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Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in older adults
Féart C, Samieri C, Barberger-Gateau P.. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 2010-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Purpose of review The effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular and chronic diseases has been largely evidenced. Although nutrition constitutes an interesting approach in preventing age-related brain disorders, the association between the Mediterranean-style diet and cognitive functions has been very occasionally explored. Recent findings Results are provided from only two recent prospective cohorts of older Americans and French individuals (> or =65 years) on the relationship of Mediterranean diet to cognitive functions. A high adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with slower cognitive decline, with reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment conversion to Alzheimer's disease and with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. Summary The possibility that the Mediterranean diet may affect not only the risk for Alzheimer's disease, but also the evolution of cognitive performances a long time before the clinical diagnosis of dementia and subsequent disease course constitutes major promising results. Replication of these results in other populations seems necessary to allow their generalization and to propose the Mediterranean diet as a potential preventive approach against cognitive decline or dementia in addition to its expected benefits against many other unfavorable outcomes in a public health perspective.
Key findings
- Recent findings Results are provided from only two recent prospective cohorts of older Americans and French individuals (> or =65 years) on the relationship of Mediterranean diet to cognitive functions.
- A high adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with slower cognitive decline, with reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment conversion to Alzheimer's disease and with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.
- Summary The possibility that the Mediterranean diet may affect not only the risk for Alzheimer's disease, but also the evolution of cognitive performances a long time before the clinical diagnosis of dementia and subsequent disease course constitutes major promising results.
- Replication of these results in other populations seems necessary to allow their generalization and to propose the Mediterranean diet as a potential preventive approach against cognitive decline or dementia in addition to its expected benefits against many other unfavorable outcomes in a public health perspective.
Why it matters
This review reports that in two prospective cohorts of older Americans and French people, high adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with slower cognitive decline and reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment converting to Alzheimer's disease. The authors call for replication in other populations before the diet can be proposed as a preventive approach.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care: journal h-index 159 (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 | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — 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 226 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.6 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 25 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Pascale Barberger‐Gateau: h-index 85 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19834324) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1097/mco.0b013e3283331fe4
- PubMed: 19834324
- Original source →
- Free full text: HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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.
APA 7th
Féart, C., Samieri, C., & Barberger-Gateau, P. (2010). Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in older adults. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care. https://doi.org/10.1097/mco.0b013e3283331fe4
Vancouver
Féart C, Samieri C, Barberger-Gateau P. Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in older adults. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care. 2010. doi:10.1097/mco.0b013e3283331fe4. PMID: 19834324.
BibTeX
@article{feart2010-19834324,
author = {Féart, C. and Samieri, C. and Barberger-Gateau, P.},
title = {{Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in older adults}},
journal = {Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1097/mco.0b013e3283331fe4},
pmid = {19834324},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/mco.0b013e3283331fe4}
}
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