The Association Between Diet and Cardio-Metabolic Risk on Cognitive Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study of Middle-Aged Australian Adults

Abstract

Adherence to different dietary patterns has been linked to the development of cognitive decline; yet little is known about whether this relationship is present in middle age. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between different dietary patterns, cognitive performance, and potential cardio-metabolic mechanisms for this relationship. Participants were recruited using a diet screening tool to ensure that the cohort had a range of diet quality ranging from relatively poor to relatively healthy. In a sample of 141 middle-aged adults (age: M = 52.84 years, SD = 6.87 years), multiple 24 h diet recalls were collected and used to score adherence to the Mediterranean diet, dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet, and Mediterranean–DASH diet intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet. Metabolic risk was assessed using the metabolic syndrome severity score (MetSSS) and arterial stiffness. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Swinburne University Computerized Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB). Adherence to the MIND diet was significantly related to Stroop Processing domain (β = 0.19, p = 0.035). None of the dietary patterns were significantly related to MetSSS or arterial stiffness. However, adherence to the DASH diet was significantly associated with two cardio-metabolic measures including lower augmentation index (β = −0.17, p = 0.032) and lowered cholesterol (β = −0.18, p = 0.041). Interestingly, two cardio-metabolic risk factors were also associated with better cognitive performance: MetSSS (β = 0.21, p = 0.010) and waist circumference (β = 0.22, p = 0.020). Together these findings suggest that diet in middle age may be important for cognitive functioning and cardio-metabolic risk. However, more research is needed in the form of randomized controlled trials to confirm the direction of these relationships.

The role of nutrition in the prevention of cognitive decline

“…Most of the studies on DASH diet are observational studies (longitunal or cross-sectional) and concern primary prevention (no individuals with cognitive impairment) [7,8]. A limited number of studies have found that adherence to the DASH diet is associated with better cognitive function, a slower rate of global cognitive decline and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.…”

“…A limited number of studies have found that adherence to the DASH diet is associated with better cognitive function, a slower rate of global cognitive decline and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. In general, research has not identified a link between adherence and the DASH diet and cognitive performance or decline [7,8]. These studies have several limitations due to their design with self-reported food consumption and limited data from the food frequency questionnaire.…”

Dietary Therapy in Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)—Tradition or Modernity? A Review of the Latest Approaches to Nutrition in CVD

“…The above anti-inflammatory dietary model is intended to counteract neurodegenerative processes, but at the same time, it provides the diet food products showing cardioprotective effects [60,61]. The MIND dietary model is mainly based on the supply of green vegetables, berries, nuts, oil, wine and fish, low-fat meat, and dairy [48,62,63]. For this reason, the diet is rich in vitamin E, flavonoids, and folate which protect the cardiovascular system through anti-inflammatory effects and prevent abnormal homocysteine metabolism [48,64].…”