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Long-term intake of nuts in relation to cognitive function in older women
O’brien et al. (2014) retrieved data from the Nurses’ Health Study, including 15,467 women aged 70 or older without a history of stroke, in order to examine the effects of long-term consumption of nuts on cognition among older women. Nut intake was collected from the results of food-frequency questionnaires completed in 1980 and every 4 years thereafter, while the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), immediate and delayed verbal recall, category fluency, and attention were all assessed to determine cognitive function. The study found that higher long-term total nut intake was associated with better average cognitive status for all cognitive outcomes. A global score averaging the results of all tests revealed women who consumed at least 5 servings of nuts per week scored higher than those who didn’t eat as many portions, with a mean difference of 0.08 standard units (which is equivalent to the mean difference between women 2 years apart in age for example). Long term intake of nuts could not be associated with rates of cognitive decline, but it was concluded that greater nut consumption may be related to enhanced overall cognition at late adulthood, and could be a conveniently modifiable public health intervention. [NPIDs: aging, elderly, cognitive decline, neurodegenerative disorders, dementia, cognition, nuts, older women]
Year: 2014
