Are vegetables better food for brain?

Untuk meneliti hubungan antara perubahan fungsi kognitif dengan konsumsi
buah dan sayuran di kalangan manula, para ahli melakukan penelitian kohort
prospektif dengan 3.718 subyek berusia >65 tahun.

Rerata skor kognitif pada awal penelitian adalah 0,18 dan terjadi penurunan
sebesar 0,04 standard unit pertahun. Kelompok yang paling sedikit makan
sayur ternyata mengalami penurunan fungsi kognitif lebih cepat dibanding
kelompok yang paling banyak makan sayur. Mereka yang makan sayur 3-4 porsi
perhari mengalami penurunan skor kognitif 40% lebih lambat dibanding mereka
yang makan sayur kurang dari 1 porsi perhari. Sedangkan tingkat konsumsi
buah tidak berhubungan dengan perubahan kognitif.

Kesimpulan banyak konsumsi sayuran dapat menghambat penurunan fungsi
kognitif pada manula.

Abstract

Neurology 2006;67:1370-1376 October 24 2006 © 2006 American Academy of
Neurology.
Associations of vegetable and fruit consumption with age-related cognitive
change
M. C. Morris, ScD, D. A. Evans, MD, C. C. Tangney, PhD, J. L. Bienias, ScD
and R. S. Wilson, PhD

Objective: To examine the association between rates of cognitive change and
dietary consumption of fruits and vegetables among older persons.
Methods: The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of 3,718
participants, aged 65 years and older of the Chicago Health and Aging
Project. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and were
administered at least two of three cognitive assessments at baseline,
3-year, and 6-year follow-ups. Cognitive function was measured using the
average z-score of four tests: the East Boston Tests of immediate memory and
delayed recall, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Symbol Digit
Modalities Test.
Results: The mean cognitive score at baseline for the analyzed cohort was
0.18 (range: -3.5 to 1.6), and the overall mean change in score per year was
a decline of 0.04 standardized units. In mixed effects models adjusted for
age, sex, race, and education, compared with the rate of cognitive decline
among persons in the lowest quintile of vegetable intake (median of 0.9
servings/day), the rate for persons in the fourth quintile (median, 2.8
servings/day) was slower by 0.019 standardized units per year (p = 0.01), a
40% decrease, and by 0.018 standardized units per year (p = 0.02) for the
fifth quintile (median, 4.1 servings/day), or a 38% decrease in rates. The
association remained significant (p for linear trend = 0.02) with further
control of cardiovascular-related conditions and risk factors. Fruit
consumption was not associated with cognitive change.
Conclusion: High vegetable but not fruit consumption may be associated with
slower rate of cognitive decline with older age.

From Rush Institute for Healthy Aging (M.C.M., D.A.E., J.L.B.), Department
of Preventive Medicine (M.C.M., J.L.B.), Department of Internal Medicine
(M.C.M., D.A.E.), Department of Clinical Nutrition (C.C.T.), Rush
Alzheimer's Disease Center (R.S.W.), Department of Neurological Sciences
(R.S.W.), and Department of Psychology (R.S.W.), Rush University Medical
Center, Chicago, IL.

Makronutrien sebagai Prediktor Perubahan Lingkar Pinggang

Sering kali kita bertanya-tanya apakah bahan makanan atau minuman tertentu
menyebabkan perut menjadi buncit? Temuan penelitian berikut ini sangat
menarik.

Para ahli dari Denmark mencari hubungan antara asupan energi/kalori, asupan
makronutrien tertentu dan subgrup-nya terhadap perubahan lingkar pinggang 5
tahun kemudian, dengan melakukan studi kohort atas lebih dari 40 ribu pria
dan wanita berusia 50-64 tahun.

Ternyata protein menunjukkan asosiasi terbalik dengan perubahan lingkar
pinggang. Artinya semakin besar konsumsi protein, semakin kecil perubahan
lingkar pinggang. Demikian juga untuk buah dan sayuran.
Pada wanita terdapat asosiasi positif antara asupan karbohidrat refined,
kentang dan gula. Lemak nabati dan alkohol juga ber-asosiasi positif.
Artinya semakin besar konsumsi bahan makanan tersebut semakin besar pula
perubahan lingkar pinggang dalam waktu 5 tahun.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 4, 789-797, October
2006 © 2006

