Fiber could be even more beneficial than previously thought. A study by the University of Barcelona and the CIBER for Fragility and Aging (CIBERFES) has just concluded that adding this macronutrient to the diet can reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in older people with the ApoE-?4 genotype in the apolipoprotein E gene. , which is considered a genetic risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s.
The study, which has been published in the journal Age and Aging, involved 848 volunteers -56% were women- with an average age of 74 years, whose diet, cognitive status and other health parameters were evaluated. The work is based on the InCHIANTI project, a prospective analysis carried out on 1,139 adults aged 65 and over from two areas of Tuscany.
The authors of the study, directed by Professor Cristina Andrés-Lacueva of the Institute for Research in Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA-UB), warn that cognitive impairment is a precursor to the development of dementia in adults and a public health problem that does not have treatment. “For this reason, it is crucial to detect modifiable risk factors that make it possible to develop prevention strategies, among which diet has proven to be one of the most effective,” explains Tomàs Meroño, one of the main researchers on the study, in a statement distributed by University.
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a multifunctional protein synthesized and secreted by various cells such as hepatocytes and adipocytes, while the ApoE gene, which is polymorphic and has three codominant alleles, is found on chromosome 19. “In In participants with the APOE-e4 haplotype, we have observed that an increase of five grams per day is associated with a 30% lower risk of cognitive impairment”, says Cristina Andrés-Lacueva. “This shows us that manageable increases in daily fiber intake can have a significant impact.”
This protective effect, however, was only seen in people carrying the APOE-e4 haplotype, as for participants with other apolipoprotein genetic variants, higher fiber intake was not associated with lower risk of cognitive decline. .
Despite the latter, the finding opens the doors to investigate the interaction between genotype and fiber consumption, something that had not been worked on until now, points out Andrea Unión, another of the study researchers.
This new research also reinforces the idea that healthy diets, characterized by a high consumption of foods rich in fiber, have a positive impact on both general and cognitive health. Although it is still necessary to investigate more about this last benefit.
