Older black adults who ate more whole grains appeared to have less memory loss as they got older, according to a study released Wednesday.
Researchers at RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago found a link among older black residents who consumed more grains daily — such as a single-serving slice of dark bread — with less memory loss. This equated 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 correlation, not causation, for whole grains.
The findings, scientists say, warrant further research into the effects of whole grains, which groups such as the American Heart Association have linked to lower risks of diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke, which disproportionately affect black people. The study may also help healthcare providers identify diets to promote healthy aging. This may be especially important for black people, who are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to white people.
“In terms of dietary patterns, it’s not really a one-size-fits-all approach,” Xiaoran Liu, a study author and a RUSH assistant professor of internal medicine, told USA TODAY. “We do have to take into account the cultural differences in their diet. The results of this research can help doctors, physicians or dieticians to further tailor that precise nutritional advice.”
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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 black-majority aging cohorts that studied four South Side neighborhoods from 1993 to 2012. The group surveyed more than 3,300 people, all older than 65 years old, for about six years.
Liu previously studied how a plant-based diet reduced cognitive decline, and she wanted to understand how whole grains can protect cognition as people age, to limit the risks of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia diseases that affect memory and thinking in daily activities. affect.
About 60% of participants were black, although the study found no similar trends in whole grain consumption that reduced cognitive decline among white participants. The study divided participants into five groups based on daily consumption of whole grains, from less than one-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 consume more whole grain foods — such as dark bread, cornbread or oats — and fewer refined grains, a processed form that removes the nutrient-rich exterior of a grain. Refined grains include white rice, pancakes and cold cereals. Compared to white participants, black participants also consumed fewer calories and meat.
The participants completed a survey with 144 questions about food trends every three years. In addition, researchers conducted cognitive and memory tests that required participants to memorize words, remember numbers, and organize them. Researchers also took into account other factors that may contribute to cognitive decline, such as age, gender, education and smoking.
The food questionnaire was self-reported, which the researchers said was a limitation because 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 shortcomings of this type of research, researchers say it is standard practice in this area of research.
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 avoid higher rates of cognitive decline among African Americans and others. understand vulnerable population groups. Groups such as the Alzheimer’s Association point to socioeconomic and health issues that influence 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 to motivate a clinical trial.”
Accounting for socio-cultural backgrounds in medicine
Black people are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels and is linked to poorer cognitive outcomes. Whole grains are known to lower 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 demonstrates the need to take sociocultural backgrounds into account when designing nutritional interventions to preserve cognition against Alzheimer’s disease. Gu, who was not involved in the study, likened it to personalized medicine that looks at people’s genetic makeup to treat them appropriately.
“You have to take all the other factors into account when you design a prevention measure for populations,” she said.
‘Probably not a miracle cure’
The study also builds on existing evidence about how whole grains reduce cognitive decline as people age.
Maya Vadiveloo, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island, said whole grains are associated with better cognition because of fiber and polyphenols, as well as vitamins B and E, which provide antioxidants to reduce inflammation and oxidation that damage the body. In addition to 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,” says Vadiveloo, another unaffiliated researcher. “It’s probably not a miracle cure either.”
After ten years, the Chicago Project, the cohort in the study, was restarted in 2021 and expanded to include Latino participants. Non-white groups need further research to tailor the best approach, researchers said.
“In a sense, this is just an incremental field,” said co-author Kuman Rajan, a professor at RUSH Medical Center who directs the university’s aging center. “There is so much information that indicates that diet plays a very important role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Researchers plan to next look at how nutrients in whole grains can specifically help protect cognition.
Eduardo Cuevas covers health and breaking news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at EMCuevas1@usatoday.com.