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Dietary folate intake and its association with longitudinal changes in cognition function.
Cecília Zanin Palchetti1, Natália Gomes Gonçalves2, Naomi Vidal Ferreira3
1Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
|May 18, 2023
Summary
Dietary folate intake did not impact cognitive decline in a Brazilian cohort. However, folate naturally found in foods was linked to slower global cognitive decline over eight years.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Folate (vitamin B9) is crucial for one-carbon metabolism.
- Evidence linking folate and cognitive performance is debated.
- Mandatory food fortification adds complexity to folate intake studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between baseline dietary folate intake and cognitive decline.
- To assess cognitive changes over an 8-year follow-up in a Brazilian population.
- To investigate the role of folate from different sources (natural vs. fortified foods).
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 15,105 Brazilian adults (ELSA-Brasil).
- Dietary intake assessed via Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ).
- Cognitive function evaluated using six tests assessing memory, executive function, and global cognition over three waves; analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.
Main Results:
- Overall dietary folate intake showed no association with cognitive decline.
- Folate naturally present in food sources was associated with a slower rate of global cognitive decline.
- Vitamin B12 intake and supplement use (including multivitamins) did not modify the folate-cognition association.
Conclusions:
- Dietary folate intake was not associated with cognitive function in this Brazilian population.
- Folate naturally occurring in food sources may offer a protective effect against global cognitive decline.
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