with better QOL and decreased pain, stiffness, disability, and depression in a large cohort of North Americans from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Results: Of the 4470 participants (2605 women; mean age: 61.3 y), those with a higher aMED had significantly more favorable scores on all outcomes investigated (P , 0.0001 for all comparisons). After adjustment for potential confounders in linear regression analyses, a higher aMED was significantly associated with a higher SF-12 physical composite scale value (b: 0.10; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.15; P , 0.0001), lower WOMAC scores (except for stiffness), and lower 95% CI: 20.09, 20.01; P = 0.01). An adjusted logistic regression analysis, taking as reference those in the 2 highest quintiles of the aMED score, confirmed these findings. Conclusion: Higher aMED is associated with better QOL and decreased pain, disability, and depressive symptoms. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00080171.Am J Clin Nutr 2016;104:1403-9.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with better quality of life: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Veronese

Stubbs

Noale

et al. 2016

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

130

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The biological mechanisms for how dietary patterns exert neuroprotective effects are not clear. Several putative mechanisms for the MedDiet have been proposed, including beneficial effects on neuronal cell signalling, vascular health, and antioxidant and antiinflammatory biological pathways, but more‐comprehensive investigation is required. Furthermore, although the MedDiet and the new MIND diet have attracted attention in the literature, they may not reflect an optimal dietary pattern for protection against neurodegeneration during aging.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroprotective Diets Are Associated with Better Cognitive Function: The Health and Retirement Study

McEvoy

Guyer

Langa

et al. 2017

J American Geriatrics Society

178

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Objective Evidence suggests that adherence to the Mediterranean (MedDiet) or MIND diet is neuroprotective but the association between these dietary patterns and cognition has not been evaluated in a nationally representative population of older US adults. Design Population-based cross-sectional study. Participants/setting Community-dwelling older adults from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 5,907). Measurements Adherence to dietary patterns was determined from food frequency questionnaires using a priori criteria to generate diet scores for MedDiet (range = 0–55) and MIND diet (range 0–15). Cognitive performance was measured using a composite test score of global cognitive function (range 0–27). Linear regression was used to compare cognitive performance across tertiles of dietary pattern. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between dietary patterns and clinically significant cognitive impairment. Models were adjusted for age, gender, race, educational attainment and other health and lifestyle covariates. Results Mean age of participants was 68 ± 10.8 years. Compared to those with low MedDiet score, participants with mid and high score were less likely to have poor cognitive performance (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.71, 1.02: P = 0.08, and OR 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.81: P < 0.001, respectively) in fully adjusted models. Results for the MIND diet were similar. Higher score in each dietary pattern was independently associated with significantly better cognitive function (P < 0.001) in a dose-response manner (PTREND < 0.001). Conclusion In a large nationally representative population of older adults, greater adherence to the MedDiet and MIND diet was independently associated with better cognitive function and lower risk of cognitive impairment. Clinical trials are required to elucidate the role of dietary patterns in cognitive aging.

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“…The Bordeaux Three‐City Study showed that adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with preservation of white matter microstructure, as evaluated with 3T magnetic resonance imaging 9 years after baseline dietary assessment, suggesting that cognitive function is enhanced through preservation of structural integrity of the brain. A recent review summarizing the benefits of the Mediterranean diet concludes that this diet may be helpful in the treatment of dementia, while another highlights the diet as a strategy to reduce risk of cognitive decline, noting that the current Western diet may contribute to dementia risk . While the Mediterranean diet is based on a cultural pattern associated with lower risk of several chronic conditions, a newer diet developed specifically to protect against cognitive decline and that incorporates many aspects of the Mediterranean diet is the Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet …”

Section: Dietary Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient intake, nutritional status, and cognitive function with aging

Tucker

2016

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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With the demographic aging of populations worldwide, diseases associated with aging are becoming more prevalent and costly to individuals, families, and healthcare systems. Among aging-related impairments, a decline in cognitive function is of particular concern, as it erodes memory and processing abilities and eventually leads to the need for institutionalized care. Accumulating evidence suggests that nutritional status is a key factor in the loss of cognitive abilities with aging. This is of tremendous importance, as dietary intake is a modifiable risk factor that can be improved to help reduce the burden of cognitive impairment. With respect to nutrients, there is evidence to support the critical role of several B vitamins in particular, but also of vitamin D, antioxidant vitamins (including vitamin E), and omega-3 fatty acids, which are preferentially taken up by brain tissue. On the other hand, high intakes of nutrients that contribute to hypertension, atherosclerosis, and poor glycemic control may have negative effects on cognition through these conditions. Collectively, the evidence suggests that considerable slowing and reduction of cognitive decline may be achieved by following a healthy dietary pattern, which limits intake of added sugars, while maximizing intakes of fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

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Is the Mediterranean diet a feasible approach to preserving cognitive function and reducing risk of dementia for older adults in Western countries? New insights and future directions

Cited by 78 publications

References 129 publications

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with better quality of life: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with better quality of life: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Neuroprotective Diets Are Associated with Better Cognitive Function: The Health and Retirement Study

Nutrient intake, nutritional status, and cognitive function with aging

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