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Review
. 2022 Sep;6(9):e749-e759.
doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00123-1.

The EAT-Lancet reference diet and cognitive function across the life course

Boushra Dalile  1 , Curie Kim  2 , Andy Challinor  3 , Lucie Geurts  4 , Eileen R Gibney  5 , Marcelo V Galdos  3 , Giorgio La Fata  6 , Sophie Layé  7 , John C Mathers  8 , David Vauzour  9 , J Martin Verkuyl  10 , Sandrine Thuret  11
Affiliations
Free article
Review

The EAT-Lancet reference diet and cognitive function across the life course

Boushra Dalile et al. Lancet Planet Health. 2022 Sep.
Free article

Abstract

The EAT-Lancet Commission devised a sustainable reference diet with the aim of reducing the incidence of non-communicable diseases and mortality globally while improving food system sustainability. The extent to which the reference diet supports cognitive function across the life course, however, has not yet been evaluated. This Review assesses the evidence for diet supporting cognitive function from childhood into old age. A comprehensive but non-exhaustive literature search was done, synthesising studies that investigated the effect of whole foods on cognition in healthy, community-dwelling human participants. We found that the current evidence base is weak with mixed conclusions and multiple methodological caveats, which precludes strong conclusions pertaining to the suitability of dietary recommendations for each food group per age group. Long-term intervention and prospective cohort studies are needed to reduce this knowledge deficit. Revising dietary recommendations with the aim of maintaining an adequate nutrient intake to sustain healthy cognitive function across the life course could be worthwhile. This Review outlines recommendations for future work to help improve the current knowledge deficit regarding dietary intake and cognitive function across the life course and its implications for dietary guidelines such as the EAT-Lancet Commission.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests AC received consulting fees from UK Climate Change Risk Assessment. ERG received research grants from Enterprise Ireland and dairy companies as part of Food for Health Ireland Technology Centre (TC20180025) and from Aconsi. ERG is an academic supervisor for the Marie Curie Career-FIT programme; no funds were received from the commercial partner Marigot. The programme of work was developed in collaboration with the commercial partner Marigot. ERG received honoraria from Nestlé Research Centre to speak at a conference. She is a member and trustee of the Nutrition Society, Deputy Director of University College Dublin Institute of Food and Health, and a member of the governing authority the European Food Information Council. JMV is a former employee of Danone Nutricia. GLF is an employee of DSM. LG is a former employee of International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI Europe). The European branch of the International Life Sciences Institute paid the processing charges for this manuscript. All other authors declare no competing interests.

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