Objectives: To examine the association of protein intake from different sources with cognitive decline.
Methods: Our analysis included 3,083 participants aged 55-93 years from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Cognition was assessed in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2015. Diet intake was assessed using weighing methods in combination with 24-h dietary recalls for three consecutive days at each survey.
Results: Participants consumed 13.94% of energy intake from total protein, with 11.47 and 2.47% from plant and animal sources, respectively. During a follow-up of 9 years, participants in quintile 5 of plant protein intake (% energy) had a higher risk [odds ratio (95% CI): 3.03 (1.22-7.53)] of cognitive decline compared with those in quintile 1. Higher animal protein intake (% total protein) was associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline [odds ratio (95% CI) for quintile 5 vs. quintile 1: 0.22 (0.07-0.71)]. Grains (plant source) protein intake was inversely but fish/shrimp and poultry (animal source) protein intake were positively associated with change in cognitive Z-score.
Conclusion: Increasing animal protein consumption in a population with plant dominant diets may help to prevent cognitive decline.
Keywords: animal protein; cognitive decline; dietary protein; plant protein; protein intake.
Copyright © 2022 Gao, Yang, Yan, Du, Zhou and Zhu.