OpenSOurce Diets- www.ResearchDiets.com
J. Nutr. First published October 14, 2009; doi:10.3945/jn.109.113647
 Journal of Nutrition, doi:10.3945/jn.109.113647
Vol. 139, No. 12, 2329-2336, December 2009
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
139/12/2329    most recent
jn.109.113647v1
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by van de Rest, O.
Right arrow Articles by Tucker, K. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by van de Rest, O.
Right arrow Articles by Tucker, K. L.
© 2009 American Society for Nutrition

Nutritional Epidemiology

Intakes of (n-3) Fatty Acids and Fatty Fish Are Not Associated with Cognitive Performance and 6-Year Cognitive Change in Men Participating in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study1,2

Ondine van de Rest3, Avron Spiro, III4, Elizabeth Krall-Kaye5, Johanna M. Geleijnse3, Lisette C. P. G. M. de Groot3 and Katherine L. Tucker6,*

3 Wageningen University, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen 6700 EV, The Netherlands; 4 Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and the Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02130; 5 Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02118; and 6 Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111

High intake of fish and (n-3) PUFA may protect against age-related cognitive decline. However, results are inconsistent and limited data exist regarding changes in multiple cognitive functions over a longer period of time. In this study, we assessed the association between fatty fish intake as well as (n-3) PUFA intake with cognitive performance and cognitive change over 6 y in 1025 elderly men. Participants were from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Cognitive function was assessed with a battery of cognitive tests focusing on factors representing memory/language, speed, and visuospatial/attention. Dietary intakes were assessed with a validated FFQ. We used general linear models to assess cross-sectional associations and mixed models to assess the associations over time. Models were adjusted for age, education, BMI, smoking, diabetes, and intake of alcohol, saturated fat, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The mean age of participating men was 68 y at baseline. Median fish consumption ranged from 0.2 to 4.2 servings/wk across quartiles. Cross-sectional analyses showed no association between fatty fish or (n-3) PUFA intake and cognitive performance. Longitudinal analyses, over 6 y of follow-up, also did not show any significant associations between fatty fish or (n-3) PUFA intake and cognitive change. In this population of elderly men, intake of neither fatty fish nor (n-3) PUFA was associated with cognitive performance.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: katherine.tucker{at}tufts.edu.

Manuscript received 26 July 2009. Initial review completed 21 August 2009. Revision accepted 27 September 2009.

Published online 14 October 2009.