Abstract
Various dairy nutrients have been associated with cognitive performance. Several observational studies have explored associations between the intake of total dairy or some dairy subgroups and cognitive performance. However, studies on the potential impact of a broad variety of dairy subclasses are scarce. We examined cross-sectional associations between a wide assortment of dairy products and cognitive performance. A total of 619 Dutch community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years completed a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. Cognitive performance was assessed with an extensive neuropsychological test battery; the tests were clustered into cognitive domains using z-scores. Linear and logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, habitual physical activity, total energy intake, and dietary factors, were performed to quantify the associations. The Benjamini–Hochberg method was used to correct for multiple testing. After full adjustment, higher skimmed dairy (β ± SD: 0.05 ± 0.02, p = 0.06), fermented dairy (0.04 ± 0.02, p = 0.09), and buttermilk (0.08 ± 0.03, p = 0.19) consumption were associated with better executive functioning. Logistic regression analyses indicated that a 30 g increase in Dutch cheese intake was associated with a 33% lower probability of poor information processing speed (PR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.47–0.97). No associations were observed between dairy consumption and attention and working memory or episodic memory.
Highlights
In the Netherlands, nearly 270,000 people have dementia, which is estimated to increase up to more than a half million by 2040 [1]
Nutrition has been identified as one of the determinants of age-related cognitive decline [4,5,6], where beneficial associations have been shown for various dairy nutrients such as bioactive peptides, vitamin B12, calcium, and whey protein
This cross-sectional study was performed using baseline data of the B-PROOF study [16], a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to assess the effect of daily oral supplementation of vitamin B12 (500 μg) and folic acid (400 μg) on fractures in 2919 mildly hyperhomocysteinemic adults ≥65 years
Summary
In the Netherlands, nearly 270,000 people have dementia, which is estimated to increase up to more than a half million by 2040 [1]. As yet, no effective treatment to cure dementia, strategies to prevent or slow down the development of cognitive decline are warranted [2,3]. Associations between dairy consumption and cognitive decline may be explained through the potential effects on cardiometabolic pathways [8,9]. Through adverse associations with cardiometabolic health , specific fatty acids, sodium, and sugar—as part of e.g., full-fat dairy products, cheese, and sugar-sweetened dairy products—have been adversely associated with cognition [10]. To facilitate the formulation of concrete recommendations, studies exploring the associations of specific dairy groups (e.g., skimmed, semi-skimmed, full-fat, fermented, non-fermented) or products (e.g., milk, yogurt, cheese) with cognitive performance are needed
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