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Abstract
Globally, cognitive deficit and dementia are among the major age-related chronic disorders. Daily consumption of fruit and vegetables has been associated with a diminished risk of cognitive deficit later in life. We examined whether the WHO recommendations of a daily intake of five servings of fruit and vegetables (≥400 gm) were associated with cognition in a low-income elderly population in the city of São Paulo. We explored the influence of socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and health measures on this association.
Methods We performed a cross-sectional analyses with 1849 participants ≥65 years old, free of dementia, at the baseline of the population-based prospective SPAH study. Cognition function was assessed using the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D), (scored as 0–30). Few cases with scores =0 were excluded. Cognitive deficit was defined as scores ≤1.5 SDs of the mean population (CSI-D scores ≤20.93). Fruit and vegetable intake was estimated using a Food Frequency Questionnaire. The association between cognition and fruit and vegetable intake was investigated using multiple linear and logistic regression models.
Results Multivariate analyses showed that a higher intake of fruit and vegetables was associated with higher cognitive scores. Individuals who consumed ≥400 g/day presented a significant 42% lower risk of cognitive deficit. Nevertheless, adjusting for education significantly attenuated this association.
Conclusion A high fruit and vegetable intake may help preserve cognitive function in the elderly, but education is a powerful confounder and may play an important role, especially in a low-income population.