Organic food consumption is positively associated with cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

Purpose: Examine cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between organic food consumption and cognitive function among older adults.

Methods: In this study, 6077 participants were selected from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Health Care and Nutrition Study (HCNS) for cross-sectional analyses, and retaining 4882 individuals for longitudinal analyses. Organic food consumption was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire and participants were categorized based on their organic dietary diversity score. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Langa-Weir classification. A multivariable linear analysis was used to investigate the associations between organic food consumption and cognitive function. Cox proportional hazards model examined the association between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and organic food consumption.

Results: Our findings revealed a positive association between the organic food consumption and cognitive function among older adults. However, the consumption of organic food was found to significantly reduce the risk of MCI only among females, with a hazard ratio of 0.80 (95% CI 0.65-0.98). Furthermore, both organic animal and plant food consumption were independently linked to a 27% and 20% reduction in the risk of incident MCI, respectively.

Conclusion: This research results underscores the cognitive benefits of organic diets, particularly in mitigating the risk of MCI among females. Recognizing the sex-specific nature of this association suggests the importance of considering gender perspectives in the formulation of dietary interventions aimed at cognitive health.