A recent study conducted by researchers from New York University’s (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine has unveiled a promising link between heart-healthy diets and cognitive well-being among middle-aged women. The findings indicate that women who adhered to such diets were approximately 17% less likely to report cognitive decline in the later stages of life.
This research, published in the journal “Alzheimer’s & Dementia,” suggests that adopting the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet could enhance cognitive function in later life. This is particularly significant because women constitute more than two-thirds of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.
The DASH diet promotes a high consumption of plant-based foods that are rich in essential nutrients like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It emphasizes a diet comprising fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, while limiting saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages.
The study focused on data from 5,116 women out of the 14,000 participants enrolled in the NYU Women’s Health Study. This ongoing study explores the influence of lifestyle and other factors on the development of various chronic conditions, including cancer, in women. Participants were queried about their dietary habits through questionnaires when they enrolled between 1985 and 1991.
The questions inquired about difficulties related to remembering recent events or shopping lists, comprehending spoken instructions or group conversations, and navigating familiar streets. The research revealed a 17% reduction in the likelihood of reporting multiple cognitive complaints among women who adhered to diets closely resembling the DASH diet.
Yu Chen, a professor in the Department of Population Health and the senior author of the study, emphasized that “subjective complaints about daily cognitive performance are early predictors of more serious neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s.” The study followed participants for more than 30 years, during which 33% of women reported experiencing more than one of the six cognitive complaints assessed using standardized questions, indicative of later mild cognitive impairment preceding dementia.
Chen further noted, “With more than 30 years of follow-up, we found that the stronger the adherence to a DASH diet in midlife, the less likely women are to report cognitive issues much later in life.” These findings underscore the potential of adopting a DASH diet in middle age to safeguard cognitive health in the golden years.
