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Association of long-term adherence to the mind diet with cognitive function and cognitive decline in American women

The journal of nutrition, health & aging volume 22, pages 222–229 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

There is increasing attention for dietary patterns as a potential strategy to prevent cognitive decline. We examined the association between adherence to a recently developed Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet with cognitive function and cognitive decline, taking into account the interaction between the apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype and the MIND diet.

Design

Population-based prospective cohort study.

Participants

A total of 16,058 older women aged 70 and over from the Nurses’ Health Study.

Measurements

Dietary intake was assessed five times between 1984 and 1998 with a 116-item Food Frequency Questionnaire. The MIND score includes ten brain-healthy foods and five unhealthy foods. Cognition was assessed four times by telephone from 1995 to 2001 (baseline) with the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) and by calculating composite scores of verbal memory and global cognition. Linear regression modelling and linear mixed modelling were used to examine the associations of adherence to the MIND diet with average cognitive function and cognitive change over six years, respectively.

Results

Greater long-term adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a better verbal memory score (multivariable-adjusted mean differences between extreme MIND quintiles=0.04 (95%CI 0.01-0.07), p-trend=0.006), but not with cognitive decline over 6 years in global cognition, verbal memory or TICS.

Conclusion

Long-term adherence to the MIND diet was moderately associated with better verbal memory in later life. Future studies should address this association within populations at greater risk of cognitive decline.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wageningen University, Division of Human Nutrition, PO Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands

    Agnes M. Berendsen, E. J. M. Feskens, C. P. G. M. de Groot & O. van de Rest

  2. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    J. H. Kang & F. Grodstein

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    F. Grodstein

Authors
  1. Agnes M. Berendsen
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  2. J. H. Kang
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  3. E. J. M. Feskens
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  4. C. P. G. M. de Groot
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  5. F. Grodstein
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  6. O. van de Rest
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Agnes M. Berendsen.

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Berendsen, A.M., Kang, J.H., Feskens, E.J.M. et al. Association of long-term adherence to the mind diet with cognitive function and cognitive decline in American women. J Nutr Health Aging 22, 222–229 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-017-0909-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-017-0909-0

Key words

  • Cognition
  • dietary pattern
  • MIND
  • Mediterranean
  • DASH