Research indicates that an increased consumption of whole grains may slow memory decline in Black individuals, a trend not seen in white participants. The study, published in the November 22, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that Black individuals who incorporated whole grains such as breads, cereals, quinoa, and popcorn into their diets exhibited a slower rate of memory decline compared to those with a lower intake of whole grain foods.
It’s worth nothing however that the research merely illustrates an association between the consumption of whole grains and memory decline, rather than proving a causal relationship.
Among Black people participating in the study, individuals with the highest consumption of whole grains showed noticeably lower levels of memory decline, equivalent to being 8.5 years younger than those consuming smaller amounts of whole grains. According to Dr. Xiaoran Liu, the study author from Rush University, Chicago, “With Alzheimer’s disease and dementia affecting millions of Americans, finding ways to prevent the disease is a high public health priority. It’s exciting to see that people could potentially lower their risk of dementia by increasing their diet of whole grains by a couple of servings a day.”
An average of 3,326 individuals participated in the study, recording no signs of dementia, and were monitored for six years. Cognitive and memory tests were conducted every three years, and dietary surveys were collected to gauge their whole grain consumption.
Not surprisingly, a considerable percentage of Black participants reported a higher daily whole grain intake compared to white participants, with 67% and 38%, respectively.
After analyzing the overall global cognition scores based on cognitive tests, it was determined that Black individuals with the highest intake of whole grains demonstrated a cognitive decline rate 0.2 standard deviation units per decade slower compared to those with the lowest intake, after adjusting for other factors such as age, sex, education, and smoking habits.
Dr. Liu emphasized that these findings could inspire tailored diet recommendations from healthcare professionals and suggests performing more extensive research to validate and explore the effects of whole grains on cognition in different racial groups. One limitation of this study is that it was based on self-reported food frequency, which could lead to inaccurate data.
The study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health.
Source:
Journal reference:
Liu, X., et al. (2023). Association of Whole-Grain Consumption and Cognitive Decline: An Investigation From a Community-Based Biracial Cohort of Older Adults. Neurology. doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207938.
