The association between MIND diet and cognitive function among Chinese middle aged and older adults: A 9‐year longitudinal study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundEvidence on the association of Mediterranean‐DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet with cognitive function is limited. This study examined how MIND diet is related to cognitive function among Chinese middle aged and older adults.MethodThis longitudinal study comprised 4066 participants aged ≥55 years from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 1997. Dietary assessment (using 3‐day 24‐hour dietary recalls) and cognitive tests (using modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status) were conducted repeatedly from 1997 to 2006. The study MIND diet score was calculated based on 9 healthy food groups and 3 unhealthy food groups. Linear mixed‐effects models were used to investigate the relation of MIND diet adherence to cognitive function (z‐score).ResultThe median MIND score was 4.5 (range: 0‐12) among overall participants at baseline. During a mean follow‐up of 5.9 years, participants with higher scores of MIND diet had significant better global cognitive function in subsequent years. In the multivariable‐adjusted model, the regression coefficients (95% CI) across the tertiles of MIND score were 0 (ref), 0.01 (‐0.03, 0.06), and 0.07 (0.02, 0.11), respectively. For dietary components, highest consumption (T3 vs T1) of nuts (β = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.38), fish (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.16), poultry (β = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.16), red meat (β = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.14), tea (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.13), and green leafy vegetable (β = 0.04, 95% CI: ‐0.00, 0.09) were associated with better global cognitive function, whereas highest intake of fried food (β = ‐0.18, 95% CI: ‐0.26, ‐0.10), pastries and sweets (β = ‐0.07, 95% CI: ‐0.16, 0.02) demonstrated opposite associations. Furthermore, the beneficial association of MIND diet with cognitive function was stronger among residents in rural areas, soutern areas, and among illiterate participants though significant effect modifications were not observed.ConclusionOur findings suggest that higher adherence to MIND diet was associated with better cognitive function in later life. Further research is warranted to confirm the findings and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.