Reducing Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults with Diet

by | Jun 14, 2024 | 2024, Brain Health, Cognitive Health, Proteins, Recent Articles

Written by Jessica Patella, ND. Study results show higher intakes of protein and anti-inflammatory foods were associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment in older adults in China.

Mediterranean DietImpaired cognitive function is a growing public health concern worldwide. Impaired cognitive functioning not only affects the quality of life for the individual but also the family and caregivers.  The cost of caring for dementia worldwide is an estimated 800 billion dollars annually, which is expected to increase to 2 trillion by 20301,2. The United States has the second largest number of dementia patients in the world at 4.2 million1,3. The Lancet reported lifestyle factors, including diet, could prevent or delay up to 40% of dementia cases worldwide1,4.  Recent research showed protein intake and anti-inflammatory diets were associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment1.

Previous research has shown that protein is an important macronutrient for normal cognitive functioning, with a specific link to creatine in protein, having a positive effect on the brain1,5,6. Other studies have also shown that anti-inflammatory diets can help brain functioning, especially in relation to depression1,7. Yet, both diets still need to be explored for their relationship with cognitive impairment in older adults1.

Participants for the research study were obtained from the 2018 China Longitudinal Health and Longevity Survey (CLHLS).  The sample for the study included 8692 adults aged 60 years or older (average age 83.53 +/- 11.48 years).  Protein rich food sources were considered to be meats, fish, eggs, dairy and bean products. Anti-inflammatory foods included vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and tea.  Both food categories were given a range of 0-5 to measure daily intake of food, ranging from “never” to “frequently or virtually every day” on the scale1. Participants also were assessed by a Mini-Mental State Examination to determine cognitive functioning1.

The results were as follows:

  • The higher the anti-inflammatory food intake the lower the odds for cognitive impairment (OR=0.694, 95% CI: 0.657-0.734, p<0.001).
  • The higher the protein food intake the lower the odds for cognitive impairment (OR=0.902, 95% CI 0.864-0.941, p<0.001).
  • When considering all covariates the reduced risk of suffering from cognitive impairment with anti-inflammatory foods was 21% and with protein was 9%.
  • The consumption of protein and anti-inflammatory foods above 3 servings a day is more protective.

In conclusion, higher intakes of protein and anti-inflammatory foods are associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment in older adults in China. Researchers state this is important for public health prevention and control of cognitive impairment1. It is important to note this was a correlational study only, future research should confirm causal relationships and if there is a specific amount of protein and anti-inflammatory food consumption for best results1.

Source: Wang, Liang, Xiaobing Xian, Mengting Zhou, Ke Xu, Shiwei Cao, Jingyu Cheng, Weizhi Dai, Wenjia Zhang, and Mengliang Ye. “Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Protein-Enriched Diet Can Reduce the Risk of Cognitive Impairment among Older Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Research.” Nutrients 16, no. 9 (2024): 1333.

© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).

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Posted June 14, 2024.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. Wang L, Xian X, Zhou M, et al. Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Protein-Enriched Diet Can Reduce the Risk of Cognitive Impairment among Older Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Research. Nutrients. Apr 28 2024;16(9)doi:10.3390/nu16091333
  2. Frankish H, Horton R. Prevention and management of dementia: a priority for public health. Lancet. Dec 16 2017;390(10113):2614-2615. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31756-7
  3. Hu M, Shu X, Yu G, Wu X, Välimäki M, Feng H. A Risk Prediction Model Based on Machine Learning for Cognitive Impairment Among Chinese Community-Dwelling Elderly People With Normal Cognition: Development and Validation Study. J Med Internet Res. Feb 24 2021;23(2):e20298. doi:10.2196/20298
  4. Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet. Aug 8 2020;396(10248):413-446. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30367-6
  5. Wu G. Dietary protein intake and human health. Food Funct. Mar 2016;7(3):1251-65. doi:10.1039/c5fo01530h
  6. Roschel H, Gualano B, Ostojic SM, Rawson ES. Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health. Nutrients. Feb 10 2021;13(2)doi:10.3390/nu13020586
  7. Tolkien K, Bradburn S, Murgatroyd C. An anti-inflammatory diet as a potential intervention for depressive disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). Oct 2019;38(5):2045-2052. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2018.11.007