Diet modifications - including more wine and cheese - may help reduce cognitive decline

Date:
December 10, 2020
Source:
Iowa State University
Summary:
The foods we eat may have a direct impact on our cognitive acuity
in our later years, according to new research. The study is
the first of its kind to connect specific foods with cognitive
decline. The findings show cheese protected against age-related
cognitive problems and red wine was related to improvements in
cognitive function.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The foods we eat may have a direct impact on our cognitive acuity in
our later years. This is the key finding of an Iowa State University
research study spotlighted in an article published in the November 2020
issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.


==========================================================================
The study was spearheaded by principal investigator, Auriel Willette,
an assistant professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition, and
Brandon Klinedinst, a Neuroscience PhD candidate working in the Food
Science and Human Nutrition department at Iowa State. The study is a first-of-its-kind large scale analysis that connects specific foods to later-in-life cognitive acuity.

Willette, Klinedinst and their team analyzed data collected from 1,787
aging adults (from 46 to 77 years of age, at the completion of the study)
in the United Kingdom through the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical
database and research resource containing in-depth genetic and health information from half- a-million UK participants. The database is globally accessible to approved researchers undertaking vital research into the
world's most common and life- threatening diseases.

Participants completed a Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT) as part of
touchscreen questionnaire at baseline (compiled between 2006 and 2010)
and then in two follow-up assessments (conducted from 2012 through
2013 and again between 2015 and 2016). The FIT analysis provides an
in-time snapshot of an individual's ability to "think on the fly."
Participants also answered questions about their food and alcohol
consumption at baseline and through two follow-up assessments. The
Food Frequency Questionnaire asked participants about their intake of
fresh fruit, dried fruit, raw vegetables and salad, cooked vegetables,
oily fish, lean fish, processed meat, poultry, beef, lamb, pork, cheese,
bread, cereal, tea and coffee, beer and cider, red wine, white wine and champaign and liquor.

Here are four of the most significant findings from the study:
1. Cheese, by far, was shown to be the most protective food against
age-
related cognitive problems, even late into life;
2. The daily consumption of alchohol, particularly red wine, was
related to
improvements in cognitive function;
3. Weekly consumption of lamb, but not other red meats, was shown
to improve
long-term cognitive prowess; and
4. Excessive consumption of salt is bad, but only individuals
already at
risk for Alzheimer's Disease may need to watch their intake to
avoid cognitive problems over time.

"I was pleasantly surprised that our results suggest that responsibly
eating cheese and drinking red wine daily are not just good for helping
us cope with our current COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps also dealing
with an increasingly complex world that never seems to slow down,"
Willette said. "While we took into account whether this was just due to
what well-off people eat and drink, randomized clinical trials are needed
to determine if making easy changes in our diet could help our brains in significant ways." Klinedinst added, "Depending on the genetic factors
you carry, some individuals seem to be more protected from the effects of Alzheimers, while other seem to be at greater risk. That said, I believe
the right food choices can prevent the disease and cognitive decline altogether. Perhaps the silver bullet we're looking for is upgrading how
we eat. Knowing what that entails contributes to a better understanding
of Alzheimer's and putting this disease in a reverse trajectory."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Iowa_State_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Brandon S. Klinedinst, Scott T. Le, Brittany Larsen, Colleen Pappas,
Nathan J. Hoth, Amy Pollpeter, Qian Wang, Yueying Wang, Shan Yu,
Li Wang, Karin Allenspach, Jonathan P. Mochel, David A. Bennett,
Auriel A.

Willette. Genetic Factors of Alzheimer's Disease Modulate How
Diet is Associated with Long-Term Cognitive Trajectories: A UK
Biobank Study.

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2020; 78 (3): 1245 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-
201058 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201210145850.htm

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