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IANA task force on nutrition and cognitive decline with aging
Gillette Guyonnet S, Abellan Van Kan G, Andrieu S, Barberger Gateau P, Berr C, Bonnefoy M, Dartigues JF, de Groot L et al.. The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2007-03-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Cognitive impairment can be influenced by a number of factors. The potential effect of nutrition has become a topic of increasing scientific and public interest. In particular, there are arguments that nutrients (food and/or supplements) such as vitamins, trace minerals, lipids, can affect the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, especially in frail elderly people at risk of deficiencies. Our objective in this paper is to review data relating diet to risk of cognitive decline and dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). We chose to focus our statements on homocysteine-related vitamins (B-vitamins), antioxidant nutrients (vitamins E and C, carotenoids, flavonoids, enzymatic cofactors) and dietary lipids. Results of epidemiological studies may sometimes appeared conflicting; however, certain associations are frequently found. High intake of saturated and trans-unsaturated (hydrogenated) fats were positively associated with increased risk of AD, whereas intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats were protective against cognitive decline in the elderly in prospective studies. Fish consumption has been associated with lower risk of AD in longitudinal cohort studies. Moreover, epidemiologic data suggest a protective role of the B-vitamins, especially vitamins B9 and B12, on cognitive decline and dementia. Finally, the results on antioxidant nutrients may suggest the importance of having a balanced combination of several antioxidant nutrients to exert a significant effect on the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia, while taking into account the potential adverse effects of these nutrients. There is no lack of attractive hypotheses to support research on the relationships between nutrition and cognitive decline. It is important to stress the need to develop further prospective studies of sufficiently long duration, including subjects whose diet is monitored at a sufficiently early stage or at least before disease or cognitive decline exist. Meta analyses should be developed, and on the basis of their results the most appropriate interventional studies can be planned. These studies must control for the greatest number of known confounding factors and take into account the impact of the standard social determinants of food habits, such as the regional cultures, social status, and educational level.
Key findings
- Results of epidemiological studies may sometimes appeared conflicting; however, certain associations are frequently found.
- High intake of saturated and trans-unsaturated (hydrogenated) fats were positively associated with increased risk of AD, whereas intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats were protective against cognitive decline in the elderly in prospective studies.
- Fish consumption has been associated with lower risk of AD in longitudinal cohort studies.
- Finally, the results on antioxidant nutrients may suggest the importance of having a balanced combination of several antioxidant nutrients to exert a significant effect on the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia, while taking into account the potential adverse effects of these nutrients.
- Meta analyses should be developed, and on the basis of their results the most appropriate interventional studies can be planned.
Why it matters
This review of population studies found that certain dietary patterns, such as high saturated and trans fat intake, were linked to higher Alzheimer's risk, while fish and some B vitamins were linked to lower risk. These are associations from observational studies, so they do not prove that changing diet prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 47 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 49 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The journal of nutrition, health & aging) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2007 — 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 277 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.2 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 17.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Bruno J. Vellas: h-index 60 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse: institution h-index 499 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17435956) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 47 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 47 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 49 out of 100. |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Gillette Guyonnet, S., Abellan Van Kan, G., Andrieu, S., Barberger Gateau, P., Berr, C., Bonnefoy, M., et al. (2007). IANA task force on nutrition and cognitive decline with aging. The journal of nutrition, health & aging.
Vancouver
Gillette Guyonnet S, Abellan Van Kan G, Andrieu S, Barberger Gateau P, Berr C, Bonnefoy M, et al. IANA task force on nutrition and cognitive decline with aging. The journal of nutrition, health & aging. 2007. PMID: 17435956.
BibTeX
@article{gilletteguyonnet2007-17435956,
author = {Gillette Guyonnet, S. and Abellan Van Kan, G. and Andrieu, S. and Barberger Gateau, P. and Berr, C. and Bonnefoy, M. and Dartigues, J. F. and de Groot, L. and others},
title = {{IANA task force on nutrition and cognitive decline with aging}},
journal = {The journal of nutrition, health \& aging},
year = {2007},
pmid = {17435956}
}