Association between flavonoid intake and cognitive executive function among African American and White adults in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study

Authors: KUCZMARSKI, MARIE - National Institute On Aging (NIA, NIH); Crawford, Sara; Sebastian, Rhonda; BEYDOUN, MAY - National Institute On Aging (NIA, NIH); Goldman, Joseph; Moshfegh, Alanna; EVANS, MICHELE - National Institute On Aging (NIA, NIH); ZONDERMAN, ALAN - National Institute On Aging (NIA, NIH)

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2024
Publication Date: 4/30/2024
Citation: Kuczmarski, M.F., Crawford, S.B., Sebastian, R.S., Beydoun, M.A., Goldman, J.D., Moshfegh, A.J., Evans, M.K., Zonderman, A.B. 2024. Association between flavonoid intake and cognitive executive function among African American and White adults in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. Nutrients. 16(9):1360. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16091360.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16091360

Interpretive Summary: Cognition is defined as a person’s mental capabilities. Many adults experience a decline in cognition as they age. Some research has found that a healthy diet may protect against this decline. Flavonoids are an integral part of a healthy diet. They are found in vegetables, fruits, and tea. In this study, we explored if flavonoid intake was related to cognition. We used data collected over 3 visits from Baltimore City adults in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. Preliminary results found that higher flavonoid intake was related to higher cognition at the first study visit but not with change in cognition over time. However, when factors such as education level were considered, these relationships disappeared. One reason may be the low flavonoid intakes due to the overall unhealthy diets. These results are of interest to policymakers, program administrators, and clinicians who address health disparities, including those related to cognition, faced by some groups in the U.S. population.

Technical Abstract: Healthy dietary patterns rich in flavonoids have the potential to benefit cognition. However, among disadvantaged groups, the association of flavonoid intake with cognitive performance is unclear. The study objectives were to determine the associations between baseline flavonoid intake and (1) baseline cognition, and (2) change in cognition over 3 visits in Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study participants (n=1947). Baseline was defined as visit (v) 1. Flavonoid intakes were assessed via two 24-h dietary recalls. Attention and executive function were measured by the Trail Making Tests A (TMT-A) and B (TMT-B), respectively. Mixed effects linear regression modeled cognition against the fixed effects: v1 flavonoid intake, time (years from v1), and the interaction between intake and time. Adjustments were made for demographic (e.g., baseline age), lifestyle, or clinical characteristics. Unadjusted models revealed significant inverse associations for TMT-A with anthocyanidin intake for the overall sample, and for TMT-B with total, anthocyanidin, flavan-3-ol, flavone, and flavonol intake overall and for White adults. No associations were found for either TMT-A or TMT-B after covariate adjustments or over time. One possible explanation is the universally low flavonoid intakes resulting from the consumption of an unhealthy dietary pattern.