While some studies have reported benefits of various diet patterns on cognitive performance, the results of these individual studies remain inconsistent – a barrier to evidence synthesis and developing population-based dietary guidance. A new study seeks to address this gap by harmonizing data from multiple U.S. and European studies in order to provide a better understanding of potential nutritional guidance for long-term cognitive support. The objective of the study is to conduct what’s called a “retrospective harmonization” approach using dietary intake and cognitive performance data from large prospective European and U.S. studies. The approach is novel because instead of merging data from existing publications, it goes back to individual-level subject data and essentially combines all of this information across datasets into one significantly larger database, increasing the power of the information. Because diet is one modifiable risk factor for long-term cognitive health, there is hope that research like this will add to the understanding of how to prevent or reduce the severity of dementia. The results of the study can be part of the evidence base considered by future U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committees addressing dietary patterns and cognitive outcomes. With advancing age, cognitive decline becomes evident, significantly affecting independent living and serving as a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Identifying interventions to prevent or delay cognitive decline is therefore a critical global public health priority. The Cognitive Health Committee is just one of a dozen IAFNS committees that contribute original research on the food and beverage ecosystem.
