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. 2018 Dec 19;10(12):2007.
doi: 10.3390/nu10122007.

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Protects from Cognitive Decline in the Invecchiare in Chianti Study of Aging

Toshiko Tanaka  1 , Sameera A Talegawkar  2 , Yichen Jin  3 , Marco Colpo  4 , Luigi Ferrucci  5 , Stephania Bandinelli  6
Affiliations

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Protects from Cognitive Decline in the Invecchiare in Chianti Study of Aging

Toshiko Tanaka et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Following a Mediterranean diet high in plant-based foods and fish, low in meat and dairy foods, and with moderate alcohol intake has been shown to promote healthy aging. Therefore, we examined the association between a Mediterranean diet and trajectories of cognitive performance in the InCHIANTI study. Subjects (N = 832) were examined every 2⁻3 years up to 18 years with an average follow-up period of 10.1 years. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) at every visit. Dietary habits were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and adherence to Mediterranean diet was computed on a scale of 0-9 and categorized into three groups of low (≤3), medium (4⁻5), and high (≥6). Those in the highest adherence group (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29⁻0.79) and medium adherence group (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.41⁻0.99) were less likely to experience cognitive decline. The annual average decline in MMSE scores was 0.4 units, for those in the high and medium adherence group this decline was attenuated by 0.34 units (p < 0.001) and 0.16 units (p = 0.03), respectively. Our findings suggest that adherence to a Mediterranean diet can have long-lasting protective effects on cognitive decline and may be an effective strategy for the prevent or delay dementia.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; cognitive decline; longitudinal analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trajectories of MMSE by Mediterranean Diet Score groups. The graphs display the mean MMSE at baseline and four follow up visits. The high adherence group (triangle) has the least decline in MMSE over time, followed by the medium adherence group (circle) and the low adherence group (square).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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