Abstract
Background:
Tree nuts and peanuts (henceforth, nuts) are nutrient-dense foods rich in neuroprotective components, thus their consumption could benefit cognitive health. However, evidence to date is limited and inconsistent regarding the potential benefits of nuts for cognitive function.
Objective:
To prospectively evaluate the association between nut consumption and 2-year changes in cognitive performance in older adults at cognitive decline risk.
Methods:
6,630 participants aged 55-75 years (mean age 65.0±4.9 years, 48.4% women) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome, completed a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests at baseline and after a 2-year follow-up. Composite cognitive scores were used to assess global, general, attention, and executive function domains. Nut consumption was categorized as <1, ≥1 to <3, ≥3 to <7, and ≥7 servings/week (1 serving=30 g). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were fitted to assess associations between baseline nut consumption and 2-year cognitive changes.
Results:
Nut consumption was positively associated with 2-year changes in general cognitive function (p-trend <0.001). Compared to participants consuming <1 serving/week of nuts, those categorized as consuming ≥3 to <7 and ≥7 servings/week showed more favorable changes in general cognitive performance (β z-score [95% CI]= 0.06 [0.00,0.12] and 0.13 [0.06,0.20], respectively). No significant changes were observed in the multivariable-adjusted models for other cognitive domains assessed.
Conclusion:
Frequent nut consumption was associated with smaller decline in general cognitive performance over a 2-year period in older adults at risk of cognitive decline. Randomized clinical trials to verify our findings are warranted.
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