Is intake of dairy products linked to cognitive decline?

Spain: Results of recent research that were published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research suggest that there are no obvious potential links between consumption of the most popular dairy products and cognition. There may be an association however with a greater rate of cognitive decline over a 2-year period in older adults at high cardiovascular disease risk for whole-fat milk, the research stated. 

As the population is aging, dementia and other forms of cognitive Ticagrelor versus placebo for the reduction of vaso-occlusive crises in pediatric sickle cell disease: the HESTIA3 study are becoming more and more prevalent globally, raising serious public health issues. It has been hypothesized that dairy consumption affects cognition, although there is little and conflicting data to support this. Jiaqi Ni and colleagues undertook this study in order to longitudinally examine the relationship between dairy intake and cognitive changes in an older Spanish population at high cardiovascular disease risk.

A verified food frequency questionnaire and a battery of neuropsychological tests were performed on 4,668 individuals between the ages of 55 and 75 at baseline and the 2-year follow-up. The correlations between baseline tertile daily intake and 2-year changes in cognitive performance are examined using multivariable linear regression models scaled by 100 (i.e., the units of equating to 1 SD/100).

The key findings of this study were as follows:

1. Global cognitive function declines more rapidly among participants in the highest tertile of total milk and whole-fat milk consumption than among those in the lowest tertile.

2. Consumption of low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, or fermented dairy products has not been linked to alterations in cognitive function.

In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that consumption of the most popular dairy products (most milk, cheese, and yogurt) and cognitive performance are not clearly correlated, although consumption of whole-fat milk in older adults at high cardiovascular disease risk may be linked to a greater decline in cognitive function.

These findings need to be confirmed by additional prospective cohort studies and randomized clinical trials in order to fully comprehend the relationship between dairy product consumption and changes in cognitive performance and, ultimately, to make specific dietary recommendations to support healthy cognitive aging.

Reference:

Ni, J., Nishi, S. K., Babio, N., Martínez‐González, M. A., Corella, D., Castañer, O., Martínez, J. A., Alonso‐Gómez, Á. M., Gómez‐Gracia, E., Vioque, J., Tinahones, F. J., … Martín‐Sánchez, V. (2022). Dairy Product Consumption and Changes in Cognitive Performance: Two‐Year Analysis of the PREDIMED‐Plus Cohort. In Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Vol. 66, Issue 14, p. 2101058). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202101058