Older black adults who ate more whole grains had reduced memory loss as they got older, according to a study published Wednesday.
Researchers at RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago found an association with lower levels of memory loss among older Black residents who consumed more daily servings of whole grains (such as one slice of dark bread per serving). This meant being 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 a correlation, but not causal evidence, of the whole grain.
Scientists said the findings warrant further research into the effects of whole grains, which groups like the American Heart Association have linked to a lower risk of diabetes, hypertension and stroke, which disproportionately affect black people. The study may also help healthcare providers identify diets that will promote healthy aging. This may be particularly important for Black people, who are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to white people.
“In terms of dietary patterns, it’s actually not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Xiaoran Liu, an author of the study and assistant professor of internal medicine at RUSH, told USA TODAY. “We have to respect cultural differences in terms of their nutrition. “The results of this study may help clinicians, doctors or dietitians further tailor this definitive nutritional recommendation.”
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Findings ‘an interesting correlation’
The study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health. The study used responses from the Chicago Health and Aging Project, one of the few groups of mostly Black seniors who studied four South Side neighborhoods from 1993 to 2012. The group surveyed more than 3,300 people, all over the age of 65, for nearly 65 years. six years.
Liu previously researched how a plant-based diet reduces cognitive decline and wanted to understand how whole grains might preserve cognition as people age to reduce the risks of Alzheimer’s and other dementia diseases that impair memory and thinking in daily activities.
Approximately 60% of participants were black; however, the study did not find similar trends in whole grain consumption reducing cognitive decline among white participants. The study divided participants into five groups based on the number of whole grains consumed per day, 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 black bread, cornbread or oats, and less refined grains, a processed form that removes the nutrient-rich outer surface of the grain. Refined grains include white rice, pancakes, and cold breakfast cereals. Compared to White participants, Black participants also consumed fewer calories and meat.
Participants completed a 144-question survey about food trends every three years. Additionally, researchers conducted cognitive and memory tests that involved participants recalling words, recalling and ordering numbers. The researchers also took into account other factors that may contribute to cognitive decline, such as age, gender, education and smoking.
The food survey was self-reported, and the researchers acknowledged this was a limitation because people may not remember what they ate. The study accounted for recall bias by excluding participants who scored low on memory tests.
Despite the inherent flaws of such studies, this is standard practice in the field of research, according to the researchers.
Dr., an associate professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. These studies are an important start, but it’s important to keep expectations in context to understand the higher rates of cognitive decline among African Americans and other vulnerable populations, Richard King said. Groups like the Alzheimer’s Association point to socioeconomic and health conditions that influence dementia risks for African Americans.
“There’s an interesting correlation,” said King, who was not connected to the study. “This may be enough to generate a hypothesis to motivate a clinical trial.”
Accounting for social-cultural backgrounds in medicine
Black people tend to have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels and is linked to worse cognitive outcomes. Whole grains are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Dr., an associate professor of neurological sciences at Columbia University Medical Center. Yian Gu said the study demonstrates the need to take social-cultural backgrounds into account to design dietary interventions to protect cognition against Alzheimer’s disease. Gu, who was not connected to the study, compared this to personalized medicine, which treats people accurately by looking at their genetic makeup.
“You need to take all the other factors into consideration when designing a prevention measure for communities,” he said.
‘It’s probably not a magic wand either’
The study also builds on existing evidence on how whole grains reduce cognitive decline as people age.
Whole grains are associated with better cognition because of their fiber and polyphenols, as well as vitamins B and E, which provide antioxidants to reduce inflammation and oxidation that damage the body, said Maya Vadiveloo, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island. She noted general dietary patterns that include eating more nuts, seeds and legumes to maintain cognition, as well as more whole grains.
“Any change is better than no change,” said Vadiveloo, another unaffiliated researcher. “It’s probably not a magic bullet either.”
A decade later, the Chicago project, the cohort sampled in the study, was relaunched in 2021 and expanded to Latino participants. More work is needed to tailor the best approaches to groups of color, the researchers said.
“In a way, it’s just a growing area,” said study co-author Kuman Rajan, a RUSH medical center professor who directs the university’s center on aging. “There is a wealth of information to suggest that nutrition plays a very important role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The researchers next plan to look at how nutrients in whole grains might specifically contribute to protecting cognition.
Eduardo Cuevas covers health and breaking news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at EMCUevas1@usatoday.com.