by Older Black adults who ate more whole grains appeared to lose weight as they aged, according to a study published Wednesday.
Researchers at RUSH University Medical Center, in Chicago, found that elderly black residents who ate more whole grains each day – like a slice of dark bread for one – were associated with lower levels of memory loss. This equated to being more than eight years younger than those who ate smaller amounts of whole grains. The study, published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, showed correlation, not causal evidence for whole grains.
The findings, the scientists said, warrant more research into the effects of whole grains, which groups like the American Heart Association have linked to lower risks of diabetes, hypertension and stroke that disproportionately affect blacks. The study may also help health care providers identify diets to promote healthy aging. This may be particularly important for Black people, who are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to white people.
“In terms of dietary patterns, it’s really not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Xiaoran Liu, study author and RUSH assistant professor of internal medicine, told USA TODAY. “We have to respect the cultural differences in terms of their diet. The results of this study can help clinicians, physicians or dietitians further tailor that precise nutritional recommendation.”
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‘Interesting correlation’ results
The study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health. He used responses from the Chicago Health and Aging Project, one of the few majority-Black aging cohorts that studied four South Side neighborhoods from 1993 to 2012. The group surveyed more than 3,300 people, everyone over 65 years of age, for about six years.
Liu previously researched how a plant-based diet reduced cognitive decline, and she wanted to understand how whole grains can protect cognition as people age to curb the risks of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. which impairs memory and thinking with daily activities.
About 60% of the participants were black, although the study did not find similar trends for whole grain consumption reducing cognitive decline among white participants. The study divided participants into five groups based on whole grains consumed daily, from less than a fifth of a serving, to the highest group, at 2.7 servings. This is still less than federal dietary guidelines of three servings per day.
Black participants tended to eat more whole grain foods – such as dark bread, whole grain bread or oats – and less refined grains, a processed form that removes the nutrient-rich exterior of corn. Refined cereals include white rice, pancakes and cold breakfast cereals. Compared to white participants, Black participants also ate fewer calories and meat.
Survey participants filled out 144 questions about food preferences every three years. In addition, researchers conducted cognitive and memory tests in which participants remembered words, remembered numbers, and ordered them. Researchers also accounted for other factors that may contribute to cognitive decline, such as age, sex, education and smoking.
The food questionnaire was self-reported, which the researchers acknowledged was a limitation because people might not remember what they ate. The study accounted for recall bias by excluding participants who scored low on memory tests.
Despite fundamental flaws with this type of study, it is standard practice in this area of research, according to researchers.
Dr. Richard King, associate professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, said these studies are an important start, but it’s important to keep expectations in context to understand higher rates of cognitive decline among African Americans and other vulnerable populations. Groups such as the Alzheimer’s Association focus on socioeconomic and health conditions that affect dementia risks for African Americans.
“There’s an interesting correlation,” said King, who was not involved in the study. “That may be enough to generate a hypothesis to trigger a clinical trial.”
Accounting for social-cultural backgrounds in medicine
Blacks tend to have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels, which is linked to worse cognitive outcomes. Whole grains are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Dr. Yian Gu, associate professor of neurological sciences at Columbia University Medical Center, said the study shows the need to account for social-cultural backgrounds in designing dietary interventions to preserve cognition against Alzheimer’s disease. Gu, who was not involved in the study, compared it to personalized medicine that looks at people’s genetic makeup to treat them properly.
“You have to take all the other factors into account when you’re designing prevention measures for populations,” she said.
‘It’s probably not a magic bullet, either’
The study also builds on existing evidence on how whole grains reduce cognitive decline as people age.
Maya Vadiveloo, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island, said that whole grains are associated with better cognition because of fibers and polyphenols, as well as vitamins B and E, which provide antioxidants to reduce inflammation and oxidation that damage the company. In addition to more whole grains, she pointed to overall dietary patterns, including eating more nuts, seeds and legumes, to preserve cognition.
“Any change is better than no change,” said Vadiveloo, another unaffiliated researcher. “It’s probably not a magic bullet either.”
After ten years, the Chicago project, the cohort sampled in the study, restarted in 2021, expanding to Latino participants. More studies of non-white groups are needed to tailor a better approach, the researchers said.
“In a sense, this is just an incremental field,” said study co-author Kuman Rajan, a RUSH medical center professor who runs the university’s aging center. “There is so much information that suggests that diet plays a very important role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Researchers plan to look again at how nutrients in whole grains can specifically help protect cognition.
Eduardo Cuevas covers health and breaking news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at EMCuevas1@usatoday.com.
