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. 2022 Feb 21;14(4):914.
doi: 10.3390/nu14040914.

Association between the Erythrocyte Membrane Fatty Acid Profile and Cognitive Function in the Overweight and Obese Population Aged from 45 to 75 Years Old

Jingyi Shen  1 , Jinchen Li  1 , Yinan Hua  1 , Bingjie Ding  2 , Cui Zhou  1 , Huiyan Yu  1 , Rong Xiao  1 , Weiwei Ma  1
Affiliations

Association between the Erythrocyte Membrane Fatty Acid Profile and Cognitive Function in the Overweight and Obese Population Aged from 45 to 75 Years Old

Jingyi Shen et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Dietary fatty acid intake is closely related to the cognitive function of the overweight and obese population. However, few studies have specified the correlation between exact fatty acids and cognitive functions in different body mass index (BMI) groups. We aimed to explain these relationships and reference guiding principles for the fatty acid intake of the overweight and obese population. Normal weight, overweight, and obese participants were recruited to receive a cognitive function assessment and dietary survey, dietary fatty acids intake was calculated, and the erythrocyte membrane fatty acid profile was tested by performing a gas chromatography analysis. The percentages of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in the obese group were higher, while monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were lower than in the normal weight and overweight groups. In the erythrocyte membrane, the increase of n-3 PUFAs was accompanied by cognitive decline in the overweight group, which could be a protective factor for cognitive function in the obese group. High n-6 PUFAs intake could exacerbate the cognitive decline in the obese population. Dietary fatty acid intake had different effects on the cognitive function of overweight and obese people, especially the protective effect of n-3 PUFAs; more precise dietary advice is needed to prevent cognitive impairment.

Keywords: cognitive impairment; dietary fatty acid intake; erythrocyte membrane fatty acid profile; obese; overweight.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flowchart. NW: normal weight group; OW: overweight group; OB: obese group.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Human erythrocyte membrane fatty acid standard spectrum.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Correlations between the fatty acid compositions of the erythrocyte membranes in the three groups and their cognitive functions scores: heatmaps of the regression coefficients in a multiple linear regression. (A) Correlations between the fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membranes in the three groups and the cognitive functions scores determined by MMSE. (B) Correlations between the fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membranes in the three groups and the cognitive functions scores determined by MoCA. The red color indicates a negative correlation, while the green color indicates a positive correlation.
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