Association of dietary antioxidants and physical activity with mental health and cognition in older adults
Date
2022
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been linked to the development of depression and anxiety as well as cognitive decline in older adults. Vitamins and minerals that have antioxidant properties or serve as cofactors, and physical activity, can improve the oxidant-antioxidant balance in the body and lead to a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation. We aimed to study antioxidant and antioxidant cofactor intake from diet, and the effect of physical activity, in the older population in relation to mental and cognitive health. A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 128 men and women aged 65–80 years. Individuals diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other neurological disorders were excluded. Dietary information was obtained using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire. Mental and cognitive health were assessed using Geriatric Depression Scale, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Digit Span test. Pearson Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were performed using SPSS software. Our findings indicate that dietary vitamin C [r = .22, n = 128, p < .05] was positively correlated with Digit Span test score, although the relationship was weak. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that after controlling for antioxidant supplementation, age, education, BMI, and daily calorie intake, the final model containing the covariates and vitamin C did not account for a significant portion of the variance in the Digit Span test scores [R2 = .09, F (1, 121) = 4.88, beta = .25, p >0.05]. When the physical activity was added to the model, it did not significantly contribute to the variance in the Digit Span test scores. Our findings suggest that although vitamin C intake from food was positively associated with cognitive performance, the association did not remain significant when covariates such as age, education, BMI, antioxidant supplementation, and daily calorie intake were taken into account. Further studies, with larger sample sizes, are needed to better understand the role of vitamin C in the cognitive function of older adults.
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Keywords
Dietary antioxidants, Physical activity, Mental health