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'Boden Food Plate': Novel Interactive Web-based Method for the Assessment of Dietary Intake
Published on: September 18, 2018
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Dietary intake and cognitive function: evidence from the Bogalusa Heart Study
Natalie C Fortune1, Emily W Harville1, Jack M Guralnik2
1Departments of Epidemiology.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|May 29, 2019
Summary
Maintaining brain health is crucial. Early adult diet, rich in whole grains and vitamin B-6, is linked to better midlife cognitive function, while processed meats and fried foods may negatively impact cognition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Cognitive decline and dementia are significant causes of death and disability.
- Maintaining brain health throughout life is essential for prevention.
- Diet and lifestyle are key strategies for primary prevention of cognitive decline risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of dietary factors on cognitive function.
- To examine the relationship between habitual nutrition in young adulthood and cognitive performance in midlife.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 516 young adults followed into midlife.
- Habitual nutrition data collected using the Youth/Adolescent Questionnaire at baseline (mean age 32.03 years).
- Cognitive function assessed using a neurocognitive battery at follow-up (mean age 49.03 years); data transformed to z scores. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were used.
Main Results:
- Dietary intake of vitamin B-6 and whole grains showed a direct association with better cognitive function (P = 0.005 and P = 0.018, respectively).
- Processed meats and home-fried foods were inversely associated with cognitive function (linear trend P values = 0.05 and <0.0001, respectively).
- Significant linear trends were observed for Vitamin B-6, whole grains, processed meats, and home-fried foods in relation to cognitive function.
Conclusions:
- Dietary consumption in young adulthood may influence cognitive function in midlife.
- Strong associations between diet and cognition were observed.
- The possibility of residual confounding exists, as with all observational studies.
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