A healthy plant-based diet was associated with slower cognitive decline in African American older adults: a biracial community-based cohort

Abstract

Background: African American (AA) adults have about twice the risk of developing dementia compared with white adults. However, evidence on dietary modification in preventing cognitive decline from diverse populations focusing on AA adults is minimal.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between a plant-based diet and the rate of cognitive decline in a population-based sample of AA and white adults.

Methods: This study consisted of 3337 participants from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (60% AA participants, 64% female). Plant-based diet quality was evaluated by the overall plant-based diet index (PDI), the healthful PDI (hPDI), and the unhealthful PDI (uPDI). Global cognition was assessed using a composite score of 4 individual tests of cognition. We used mixed models to examine the associations of PDI, hPDI, and uPDI with the rates of decline in global cognition, perceptual speed, and episodic memory. Models were adjusted for age, sex, presence of apoE e4 allele, lifestyle factors including education, cognitive activities, smoking status, calorie intake, risk factors for cardiovascular disease, time, and the interaction terms of time × each covariate.

Results: AA and white participants had various dietary patterns. Higher hPDI was associated with a slower rate of decline in global cognition, perceptual speed, and episodic memory in AA participants but not white participants. AA study participants in the highest quintile of hPDI had significantly slower rates of global cognitive decline (β: 0.0183 ± 0.0086; P = 0.032), perceptual speed (β: 0.0179 ± 0.0088; P = 0.04), and episodic memory (β: 0.0163 ± 0.0118; P = 0.04) than individuals in the lowest quintile of hPDI. There were no associations of either PDI or uPDI with the rate of cognitive decline in either racial group.

Conclusions: A healthy plant-based diet was associated with a slower rate of decline in global cognition, perceptual speed, and episodic memory in AA adults.

Keywords: African Americans; biracial; cognition; cognitive decline; diet; dietary pattern; episodic memory; longitudinal cohort; perceptual speed; plant-based diet.