Aging populations and the growing prevalence of dementia highlight the need to identify lifestyle factors that may support healthy cognitive aging. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables, including Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND dietary patterns, have been associated with better cognitive health. Plant-based foods contain polyphenols and other compounds that may have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties.

A recent cross-sectional study examined whether dietary polyphenol intake was associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among 92 adults aged 65 and older attending a memory clinic in Italy. Participants completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire, while cognitive function was assessed using the MMSE and MoCA. Researchers also measured inflammatory biomarkers, including TGF-β1 and TNF-α.

Participants without MCI generally reported higher intake of total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, flavanones, flavones, hydroxycinnamic acids, and lignans. Several individual compounds, including hesperetin, naringenin, quercetin, and specific lignans, were also consumed in greater amounts by participants without MCI.

Higher intake of total polyphenols, flavonoids, and lignans was associated with a lower likelihood of MCI after adjusting for age, sex, education, smoking, and energy intake. Certain polyphenols also showed modest associations with cognitive test scores.

However, the study did not establish a causal relationship between polyphenol intake and cognitive health. No clear overall association was found between total polyphenol intake and inflammatory biomarkers. The small, cross-sectional design also means the findings may have been influenced by dietary recall, confounding factors, and other limitations.

Overall, higher dietary polyphenol intake was associated with a lower likelihood of MCI in older memory-clinic patients, but further longitudinal and clinical studies are needed to determine whether polyphenol-rich diets can help prevent or slow cognitive decline.

Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260920/Older-adults-with-higher-polyphenol-intake-were-less-likely-to-have-mild-cognitive-impairment.aspx