Diet, Epidemiological Factors and Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Elderly Population

Abstract

Purpose Population aging is one of the great achievements of humanity. However, with aging, the incidence of chronic diseases and those related to cognition deficits increase. In this way, strategies aimed at preventing or delaying cognitive deficit are extremely necessary. Thus, this study investigates the relationship between cognitive deficits, schooling and eating habits in a Brazilian elderly population. Methods The dietary habits of 400 older adults were investigated through structured questionnaires. Unhealthy eating habits such as low consumption of fruits, vegetables and beans, consumption of fatty meats and whole milk, adjusted for other variables, were evaluated. Cognitive function was assessed by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Data were analyzed by Chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Results There was cognitive deficit prevalence of 17.7% in the study population, which increases with age progression. The low frequency of vegetable consumption increased the risk of cognitive deficit in the crude analysis by 47.6% and increased these odds by 44.1% after the final adjustment. Low educational level was also associated with cognitive deficit of individuals (28.25%). Conclusion Educational level and vegetable consumption in adult life and in later adulthood improve cognition.

Meat Consumption, Cognitive Function and Disorders: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

“…After reviewing full texts, one record written in Japanese, four records with overlapping studies, two ecological studies, three records with changes of brain structure or β-amyloid (Aβ) deposit as outcomes, and eight records combining meat, fish, and other food together as exposures were excluded, including one paper with an unclear description on meat by Heys et al (2010) [23] without any reply from two authors contacted. Therefore, twenty-nine eligible records were included in the review: twelve cohort [9][10][11][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32], three case-control [33][34][35], thirteen cross-sectional studies [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48], and one intervention study [49] (Figure 1). Egger's regression model to detect small-study effects (P < 0.05).…”

“…The mean age of participants was more than 60 years except for two studies, one with a mean age of 52.9 years [46] and one with a range of 40-65 years [43]. Of twenty-nine eligible studies, twenty-four measured consumption of total meat based on a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and/or dietary records; one study reported consumption of beef and pork as the exposure [33]; one specified frequencies of use of red meat and sausages as the exposure [31]; two investigated whether participants had habitual intake of red meat with fat or chicken with skin (yes/no) [45,48]; and one intervention study used pork-containing meals as the exposure [49]. Among the studies included, five of them used Alzheimer's disease and/or dementia as outcomes [24,25,33,39,47], twenty-three measured cognitive function via one or a series of cognitive tests, and one reported both AD and cognitive function [31].…”