Volume 17, Issue 7 p. 1157-1165
FEATURED ARTICLE

Unhealthy foods may attenuate the beneficial relation of a Mediterranean diet to cognitive decline

Puja Agarwal

Corresponding Author

Puja Agarwal

Rush Institute of Healthy Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Correspondence

Puja Agarwal, Rush Institute of Healthy Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 1700 W Van Buren, Chicago, IL, USA.

Email: [email protected]

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Klodian Dhana

Klodian Dhana

Rush Institute of Healthy Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Lisa L. Barnes

Lisa L. Barnes

Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Thomas M Holland

Thomas M Holland

Rush Institute of Healthy Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Yanyu Zhang

Yanyu Zhang

Rush Institute of Healthy Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Denis A. Evans

Denis A. Evans

Rush Institute of Healthy Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Martha Clare Morris

Martha Clare Morris

Rush Institute of Healthy Aging, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Deceased

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First published: 07 January 2021
Citations: 18

Abstract

Introduction

It is unclear whether eating Western diet food components offsets the Mediterranean diet's (MedDiet) potential benefits on cognitive decline.

Methods

The study includes 5001 Chicago Health and Aging Project participants (63% African American, 36% males, 74 ± 6.0 years old), with food frequency questionnaires and ≥ two cognitive assessments over 6.3 ± 2.8 years of follow-up. Mixed-effects models were adjusted for age, sex, education, race, cognitive activities, physical activity, and total calories.

Results

Stratified analysis showed a significant effect of higher MedDiet on cognitive decline only with a low Western diet score (highest vs lowest MedDiet tertile: β = 0.020, P = .002; p trend = 0.002) and not with a high Western diet score (highest vs lowest MedDiet tertile: β = 0.010, P = .11; p trend = 0.09).

Conclusion

This prospective study found that high consumption of Western diet components attenuates benefits of the MedDiet on cognition.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None.