Intake of macronutrients as predictors of 5-y changes in waist circumference

Jytte Halkjær, Anne Tjønneland, Birthe L Thomsen, Kim Overvad and Thorkild
IA Sørensen
From the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Institute of Preventive
Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark (JH and TIAS);
The Danish Cancer Society, Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Copenhagen,
Denmark (JH, AT, and BLT); and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology,
Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark (KO)

Background:The diet may influence the development of abdominal obesity, but
the few studies that have prospectively examined the relations between diet
and changes in waist circumference (WC) have given inconsistent results.
Objective:Associations between total energy intake, energy intake from
macronutrients, and energy intake from macronutrient subgroups based on
different food sources and 5-y differences in WC (DWC) were investigated.
Design:A Danish cohort of 22.570 women and 20.126 men aged 50-64 y with
baseline data on WC, diet, BMI, and potential confounders reported their WC
5 y later. Associations of baseline diet with DWC were assessed by multiple
linear regression analysis.
Results:Neither total energy intake nor energy intake from each of the
macronutrients was associated with DWC, except for an inverse association
with protein, especially animal protein. In women, positive associations
with DWC were seen for carbohydrate from refined grains and potatoes and
from foods with simple sugars, whereas carbohydrate from fruit and
vegetables was inversely associated and significantly different from any
other carbohydrate subgroup. The results for men resembled those for women,
although none were significant. Vegetable fat was positively associated with
DWC for both men and women in a combined analysis. A U-shaped association
between alcohol from wine and DWC was present for both sexes, and alcohol
from spirits was positively associated with DWC in women.
Conclusions:Although no significant associations with total energy or energy
from fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol were observed, protein intake was
inversely related to DWC, and some macronutrient subgroups were
significantly associated with DWC.

Diet Mediterrania dapat mencegah Alzheimer

Para ahli meneliti hubungan antara diet mediterrania dan penyakit Alzheimer
dengan melakukan studi kasus kontrol.

Hasil penelitian mendapatkan bahwa penganut diet mediterrania mempunyai
risiko lebih rendah untuk terkena penyakit Alzheimer (odds ratio, 0.76; 95%
confidence interval, 0.67-0.87; P<.001).
Namun belum jelas mekanisme yang mempengaruhi hal tersebut.

Abstract

Mediterranean Diet, Alzheimer Disease, and Vascular Mediation

Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD; Yaakov Stern, PhD; Richard Mayeux, MD; Jose A.
Luchsinger, MD
Arch Neurol. 2006;63:(doi:10.1001/archneur.63.12.noc60109).

Objectives To examine the association between the Mediterranean diet (MeDi)
and Alzheimer disease (AD) in a different AD population and to investigate
possible mediation by vascular pathways.
Design, Setting, Patients, and Main Outcome Measures A case-control study
nested within a community-based cohort in New York, NY. Adherence to the
MeDi (0- to 9-point scale with higher scores indicating higher adherence)
was the main predictor of AD status (194 patients with AD vs 1790
nondemented subjects) in logistic regression models that were adjusted for
cohort, age, sex, ethnicity, education, apolipoprotein E genotype, caloric
intake, smoking, medical comorbidity index, and body mass index (calculated
as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). We investigated
whether there was attenuation of the association between MeDi and AD when
vascular variables (stroke, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease,
lipid levels) were simultaneously introduced in the models (which would
constitute evidence of mediation).
Results Higher adherence to the MeDi was associated with lower risk for AD
(odds ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.87; P<.001). Compared
with subjects in the lowest MeDi tertile, subjects in the middle MeDi
tertile had an odds ratio of 0.47 (95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.76) and
those at the highest tertile an odds ratio of 0.32 (95% confidence interval,
0.17-0.59) for AD (P for trend <.001). Introduction of the vascular
variables in the model did not change the magnitude of the association.
Conclusions We note once more that higher adherence to the MeDi is
associated with a reduced risk for AD. The association does not seem to be
mediated by vascular comorbidity. This could be the result of either other
biological mechanisms (oxidative or inflammatory) being implicated or
measurement error of the vascular variables.
Published online October 9, 2006 (doi:10.1001/archneur.63.12.noc60109).
Author Affiliations: Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and
the Aging Brain (Drs Scarmeas, Stern, Mayeux, and Luchsinger); Gertrude H.
Sergievsky Center (Drs Scarmeas, Stern, and Mayeux); and Departments of
Neurology (Drs Scarmeas, Stern, and Mayeux) and Medicine (Dr Luchsinger),
Columbia University, New York, NY.