Interesting cross-sectional study (analyzes a population at a specific point in time) that evaluated nearly 6,000 people that had an average age of 68 years old. Data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study administered by the University of Michigan was analyzed and the researchers concluded that greater adherence to a Mediterranean Diet was associated with better cognitive function and lower risk of cognitive impairment. The study was published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) in August 2017.
Abstract – Overview:
Evidence suggests that adherence to the Mediterranean (MedDiet) or MIND diet is neuroprotective but the association between these dietary patterns and cognition has not been evaluated in a nationally representative population of older US adults.
Abstract – Conclusion:
In a large nationally representative population of older adults, greater adherence to the MedDiet and MIND diet was independently associated with better cognitive function and lower risk of cognitive impairment. Clinical trials are required to elucidate the role of dietary patterns in cognitive aging.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 August ; 65(8): 1857–1862. doi:10.1111/jgs.14922