Association of dietary fat composition with cognitive performance and brain morphology in cognitively healthy individuals

Abstract

Background: Dietary lipids (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3) PUFAs) and saturated fatty acids (SFA) seem to play an important role for brain health. (n-3) PUFAs have been shown to improve cerebral perfusion and to promote synaptogenesis. In this study, we investigated the relationship between dietary fat composition, cognitive performance and brain morphology in cognitively healthy individuals. Methods: 101 cognitively healthy participants (age: 42.3 ± 21.3 years, 62 females) were included into this study. Verbal memory was assessed using the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Intake of (n-3) PUFA and SFA was calculated from food frequency questionnaire derived data (EPIC-FFQ). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were obtained (Siemens Trio 3T scanner) and grey matter volumes assessed by voxel based morphometry (VBM/SPM8). We examined the association of SFA/(n-3) PUFA ratio and memory performance as well as grey matter volumes using regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, body mass index, APOE status and alcohol consumption. For VBM data, a multiple regression analysis was performed using the same covariates as mentioned before with intracranial volume as additional covariate. Results: A high SFA/(n-3) PUFA-ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with poorer verbal memory performance and with lower grey matter volume in areas of left prefrontal cortex that support memory processes. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids is likely to exert favorable effects on brain morphology in brain areas important for memory and executive functions. This could constitute a possible mechanism for maintaining cognitive health in older age.

Milk Fatty Acid Profiles in Different Animal Species: Focus on the Potential Effect of Selected PUFAs on Metabolism and Brain Functions

“…Thus, diet and its bioactive components are among the modifiable risk factors possibly influencing the development of neuro-pathologies. In particular, SFAs and simple carbohydrates seem detrimental for the brain, while PUFAs, polyphenols, and antioxidants appear to be neuroprotective [154][155][156].…”

Investigating the Association Between Polygenic Risk Scores for Alzheimer’s Disease With Cognitive Performance and Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in Healthy Adults

“…60.71% of the old group were females ( n = 34). Participants were drawn from a cohort of participants from the project B4 of the Neuronal Coordination – Research Focus Frankfurt (NeFF) titled “Funktionelle und strukturelle neuronale Diskonnektion als Grundlage früher episodischer Gedächtnisstörungen der Alzheimer-Krankheit” (“Functional and structural neuronal disconnection as a basis/prerequisite for early neuronal memory dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease”) ( Matura et al, 2014a , b , 2016 , 2020 , 2021 ). The project was performed at the Laboratory for Neuroimaging of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.…”

“…The project was performed at the Laboratory for Neuroimaging of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The methodology of this project has been extensively described in previous publications ( Matura et al, 2014a , b , 2016 , 2020 , 2021 ). None of the participants had a history of neurological or psychiatric disorders.…”

Food supplements to complement brain functioning: the benefits of a combination of magnesium, folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E

“…(2021) 74 investigated the relationship in cognitively healthy individuals between cognitive performance, dietary fat composition and brain morphology, showing that a high ratio between saturated fatty acids and (n-3) PUFAs has a significant correlation with lower grey matter volumes and poorer verbal memory performance in areas of the left prefrontal cortex, a region involved in memory processes, thus suggesting that a diet rich in PUFAs could positively affect the morphology in brain areas important for executive functions and memory. A trial on healthy volunteers revealed that the Zone diet and omega-3 PUFAs were able to increase well-being and to modulate the mood state, as revealed by ad-hoc questionnaires.…”