Association of dietary diversity and quality with cognitive performance and odds of Alzheimer's disease: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Introduction: Scientific evidence proposes that a healthy and diverse diet may have a role in preserving brain and cognitive performance. We sought to investigate the association of dietary diversity and quality with cognitive performance and odds of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken on 89 participants (60 Alzheimer's patients and 29 healthy individuals) over 60 years old (38 men and 51 women). A three-day food record was used to assess the dietary intake of participants. The dietary diversity (DD) score was examined using guidelines by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), and diet quality was assessed using the healthy eating index (HEI) and dietary quality index (DQI). Cognitive performance was appraised via the Mini-Mental State Test (MMSE). Results: The DD score was significantly lower in the AD group than in the healthy group (p0.05). There was a significant association between DD score with total MMSE score (β= 0.33, p=0.02), memory (β=0.35, p=0.02), and language (β= 0.32, p=0.03). HEI was positively correlated with calculation (β= 0.32, p=0.02). A high DD reduced the odds of AD by 79% (OR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.42; p<0.001) in a multivariate model. Conclusions: A high DD may be associated with improved cognitive status and may reduce the odds of AD. Funding: Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Keywords

• Dietary quality index
• Dietary diversity
• Healthy eating index
• Alzheimer's disease
• Cognitive performance