Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
J Alzheimers Dis. 2021;84(1):79-90. doi: 10.3233/JAD-210705.
Higher quality diets may be related to lower dementia rates. Midlife is emerging as a critical life stage for a number of dementia risk factors.
This study examines whether diet quality is related to brain structure during midlife, and if this differs by sex.
This study used data from 19184 UK Biobank participants aged 40-65 years. Diet quality was assessed using three dietary indices including the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), Healthy Diet Score (HDS), and Recommended Food Score (RFS). MRI brain measures included total, grey, white and hippocampal volume. Linear regression examined associations between diet quality and brain volume, controlling for potential confounders.
Better quality diet across all indices was significantly related to larger grey matter volume: MDS β= 429.7 (95%CI: 65.2, 794.2); HDS β= 700.1 (348.0, 1052.1); and RFS β= 317.1 (106.8, 527.3). Higher diet scores were associated with greater total volume: HDS β= 879.32 (286.13, 1472.50); RFS β= 563.37 (209.10, 917.65); and white matter volume: RFS β= 246.31 (20.56, 472.05), with the exception of Mediterranean diet adherence. Healthy eating guidelines and dietary variety associations with total and grey matter volume were more prominent in men.
Findings suggest that diet quality is associated with brain structure during midlife, potentially decades prior to the onset of dementia.
更高质量的饮食可能与更低的痴呆症发病率有关。中年是许多痴呆症风险因素的关键生命阶段。
本研究旨在探讨饮食质量与中年期大脑结构的关系，以及这种关系是否因性别而异。
本研究使用了来自英国生物银行 19184 名年龄在 40-65 岁的参与者的数据。饮食质量通过三种饮食指数进行评估，包括地中海饮食评分（MDS）、健康饮食评分（HDS）和推荐食物评分（RFS）。MRI 脑测量包括总脑容量、灰质、白质和海马体体积。线性回归分析了饮食质量与大脑体积之间的关系，同时控制了潜在的混杂因素。
所有指数中更高质量的饮食与更大的灰质体积显著相关：MDS β=429.7（95%CI：65.2，794.2）；HDS β=700.1（348.0，1052.1）；RFS β=317.1（106.8，527.3）。更高的饮食评分与更大的总脑容量相关：HDS β=879.32（286.13，1472.50）；RFS β=563.37（209.10，917.65）；白质体积：RFS β=246.31（20.56，472.05），地中海饮食依从性除外。健康饮食指南和饮食多样性与总脑容量和灰质体积的关联在男性中更为明显。
研究结果表明，饮食质量与中年期的大脑结构有关，可能在痴呆症发病前几十年就已经存在。
