Font ResizeUtah researchers have found that people who follow a "heart healthy" diet also experience less cognitive decline as they age.
The study by researchers with the Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging found that participants who closely followed a DASH diet -- proven to lower blood pressure -- also scored higher on cognitive tests and had less mental decline.
Ron Munger, director of USU's Center for Epidemiologic Studies, presented the results Wednesday at the 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, being held in Vienna, Austria. It is sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association. More than 3,000 researchers from around the world are attending the conference, considered the premiere gathering for those who study the disease.
There are now more than 26 million people living with dementia around the world, according to the association.
The Utah study is the first to look at associations between a DASH diet and cognitive ability. The DASH diet is high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and low-fat dairy foods.
The Cache County Study, begun in 1995, is based at Utah State University. Researchers there are collaborating with researchers at Duke University Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University to study genetic and environmental factors associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
The study began with 5,092 participants. Of those, 3,831 participants filled out a survey
Heidi Wengreen, an assistant professor of nutrition at Utah State University, said she and other researchers analyzed how those who closely followed a DASH diet performed on the cognitive tests over those years. Those who had a high DASH score also had high cognitive functioning over time, Wengreen said.
They also found people who consumed four particular types of food included in the DASH diet -- vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and nuts-legumes -- did even better on the cognitive tests.
"We looked at some single nutrients but what we think is going on is nutrients work together in food and our bodies," Wengreen said. "A whole diet is probably going to give us more information as to how diet effects the risk for Alzheimer's or cognitive disease."
Wengreen said other researchers have found beneficial associations between cognitive function and a Mediterranean diet -- which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds, healthy fats and low to moderate amounts of dairy products, fish and poultry. The two diets have similar but not identical components.
"The message is very important for older people whose metabolism is slowing down and need fewer calories," she said. "They need to make sure they are making the best choices and choosing nutrient dense food."
Wengreen also said the results likely highlight the importance of following a DASH-style diet over a lifetime to prevent premature cognitive decline.
Other research findings presented at the 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease include the following:
A University of Connecticut study found a majority of adults who participated in an anonymous online "dementia literacy" survey incorrectly said there was no association between Alzheimer's and obesity, high blood pressure or high stress. About one-third did not know physical exercise helps protect cognitive ability.
A California team found that military veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder were at higher risk of developing dementia.
A study by North Carolina researchers found moderate alcohol intake of 8 to 14 drinks a week, especially wine, is associated with a reduced risk of dementia in middle-aged adults.
Another group of California researchers found older adults with a sedentary lifestyle had the lowest levels of cognitive function, but their capability improved when they began aerobic exercise programs.
A Washington, D.C., research team also found higher levels of aerobic physical activity are associated with better memories but not, unfortunately, in people who have the Alzheimer's risk gene APOE.
Canadian researchers, on the other hand, said long-term strenuous activity appears to increase the risk of cognitive impairment in recently postmenopausal women, while moderate activity is beneficial.
