Eating Frequency, Timing, and Duration in Relation to Cognitive Performance and Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers in Adults.

BACKGROUND: The potential association between temporal dimensions of eating and cognition/cognitive declines has been poorly investigated so far. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine relationships among eating frequency, timing and time window, and cognitive performance and novel Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers in cognitively healthy and mildly cognitively impaired middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were derived from the Aiginition Longitudinal Biomarker Investigation of Neurodegeneration (ALBION) cohort study, including people aged 40 y or older who have a positive family history of cognitive disorder or cognition-related concerns. Cognitive performance was assessed by a battery of neuropsychological tests. Amyloid ß (Αß42), a biomarker of AD-related pathology, was measured in cerebrospinal fluid. Eating frequency, timing, and the eating time window between the first and the last meal were estimated using time-related information recorded in four 24-h recalls. RESULTS: Study participants had, on average, 5.3 ± 1.2 eating episodes per day, consumed at 8:20 ± 1.3 and 21:14 ± 1.3 h their first and their last eating episode, respectively, while their eating time window was 12.9 ± 1.6 h. Eating frequency, but not eating time window, was positively associated with global cognition, executive and language performance even after controlling for age, sex, education, BMI, and Mediterranean diet. Increasing eating frequency by 1 eating episode per day was associated with 0.169 higher global z-score. Furthermore, compared with ≤4, having 5-6 or >6 eating episodes per day was associated with better global and memory z-scores. Time of last eating episode was also positively associated with language performance. No associations were detected among eating frequency, timing and window, and AD pathology. CONCLUSIONS: An eating pattern characterized by less frequent eating and/or by earlier times is present in individuals with worse cognitive performance. Our results shed light on the relevance of temporal eating patterns as potential early markers of behavioral or metabolic changes related to AD pathology.

Daily Energy Intake Distribution and Cognitive Performance in Non-Demented Individuals.

Cognitive disorders have become important public health issues around the world. Studies evaluating the association between cognitive decline and food timing are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the potential association between energy intake distribution during the day and cognitive performance in cognitively healthy and mildly cognitive impaired individuals. Data were derived from the ongoing Albion study which includes people aged 40 years or older who have a positive family history of cognitive disorder or concern about their cognitive status. A thorough dietary and cognitive assessment was performed. Participants consuming low energy intake at the beginning of the day or high energy at the end of the day had higher cognitive function compared to participants characterized by the opposite pattern. This trend remained statistically significant even after adjustment for potential confounders (p = 0.043). This study suggests that individuals with worse cognitive function may choose to eat earlier during the day, when cognitive performance is better, and it might be hypothesized that a meal pattern characterized by high energy consumption at the beginning of the day or low energy at the end of the day could be a marker of cognitive impairment.

Effectiveness of School-Based Interventions in Europe for Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors in Children.

The objective of this narrative review was to summarize existing literature on the effectiveness of school-based interventions, implemented in Europe, under the aim of promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors in children (6-10 years old). A search of PubMed, Scopus, EFSA and Google Scholar databases was performed for studies published from January 2016 to June 2022. Specific search terms and exclusion criteria were used. Based on the results, diet and physical activity interventions had favorable effects on a series of health outcomes, including anthropometric parameters, biomarkers, eating behavior and self-efficacy. Diet-only interventions had a positive impact specifically on eating habits, mostly on water consumption. Most successful interventions lasted for 1 school year, and they were characterized by parental involvement and teachers' training.

Dietary and Nutrient Patterns and Brain MRI Biomarkers in Dementia-Free Adults.

Cognitive impairment is a rapidly growing public health problem. As there is no curative treatment for dementia, the proactive management of modifiable risk factors and the identification of early biomarkers indicative of the cognitive decline are of great importance. Although nutrition is one of the most extensively studied lifestyle factor in relation to cognitive health, its association with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers is not well established. In the present work, we review available studies relating dietary or nutrient patterns with brain MRI biomarkers in dementia-free adults. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with the preservation of structural connectivity and less brain atrophy in adults without dementia. In addition, specific nutrient patterns, characterized by a high intake of antioxidant vitamins, polyphenols and unsaturated fatty acids, have been related to larger brain volume. Although the results are encouraging regarding the role of dietary and nutrient patterns on imaging biomarkers, more well-designed observational longitudinal studies and clinical trials are needed in order to confirm potentially causal relationships and better understand underlying mechanisms.

Postprandial Metabolic and Oxidative Stress Responses to Grape Pomace Extract in Healthy Normal and Overweight/Obese Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study.

Postprandial oxidative stress has been shown to promote atherosclerosis. Grape pomace (GP) is a source of similar-to-wine bioactive micro-constituents with known antioxidant properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate metabolic and oxidative stress responses after the intake of grape pomace (GP) extract along with a high-fat meal, in normal and overweight healthy women. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, 18 women were finally included, 11 with BMI < 25 kg/m2 and 7 with BMI > 25 kg/m2, and consumed a high-fat meal with placebo or GP extract capsules in two separate visits. Blood samples were collected before and 6 h after the consumption. Measurements included basic biochemical markers, uric acid (UA), protein carbonyls (PC), thiobarbituric acid substance (TBARS) levels, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. At certain time points, the GP extract consumption in normal-weight women reduced UA, TBARS levels, and SOD activity, whereas it increased UA and reduced PC levels in overweight/obese women, compared to the placebo. GP-derived bioactive compounds may exert antioxidant actions during the postprandial state in healthy women, through different mechanisms according to their BMI status.