Cited by 106Nutritional Studies and DietDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchFatty Acid Research and Health

Effects of Nutrition on Cognitive Function in Adults with or without Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

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Gutierrez, Laia, Folch, Alexandre, Rojas, Melina, Cantero, José Luis, Atienza, Mercedes, Folch, Jaume, Camins, Antoni, Ruiz, Agustín +2 more·2021·Nutrients

Abstract

New dietary approaches for the prevention of cognitive impairment are being investigated. However, evidence from dietary interventions is mainly from food and nutrient supplement interventions, with inconsistent results and high heterogeneity between trials. We conducted a comprehensive systematic search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in MEDLINE-PubMed, from January 2018 to July 2021, investigating the impact of dietary counseling, as well as food-based and dietary supplement interventions on cognitive function in adults with or without cognitive impairment. Based on the search strategy, 197 eligible publications were used for data abstraction. Finally, 61 articles were included in the analysis. There was reasonable evidence that dietary patterns, as well as food and dietary supplements improved cognitive domains or measures of brain integrity. The Mediterranean diet showed promising results, whereas the role of the DASH diet was not clear. Healthy food consumption improved cognitive function, although the quality of these studies was relatively low. The role of dietary supplements was mixed, with strong evidence of the benefits of polyphenols and combinations of nutrients, but with low evidence for PUFAs, vitamin D, specific protein, amino acids, and other types of supplements. Further well-designed RCTs are needed to guide the development of dietary approaches for the prevention of cognitive impairment.

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Crossref · 10.3390/nu13113728

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  • Multiple factors including other genes, diets, and anti-lipid medication use can affect lipid metabolism and AD risk.

    “multiple factors including other genes, diets and anti‐lipid medication use can affect lipid metabolism and AD risk [36]”

    From Blood PCSK9 Impacts Alzheimer's Disease Risk in an <i>APOE</i> Genotype‐Dependent Manner: A Prospective Cohort Study (2026) · cites this paper as [36]

    The Discussion (§4.7, page unavailable) says the Mediterranean diet affects LDL and HDL cholesterol, and the Introduction links dietary patterns to reduced cognitive decline. The paper discusses APOE4 in relation to responses to nutritional interventions (§4.1), but these passages do not establish that other genes or anti-lipid medication use affect lipid metabolism and AD risk. They also address cognitive decline more directly than AD risk. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Gutierrez, L., Folch, A., Rojas, M., Cantero, J. L., Atienza, M., Folch, J., Camins, A., Ruiz, A., Papandreou, C., & Bulló, M.
Affiliations
  • Nutrition and Metabolic Disorders Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira i Virgili University, 43201 Reus, Spain
  • Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (ES)
  • Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (ES)
  • CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, 28031 Madrid, Spain
  • Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES)
Corresponding author
Bulló, Mònica
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2021-10-22
Volume
13
Issue
11
Pages
3728
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3208717213
Cited by
105
References
128
Citations by year
2026: 16 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 14
FWCI
2.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Rovira & Virgili repository (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Dipòsit Digital de la Universitat de Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Government of Catalonia (SLT/3501/2020, 2021 FI_B 00657)
  • Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP 19/00189)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
Keywords
nutrition, cognitive function, cognitive impairment, nutrition counseling, dietary supplements, Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, dietary habits, brain integrity, cognitive impairment prevention
MeSH terms
Nutrients, Adult, Cognition, Counseling, Diet, Fatty Acids, Unsaturated, Humans, Risk, Vitamins, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Publication Bias, Sample Size, Dietary Supplements, Polyphenols, Cognitive Dysfunction

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