Prospective Associations between Single Foods, Alzheimer’s Dementia and Memory Decline in the Elderly

Abstract

Background: Evidence whether single “cognitive health” foods could prevent cognitive decline is limited. We investigated whether dietary intake of red wine, white wine, coffee, green tea, olive oil, fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, red meat and sausages, assessed by a single-food-questionnaire, would be associated with either incident Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) or verbal memory decline. Methods: Participants aged 75+ of the German Study on Aging, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe) cohort were regularly followed over 10 years (n = 2622; n = 418 incident AD cases). Multivariable-adjusted joint modeling of repeated-measures and survival analysis was used, taking gender and Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE ε4) genotype into account as possible effect modifiers. Results: Only higher red wine intake was associated with a lower incidence of AD (HR = 0.92; P = 0.045). Interestingly, this was true only for men (HR = 0.82; P < 0.001), while in women higher red wine intake was associated with a higher incidence of AD (HR = 1.15; P = 0.044), and higher white wine intake with a more pronounced memory decline over time (HR = −0.13; P = 0.052). Conclusion: We found no evidence for these single foods to be protective against cognitive decline, with the exception of red wine, which reduced the risk for AD only in men. Women could be more susceptible to detrimental effects of alcohol.

Coffee Consumption and Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

“…Two of those studies were consistent in finding a lack of association between coffee consumption and the risk of AD [ 20 , 22 ]. In a cohort of 2622 older German adults, including 418 AD cases diagnosed during 10 years of follow-up, the hazard ratio of AD per one time/week increase in coffee consumption was 0.97 (95% CI 0.90–1.04) [ 22 ]. Likewise, in a cohort of 694 Canadian adults, including 36 AD cases diagnosed during 5 years of follow-up, the RR of AD for regular versus no regular coffee consumption was 1.03 (95% CI 0.47–2.30) [ 20 ].…”

“…Three studies reporting results on coffee consumption and AD risk were non-eligible for inclusion in this dose-response meta-analysis because results were not reported in different quantitative categories of coffee consumption [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Two of those studies were consistent in finding a lack of association between coffee consumption and the risk of AD [ 20 , 22 ]. In a cohort of 2622 older German adults, including 418 AD cases diagnosed during 10 years of follow-up, the hazard ratio of AD per one time/week increase in coffee consumption was 0.97 (95% CI 0.90–1.04) [ 22 ].…”

“… Summary of literature search. * Results reported for regular versus no regular coffee intake [ 20 ]; daily versus no daily coffee intake [ 21 ]; or per times/week increase in coffee intake [ 22 ]. …”

Association between tea consumption and cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults

“…However, several studies did not show the association. Some studies with uncommon tea drinking customs of participants [ 14 , 36 ], and others with a weak association between tea consumption and cognitive impairment failed to draw any conclusion [ 37 ]. As known, cognitive dysfunction was a complex process of various risk factors interactions.…”

“…Experimental and animal studies demonstrated that tea polyphenols might have neuroprotective activity and be useful for neurodegenerative disease therapy in the future [ 10 , 11 ]. In recent years, researchers have suggested that tea consumption is linked to a lower risk of cognitive disorders [ 12 , 13 ], whereas others held inconsistent results [ 14 , 15 ]. Notably, the relationship between habit, frequency, or types of tea consumption and cognitive function, including the middle-aged population, has not been investigated.…”