by Older black adults who ate more whole grains appeared to have less memory loss as they aged, according to a study published Wednesday.
Researchers at RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago found an association between older black residents who consumed more daily servings of whole grains (such as one slice of black bread per serving) with lower levels of memory impairment. This was equivalent to being more than eight years younger than those who ate smaller amounts of whole grains. The study, published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, showed a correlation, not causal evidence, in whole grains.
The findings, the scientists said, warrant further research into the effects of whole grains, which groups such as the American Heart Association have associated with lower risks of diabetes, hypertension and stroke that disproportionately affect blacks. The study may also help healthcare providers identify diets to promote healthy aging. This may be particularly important for black people, who are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to white people.
“In terms of dietary patterns, it’s really not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Xiaoran Liu, study author and assistant professor of internal medicine at RUSH, told USA TODAY. “We have to honor cultural differences in terms of their diet. “The results of this study may help physicians, physicians or dieticians to further tailor that precise nutritional recommendation.”
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Findings “an interesting correlation”
The study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health. It used responses from the Chicago Health and Aging Project, one of the few majority-black senior groups that studied four South Side neighborhoods between 1993 and 2012. The group surveyed more than 3,300 people, all over age 65, during approximately six years.
Liu previously researched how a plant-based diet reduced cognitive decline and wanted to understand how whole grains can protect cognition as people age to reduce the risks of Alzheimer’s and other dementia diseases that affect memory and thinking in activities. everyday.
About 60% of the participants were black, although the study did not find similar trends in whole grain consumption that reduced cognitive decline among white participants. The study divided participants into five groups based on the whole grains consumed daily, from less than a fifth of a serving to the highest group, with 2.7 servings. This is still less than the federal dietary guidelines of three servings per day.
Black participants tended to eat more whole foods, such as black bread, cornbread or oatmeal, and fewer refined grains, a processed form that removes the grain’s nutrient-rich exterior. Refined grains include white rice, pancakes, and cold breakfast cereals. Compared to white participants, black participants also consumed fewer calories and meat.
Participants completed a 144-question survey about dietary trends every three years. In addition, the researchers conducted cognitive and memory tests in which participants remembered words and numbers and put them in order. The researchers also took into account other factors that may contribute to cognitive decline, such as age, sex, education and smoking.
The food questionnaire was self-reported, which the researchers acknowledged was a limitation since people might not remember what they ate. The study took recall bias into account by excluding participants who scored low on memory tests.
Despite the inherent flaws in this type of study, it is standard practice in this field of research, according to the researchers.
Dr. Richard King, associate professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, said these studies are an important start, but it’s important to keep expectations in context to understand higher rates of cognitive decline among African Americans and other vulnerable populations. Groups like the Alzheimer’s Association point to socioeconomic and health conditions that affect dementia risks for African Americans.
“There’s an interesting correlation,” said King, who was not involved in the study. “That could be enough to generate a hypothesis that motivates a clinical trial.”
Accounting for sociocultural contexts in medicine.
Black people tend to have higher rates of cardiovascular diseases, which affect the heart and blood vessels, which are linked to worse cognitive outcomes. Whole grains are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Dr. Yian Gu, associate professor of neurological sciences at Columbia University Medical Center, said the study shows the need to take sociocultural background into account when designing dietary interventions to preserve cognition against Alzheimer’s disease. Gu, who was not involved in the study, compared it to personalized medicine that analyzes people’s genetic makeup to treat them appropriately.
“All other factors need to be taken into account when designing a prevention measure for populations,” he said.
“It’s probably not a magic solution either.”
The study also builds on existing evidence about how whole grains reduce cognitive decline as people age.
Maya Vadiveloo, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island, said whole grains are associated with better cognition due to fiber and polyphenols, as well as vitamins B and E, which provide antioxidants to reduce inflammation and oxidation that damages the body. In addition to consuming more whole grains, she pointed to general dietary patterns, including eating more nuts, seeds and legumes, to preserve cognition.
“Any change is better than no change,” said Vadiveloo, another unaffiliated researcher. “It’s probably not a magic bullet either.”
After a decade, the Chicago project, the cohort included in the study, restarted in 2021 and expanded to Latino participants. Nonwhite groups need more study to tailor the best approaches, the researchers said.
“In some ways, this is just an incremental field,” said study co-author Kuman Rajan, a RUSH Medical Center professor who directs the university’s senior center. “There is a lot of information to suggest that diet plays a very important role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The researchers plan to next look at how nutrients in whole grains may specifically help protect cognition.
Eduardo Cuevas covers health and breaking news for USA TODAY. He can be contacted at EMCuevas1@usatoday.com.
