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Evidence of an anti-inflammatory diet as a key protector for subjective memory complaints in women
Population aging is correlated with an increase in neurodegenerative diseases, with subjective memory complaints (SMC) serving as an early indicator of cognitive decline, crucial for dementia prevention. This research assesses the adherence to various Mediterranean dietary patterns and their effect on SMC among women aged 50 and older. Specifically, it examines the Mediterranean diet (MED), the Mediterranean Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet (MIND), and the Anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet (AnMED). A cohort of 348 women was analyzed for SMC, cognitive decline, dietary inflammatory index (DII), chronic diseases, and physical parameters.
The findings reveal that adherence to the AnMED diet significantly protects against SMC (p = 0.0002). Key protective components of this diet include greens, non-green vegetables, and legumes (p < 0.005), whereas consumption of dairy products, refined grains, sugars, pastries, and cakes correlates with increased risk (p < 0.005). The quartile analysis based on DII indicated improved outcomes for SMC, depression, and diabetes in participants with a higher anti-inflammatory DII (p < 0.05). Notably, the AnMED diet exhibited the lowest DII score (-3.43), rendering it the most anti-inflammatory among the diets studied. In conclusion, the study advocates for the adoption of the AnMED dietary pattern, recommending the avoidance of red and processed meats, sugars, refined grains, and cow milk while promoting the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts to mitigate the prevalence of SMC in women. [NPID: Memory, women, cognitive decline, anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean, inflammatory]
Year: 2025
