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Long-term association between the dietary inflammatory index and cognitive functioning: findings from the SU.VI.MAX study

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Abstract

Purpose

Inflammation is a ubiquitous underlying mechanism of the links between diet and cognitive functioning. No study has yet evaluated the overall inflammatory potential of the diet, using the dietary inflammatory index (DII), in relation to cognitive functioning. In a French cohort of middle-aged adults, we evaluated the association between the DII, assessed in midlife, and cognitive performance evaluated 13 years later.

Methods

The DII is a literature-derived dietary index developed to determine the inflammatory potential of diet. The DII was estimated at baseline (1994–1996) among 3080 subjects of the SU.VI.MAX (supplementation with antioxidant vitamins and minerals) cohort. Cognitive performance was assessed in 2007–2009 via a battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Principal component analysis was performed to extract a summary score of cognitive performance. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses were performed to provide regression coefficients and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI).

Results

In a multivariate model, a strong inverse association was observed between a higher DII (reflecting a more inflammatory diet) and overall cognitive functioning (mean difference Q4 vs. Q1 = −1.76; 95 % CI = −2.81, −0.72, P for trend =0.002). With regard to specific cognitive domains, similar associations were observed with scores reflecting verbal memory, but not executive functioning.

Conclusion

This study suggests that a pro-inflammatory diet at midlife might be associated with subsequent lower cognitive functioning. A diet exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties may help to maintain cognitive health during aging.

Clinical trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov (number NCT00272428).

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

DII:

Dietary inflammatory index

CES-D:

Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

CRP:

C-reactive protein

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Q :

Quartile

TMT:

Trail-making test

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the ANR (National Research Agency, Grant No. ANR-05-PNRA-010), DGS (Ministry of Health), Médéric, Sodexo, Ipsen, MGEN, and Pierre Fabre. Mederic and MGEN are French health insurance organizations complementary to the National Health Insurance System. Ipsen and Pierre Fabre are private pharmaceutical companies; they financially supported the overall implementation of the research project. Sodexo is a food catering company that sponsored events between researchers and study participants. Sponsors were not involved in analyses or interpretation of findings. Karen E. Assmann was supported by a doctoral dissertation fellowship from University of Paris 13. Drs. Shivappa, Hebert, and Wirth were supported by grant number R44DK103377 from the United States National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Centre d’Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, SMBH Université Paris 13, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny Cedex, France

    Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Karen E. Assmann, Valentina A. Andreeva, Mathilde Touvier, Lola Neufcourt, Serge Hercberg, Pilar Galan & Chantal Julia

  2. Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert & Michael D. Wirth

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert & Michael D. Wirth

  4. Connecting Health Innovations, LLC, Columbia, SC, 29229, USA

    Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert & Michael D. Wirth

  5. Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Avicenne, 93017, Bobigny Cedex, France

    Serge Hercberg & Chantal Julia

Authors
  1. Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot
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  2. Karen E. Assmann
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  3. Valentina A. Andreeva
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  4. Mathilde Touvier
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  7. James R. Hébert
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  8. Michael D. Wirth
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  9. Serge Hercberg
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  10. Pilar Galan
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  11. Chantal Julia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. James R. Hébert owns the controlling interest in Connecting Health Innovations LLC (CHI), a company planning to license the right to the dietary inflammatory index (DII) from the University of South Carolina in order to develop computer and smart phone applications for patient counseling and dietary intervention in clinical settings. Dr. Nitin Shivappa is an employee of CHI. The subject matter of this paper will not have any direct bearing on that work, nor has that activity exerted any influence on this project. The other authors declare no conflict of interest.

Competing interest

EKG carried out data checking and analyses and was responsible for drafting the manuscript. She takes full responsibility for the present work. NS was involved in DII computation. KA, VAA, MT, LN, NS, JRH, MDW, SH, PG, and CJ were involved in interpreting the results and editing the manuscript. EKG, PG, and SH were responsible for developing the design and protocol of the study. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript. None of the authors has any competing interests, and all are independent of the funding bodies.

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Kesse-Guyot, E., Assmann, K.E., Andreeva, V.A. et al. Long-term association between the dietary inflammatory index and cognitive functioning: findings from the SU.VI.MAX study. Eur J Nutr 56, 1647–1655 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1211-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1211-3

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