Protein-Balanced Dietary Habits Benefit Cognitive Function in Japanese Older Adults

Abstract

Since daily dietary habits can affect cognitive function, dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet have been proposed as interventions to slow cognitive decline. However, because dietary habits vary widely among different food cultures, it is necessary to establish dietary pattern intervention methods that are appropriate for each population. Therefore, in this study, the dietary patterns of elderly Japanese individuals were classified using cluster analysis, and their relationship with cognitive function was investigated. We then modeled the dietary patterns and applied them to another cohort of elderly Japanese individuals to determine whether differences in dietary patterns could predict cognitive decline. One hundred and fifty older adults ≥ 65 years of age in the community were recruited. Their daily food intake and cognitive function were measured using the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. K-means cluster analysis identified a high-carbohydrate (HC) dietary pattern with high cereal intake and a protein-balanced (PB) dietary pattern with high intake of legumes, vegetables, seafood, meat, and eggs. Cognitive function was significantly higher in the PB group than in the HC group. Furthermore, to classify the new data into HC and PB patterns, a classification model was created by discriminant analysis using food groups with significantly different intakes among dietary patterns. Next, we recruited 267 new older adults ≥ 65 years of age and measured food intake and cognitive function assessed using the memory performance index score. Individuals with cognitive decline were identified and their detailed cognitive functions were assessed using the neurocognitive index score. Cognitive function was significantly impaired in the HC pattern in both the general elderly and cognitively impaired cohorts. These findings suggest that a dietary pattern of low carbohydrate and high protein intake is associated with good cognitive function in elderly Japanese individuals. Classification by these dietary patterns can predict cognitive reservation in community-dwelling older adults.

Nutritional quality, glycemic index and glycemic load of two similar traditional diets consumed in Northeast, Nigeria

“…The concentration of the amino acid present in a given protein food matrix is a reflection of the quality of the protein available in that food component (Huang et al, 2018). A balanced dietary habit that is rich in protein was found to be beneficial for better cognitive function (Sakurai et al, 2023). Evaluation of the amino acid score of both diets (Table 2) revealed that Danwaken dawa had a higher score in all the limiting amino acids, although the scores for both diets were found to measure up to the WHO/FAO/UNU (2007) (Dangambo et al, 2022).…”

Cognition and nutrition: the role of dietary protein and amino acids in cognitive health

“…In Japan, with its distinct culinary culture, similar research has been conducted [10 ▪ ]. In a cross-sectional observational study examining the dietary patterns of elderly Japanese individuals, two dietary habits were identified: a high-carbohydrate pattern with high cereal intake and a protein-balanced pattern with high intake of legumes, vegetables, seafood, meat, and eggs.…”