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 link specific foods to cognitive decline. The findings show that cheese was protected against age-related cognitive problems and that red wine was related to improvements in cognitive function.
The study was led by lead investigator, Auriel Willette, an assistant professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Brandon Klinedinst, a Neuroscience doctoral student who works in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State. The study is a first of its kind large-scale analysis that links specific foods to cognitive acuity in later life.
Willette, Klinedinst and their team analyzed data collected from 1,787 aging adults (aged 46 to 77, at study completion) 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 British participants. The database is accessible worldwide to recognized researchers who conduct vital research into the world's most common and life-threatening diseases.
Participants completed a Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT) as part of a touchscreen questionnaire at baseline (prepared between 2006 and 2010) and then in two follow-up assessments (conducted from 2012 to 2013 and again between 2015 and 2016). The FIT analysis provides a snapshot of a person'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, fatty fish, lean fish, processed meat, poultry, beef, lamb, pork, cheese, bread, cereal, tea and coffee. beer and cider, red wine, white wine and champagne and spirits.
Here are four of the key findings from the study:
“I was pleasantly surprised that our results suggest that eating cheese responsibly and drinking red wine on a daily basis are not only good for helping us cope with our current COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps also in coping 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 affluent people eat and drink, randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether making simple changes to our diet could help our brains in significant ways.”
Klinedinst added:“Depending on the genetic factors you carry, some individuals appear to be better protected against the effects of Alzheimer's, while others appear to be at greater risk. That said, I believe that the right food choices can prevent disease and cognitive decline. Maybe the silver bullet we're looking for is improving the way we eat. Knowing what that entails contributes to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease and to put this disease on a reverse trajectory.”
