Several foods from the Mediterranean Diet (MeDi) have already been characterized as beneficial for depression risk, while studies focusing on adherence to the overall MeDi are lacking among older adults at higher risk of depression. The aim of this study was to assess the association between MeDi adherence and the risk of depressive symptomatology (DS) in an older French cohort followed for 15 years. Participants from the Three-City Bordeaux cohort answered a food frequency questionnaire used to assess their MeDi adherence. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale score of 16 or greater and/or use of antidepressant treatment ascertained at each visit defined incident DS. Random-effect logistic regression models were adjusted for potential confounders. Among 1018 participants, aged 75.6 years (SD 4.8 years) on average at baseline, 400 incident cases of DS were identified during the follow-up. Only when restricting the definition of DS to a CES-D score ≥ 16 was a borderline-significant trend towards a benefit of greater adherence to the MeDi with reduced odds of DS found (p-value = 0.053). In this large sample of older French adults, a potential benefit of greater adherence to the MeDi regarding the risk of DS would depend on the definition of DS.

Dairy products (DP) are part of a food group that may contribute to the prevention of physical frailty. We aimed to investigate DP exposure, including total DP, milk, fresh DP and cheese, and their cross-sectional and prospective associations with physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults. The cross-sectional analysis was carried out on 1490 participants from the Three-City Bordeaux cohort. The 10-year frailty risk was examined in 823 initially non-frail participants. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess DP exposure. Physical frailty was defined as the presence of at least 3 out of 5 criteria of the frailty phenotype: weight loss, exhaustion, slowness, weakness, and low physical activity. Among others, diet quality and protein intake were considered as confounders. The baseline mean age of participants was 74.1 y and 61% were females. Frailty prevalence and incidence were 4.2% and 18.2%, respectively. No significant associations were observed between consumption of total DP or DP sub-types and frailty prevalence or incidence (OR = 1.40, 95%CI 0.65–3.01 and OR = 1.75, 95%CI 0.42–1.32, for a total DP consumption >4 times/d, respectively). Despite the absence of beneficial associations of higher DP consumption on frailty, older adults are encouraged to follow the national recommendations regarding DP.

Recent evidence suggests that a high glycemic load (GL) diet is a risk factor for dementia, especially among apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE4) carriers, while its association with cognitive decline is poorly known. Here, we investigated the association of high-GL meals with cognitive decline in older adults during a 12-year follow-up, according to their APOE4 carrier status. We used random-effect models and data from 2539 elderly participants from the Three-City study who completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to longitudinally assess the association of GL with changes in different cognitive domains (verbal fluency, visual memory, attention, visual motor processing speed, episodic memory). In APOE4 carriers, afternoon snack with high GL was significantly associated with cognitive decline in visual memory, episodic memory, and global cognition compared with APOE4 non-carriers. This study suggests a detrimental association between a high-GL diet and cognitive decline. The promotion of a low GL diet as a target to prevent cognitive decline in high-risk populations deserves more research.

Insulin resistance is a major mechanism involved in the onset of physical frailty (PF). Although rich carbohydrate diets may promote insulin resistance, few studies have examined their association with PF risk. This study aimed to investigate the spectrum of carbohydrate exposure, including carbohydrate intake (simple, complex, and total), glycemic load (a measure of the diet-related insulin demand), and adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet with the incident risk of PF in community-dwelling older adults. Baseline carbohydrate exposure was assessed in nonfrail participants of the Three-City Bordeaux cohort using a 24-hour dietary recall. Over 15 years of follow-up, participants were screened for PF, defined by the FRAIL scale (≥3 criteria out of Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses, and weight Loss). Associations were estimated using mixed-effects logistic models adjusted for sex, age, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption, depressive symptomatology, global cognitive performances, and protein and energy intakes. The sample included 1 210 participants (62% females, mean age 76 years). Over the follow-up, 295 (24%) incident cases of PF were documented (28% in females, 18% in males). Higher intake of simple carbohydrates was significantly associated with greater odds of incident PF (per 1-SD increased: OR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.02–1.62), specifically among males (OR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.04–2.22). No association was observed with complex or total carbohydrate intake, glycemic load, or low-carbohydrate diet. Among the whole carbohydrate exposure, only higher consumption of simple carbohydrates in older age was associated with a higher risk of developing PF. Further studies are required to explore underlying mechanisms.