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Markers of a plant-based diet relate to memory and executive function in older adults
Despite published evidence pointing to the health benefits of a plant-based diet, the level of evidence investigating the links between cognitive health and plant-based food remains insufficient. Recent publications postulate the impact of certain macronutrients on overall cognition, however, the mechanisms behind the interaction between plant-based foods and cognitive domains are not clear. In this cross-sectional study by Ramey et al. (2022), the authors examined the links between cognitive domains and a plant-based diet in a sample of 3039 older adult participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2011 and 2014 (NHANES). Data on macronutrient intake was collected using 24-hour dietary interviews, while cognitive domains were investigated using performance tests (executive function and long-term memory, through digital symbol substitution test, delayed word recall, and animal fluency). Analysis of the results revealed that fidelity to plant-based dietary patterns was linked to improved performance on all cognitive tasks investigated, in addition to a reduction in baseline levels of inflammation. Further analysis demonstrated a relationship between plant-based diets and executive function, which explained the improvements observed in memory enhancements. The authors conclude that their results present preliminary evidence of the impact of plant-based dietary patterns on improving cognition, specifically in executive control domains, though further work is necessary to identify the causality behind these observations and involved mechanisms, for example, the observed reductions in inflammatory levels. [NPID: Diet, NHANES, executive function, memory, nutrition, older adults, plant-based diet, vegan diet]
Year: 2022
