(P27-014-23) Associations of Vegetables and Fruits Intake With Cognitive Function and Its Decline: Two Longitudinal Studies

Objectives: Previous studies suggested protective associations of vegetables and fruits (VF) intake with cognitive function, but evidence on specific types of VF was insufficient. We examined the association of intake of total and specific VF with cognitive function and its decline in two population-based cohort studies in China and the US.

Methods: The current study included 4066 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and 6170 participants from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) aged 55 years and older. Dietary intake (using 3-day 24-hour dietary recalls in CHNS and food frequency questionnaire in HRS) and cognitive function (using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified) were measured. We used linear mixed-effects models to estimate the beta coefficients (β) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) to evaluate the association of VF with cognitive function (z-score) and its decline.

Results: During a mean follow-up of 4.1 years in CHNS and 5.2 years in HRS, highest intake of total VF was associated with better cognitive function (β_T3vsT1=0.039, 95% CI=0.002, 0.076 in CHNS; β_T3vsT1=0.063, 95% CI=0.026, 0.100 in HRS) and slower cognitive decline (β_T3vsT1=0.011/year, 95% CI=0.002, 0.021 in CHNS; β_T3vsT1=0.012/year, 95% CI=0.003, 0.020in HRS) in later life after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle variables and other dietary factors. Vegetables and fruits showed independent associations with both cognitive function and its decline. In particular, cruciferous vegetables and green leafy vegetables demonstrated positive associations with cognitive function in both CHNS (β_T3vsT1=0.036-0.058) and HRS (β_T3vsT1=0.067-0.082). Moreover, higher intake of dark colored vegetables (β_T3vsT1=0.019, 95%CI=0.008, 0.030 for red/yellow vegetables in CHNS and β_T3vsT1=0.004, 95%CI=0.001, 0.007 for green leafy vegetables in HRS) were associated with slower cognitive decline in subsequent years.

Conclusions: Our findings support the potential beneficial roles of VF, especially cruciferous vegetables, green leafy vegetables, and red/yellow vegetables, in maintaining cognitive function and slowing cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.

Funding Sources: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.8210120183).