Study shows link between early life diet and cognitive abilities in old age

This article was originally published in English

It’s an investment that pays off in the long term: healthy eating habits from a young age could have significant benefits in later life, and play a role in the development of cognitive functions, according to research carried out in the United Kingdom over almost seven decades.

The findings come from the 1946 British Birth Cohort, a panel that allowed researchers to draw on data from more than 3,000 people, studying their diet, cognitive test scores, and other factors at different intervals of life, from ages 4 to 70.

First lesson: People who eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, and less sodium, added sugars and refined grains throughout their lives, have the highest cognitive abilities over time.

Among people with good cognitive abilities, only 8% of them had a low-quality diet, while 36% of them had a high-quality diet. In contrast, 58% of people with low cognitive abilities had a poor-quality diet, and 7% had a high-quality diet.

“This suggests that dietary intakes early in life may influence our dietary decisions later in life, and that the cumulative effects of diet over time are linked to the progression of our overall cognitive abilities.” says Kelly Cara, who worked on the study as a nutrition researcher at Tufts University in the United States.

Kelly Cara presented the first results of the study, which has not yet been published, at the annual conference of the American Society for Nutrition in Chicago.

Of the previous research demonstrate that a child’s early years are critical for cognitive development, and that nutrition plays a major role in this process.

The findings also highlight the long-term influence of diet, as the brain changes that lead to cognitive decline and dementia can begin years, even decades before the first signs appear, says Boushra Dalile, a researcher at KU Leuven in Belgium who studies the link between nutrition, stress and the microbiota.

Cognitive abilities tend to improve up to a median age, but decline after about age 65.

“Diet must be changed over an extended period of time to see real effects, and perhaps to mitigate those associated with aging.“, continues Boushra Dalile.

These findings highlight the role that healthy eating during childhood can have on people’s well-being. Hence the need to pay particular attention to the quality of food provided in homes, but also in daycare centers and schools, during early childhood.