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Diet, cognition, and Alzheimer's disease: food for thought
Otaegui-Arrazola A, Amiano P, Elbusto A, Urdaneta E, Martínez-Lage P.. European journal of nutrition, 2013-07-27
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
Introduction The prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a real challenge due to its rising prevalence and the lack of an effective cure. Diet and nutrients have gained significant interest as potentially modifiable protective factors. Purpose The aim of this review is to provide an updated summary of evidence related to the effect of diet and nutritional factors on the risk of AD and cognitive aging, and discuss the potential mechanisms and confounding factors involved. Methods A search was conducted in Medline and Web of Knowledge for epidemiological and clinical studies in the international literature from January 2000 to February 2013 using combinations of the following keywords: "Alzheimer's disease", "mild cognitive impairment", "cognitive function", "dietary factors", "omega-3", "antioxidants", "B vitamins", "dietary patterns", and "Mediterranean diet". Results and conclusion Data from observational studies point to a protective role for certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants or B vitamins, and dietary patterns (Mediterranean diet). However, data from randomized controlled trials do not show a consistent effect. Whether confounding factors such as age, disease stage, other dietary components, cooking processes, and other methodological issues explain the divergent results remains to be established. Moreover, if certain nutrients protect against dementia, it is as yet unknown whether they may have a general effect on brain vascular health or directly interfere with the etiopathogenesis of AD.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: High
This is a narrative review. This review found that observational studies point to a protective role for certain nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and B vitamins, and for dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet. However, randomized controlled trials do not show a consistent effect, so no dietary factor can be recommended as protective against Alzheimer's disease.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Otaegui-Arrazola, A., Amiano, P., Elbusto, A., Urdaneta, E., & Martínez-Lage, P. (2014). Diet, cognition, and Alzheimer's disease: food for thought. European journal of nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-013-0561-3
Vancouver
Otaegui-Arrazola A, Amiano P, Elbusto A, Urdaneta E, Martínez-Lage P. Diet, cognition, and Alzheimer's disease: food for thought. European journal of nutrition. 2014. doi:10.1007/s00394-013-0561-3. PMID: 23892520.
BibTeX
@article{otaeguiarrazola2014-23892520,
author = {Otaegui-Arrazola, A. and Amiano, P. and Elbusto, A. and Urdaneta, E. and Martínez-Lage, P.},
title = {{Diet, cognition, and Alzheimer's disease: food for thought}},
journal = {European journal of nutrition},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1007/s00394-013-0561-3},
pmid = {23892520},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-013-0561-3}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Diet and nutrients have gained significant interest as potentially modifiable protective factors.
- Results and conclusion Data from observational studies point to a protective role for certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants or B vitamins, and dietary patterns (Mediterranean diet).
- Whether confounding factors such as age, disease stage, other dietary components, cooking processes, and other methodological issues explain the divergent results remains to be established.
Why it matters
This review found that observational studies point to a protective role for certain nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and B vitamins, and for dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet. However, randomized controlled trials do not show a consistent effect, so no dietary factor can be recommended as protective against Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (European journal of nutrition) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | European Journal of Nutrition: journal h-index 149 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 214 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.3 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 12.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 24 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Pablo Martínez‐Lage: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red: institution h-index 530 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23892520) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
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