‘The EAT-Lancet diet contains all nutrients we know to benefit healthy cognitive ageing.’ Photo Shutterstock PhD candidate Annick van Soest investigated which combinations of foodstuffs and nutrients help retain healthy cognitive functions while ageing. She is to obtain her PhD at the end of June.
‘In the past, cognitive ageing studies focused on individual foodstuffs, omega-3, for example. Research on the processing mechanisms of such substances shows that they play an important part in healthy ageing,’ says PhD candidate Annick van Soest (Human Nutrition & Health). ‘However, if we provided test subjects with these substances through supplements, that effect was lost. The key appears to lie in the combination of nutrients. My dissertation shifts its focus from individual nutrients to the combination thereof.’
EAT-Lancet
In her latest paper, published this month, Van Soest analysed the link between adherence to nthe EAT0Lancet diet and cognitive health. The EAT-Lancet diet is based on the premise that it benefits human health while supporting a sustainable planet. She assessed nutrition questionnaires completed by test subjects and rated everyone for the degree to which their eating behaviour aligns with the EAT-Lancet diet. She then compared the rating with the results of their cognitive test. ‘Our research shows that the level of compliance with the EAT-Lancet diet is inversely proportional to the degree of cognitive degradation. This link was visible within just two years.’
It comes as no surprise that the diet benefits the brain, Van Soest clarifies. ‘This diet contains all of the nutrients known to benefit healthy cognitive ageing. ‘Omega-3 is delivered through the fatty acids in fish, large portions of fruits and vegetables for antioxidants and polyphenols and some animal products for vitamin B12. Moreover, the diet offers abundant wholewheat grains, nuts, legumes and plant oils, which deliver vitamins B and E.’
Plant-based with fish
Van Soest had previously used the same dataset to study the effect of a plant-based diet on cognitive ageing. ‘A fully plant-based diet showed no positive impact in healthy cognitive ageing, most likely as the result of a lack of omega-3 from fatty fish. Those who opted for a plant-based diet with some fish did, however, show healthy cognitive ageing.’
In the past, studies were conducted on the MIND diet, which is based on the Mediterranean diet and was designed specifically to promote healthy cognitive ageing. Van Soest: ‘The diet benefits cognitive health but contains more animal products, making it less sustainable. With the EAT-Lancet diet now proving beneficial to healthy cognitive ageing, we are ready for further studies. Ours is only the second research group to study the effect of EAT-Lancet on cognitive ageing. With more evidence gathered, we can combine sustainability and a healthy diet to benefit our brains.’