Association of dietary lecithin intake with MCI risk and cognitive performance in elderly population

Background This study aims to explore the relationship between dietary lecithin intake and cognitive function and the development and progression of Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the elderly over 60 years old. Methods The research undertaken included a cohort of 1917 participants aged over 60. Body composition was evaluated through bioelectrical impedance analysis. Cognitive function and dietary intake were assessed using neuropsychological tests and a food frequency questionnaire. Spearman correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic curves were employed to elucidate the relationship of dietary lecithin on MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) score and the risk of MCI and predictive effect. Results Of 1917 participants enrolled, 1023 (53.4%) had MCI and 542 (53.0%) were women. After adjusting for multiple confounders, multiple linear regression showed that after dichotomizing lecithin and serum cholesterol indicators according to the median, high levels of lecithin, TC(Total Cholesterol) and low levels of LDL-C(Low density lipoprotein cholesterol)/HDL-C(High density lipoprotein cholesterol) were associated with higher MoCA; logistic regression showed that compared with low intake level, the odds ratio (95% CI) of MCI risk in high dietary lecithin intake group was 0.80(0.64,0.99). The results of ROC curve showed that the model had a good predictive effect on MCI. Conclusions Higher dietary lecithin intake was associated with better performance on cognitive assessments and diminished risk of MCI among the elderly population aged 60 and above. It possesses the capabilities to function as prospective biomarkers that may indicate an increased risk of cognitive decline among the elderly demographic.