Avocado Consumption Increases Macular Pigment Density in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2017, 9(9), 919; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090919
Received: 9 May 2017
/
Revised: 17 August 2017
/
Accepted: 21 August 2017
/
Published: 23 August 2017
Lutein is selectively incorporated into the macula and brain. Lutein levels in the macula (macular pigment; MP) and the brain are related to better cognition. MP density (MPD) is a biomarker of brain lutein. Avocados are a bioavailable source of lutein. This study tests the effects of the intake of avocado on cognition. This was a six-month, randomized, controlled trial. Healthy subjects consumed one avocado (n = 20, 0.5 mg/day lutein, AV) vs. one potato or one cup of chickpeas (n = 20, 0 mg/day lutein, C). Serum lutein, MPD, and cognition were assessed at zero, three, and six months. Primary analyses were conducted according to intent-to-treat principles, with repeated-measures analysis. At six months, AV increased serum lutein levels by 25% from baseline (p = 0.001). C increased by 15% (p = 0.030). At six months, there was an increase in MPD from baseline in AV (p = 0.001) and no increase in C. For both groups, there was an improvement in memory and spatial working memory (p = 0.001; p = 0.032, respectively). For AV only there was improved sustained attention (p = 0.033), and the MPD increase was related to improved working memory and efficiency in approaching a problem (p = 0.036). Dietary recommendations including avocados may be an effective strategy for cognitive health.
View Full-Text
Keywords:
lutein; avocado; macular pigment; bioavailability; cognition; older adult
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Scott, T.M.; Rasmussen, H.M.; Chen, O.; Johnson, E.J. Avocado Consumption Increases Macular Pigment Density in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Nutrients 2017, 9, 919. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090919
AMA Style
Scott TM, Rasmussen HM, Chen O, Johnson EJ. Avocado Consumption Increases Macular Pigment Density in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2017; 9(9):919. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090919
Chicago/Turabian StyleScott, Tammy M., Helen M. Rasmussen, Oliver Chen, and Elizabeth J. Johnson. 2017. "Avocado Consumption Increases Macular Pigment Density in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial" Nutrients 9, no. 9: 919. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090919
Find Other Styles
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.
