Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Phytoestrogens, which consist mainly of isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans have estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous research suggests that higher dietary or supplemental intakes of isoflavones and lignans are related to better cognitive performance in middle-aged and older women. METHODS: We conducted longitudinal analysis of dietary phytoestrogens and cognitive performance in a cohort of African American, white, Chinese, and Japanese women undergoing the menopausal transition. The tests were Symbol Digit Modalities, East Boston Memory, and Digits Span Backward. Phytoestrogens were assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire. We modeled each cognitive score as a function of concurrent value of the primary predictors (highest tertile of isoflavones, lignans, or coumestrol) and covariates including the menopausal transition stage. RESULTS: Coumestrol and isoflavone intakes were 10 and 25 times greater, respectively, in Asian than in non-Asian participants. During late perimenopause and postmenopause, Asian women with high isoflavone intakes did better on processing speed, but during early perimenopause and postmenopause, high-isoflavone Asian consumers performed worse on verbal memory. The highest isoflavone consumers among non-Asians likewise posted lower verbal memory scores during early perimenopause. A verbal memory benefit of higher dietary lignan consumption was apparent only during late perimenopause, when women from all ethnic/racial groups who were in the highest tertile of intake demonstrated a small advantage. Coumestrol was unrelated to cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive effects of dietary phytoestrogens are small, seem to be class-specific, vary by menopause stage and cognitive domain, and differ among ethnic/racial groups (but whether this is related to dose or to host factors cannot be discerned).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 894-903 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Menopause |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2012 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
Cite this
Dietary phytoestrogen intakes and cognitive function during the menopausal transition : Results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Phytoestrogen Study. / Greendale, Gail A.; Huang, Mei Hua; Leung, Katherine; Crawford, Sybil L.; Gold, Ellen B; Wight, Richard; Waetjen, L Elaine; Karlamangla, Arun S.
In: Menopause, Vol. 19, No. 8, 08.2012, p. 894-903.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Dietary phytoestrogen intakes and cognitive function during the menopausal transition
T2 - Results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Phytoestrogen Study
AU - Greendale, Gail A.
AU - Huang, Mei Hua
AU - Leung, Katherine
AU - Crawford, Sybil L.
AU - Gold, Ellen B
AU - Wight, Richard
AU - Waetjen, L Elaine
AU - Karlamangla, Arun S.
PY - 2012/8
Y1 - 2012/8
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Phytoestrogens, which consist mainly of isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans have estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous research suggests that higher dietary or supplemental intakes of isoflavones and lignans are related to better cognitive performance in middle-aged and older women. METHODS: We conducted longitudinal analysis of dietary phytoestrogens and cognitive performance in a cohort of African American, white, Chinese, and Japanese women undergoing the menopausal transition. The tests were Symbol Digit Modalities, East Boston Memory, and Digits Span Backward. Phytoestrogens were assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire. We modeled each cognitive score as a function of concurrent value of the primary predictors (highest tertile of isoflavones, lignans, or coumestrol) and covariates including the menopausal transition stage. RESULTS: Coumestrol and isoflavone intakes were 10 and 25 times greater, respectively, in Asian than in non-Asian participants. During late perimenopause and postmenopause, Asian women with high isoflavone intakes did better on processing speed, but during early perimenopause and postmenopause, high-isoflavone Asian consumers performed worse on verbal memory. The highest isoflavone consumers among non-Asians likewise posted lower verbal memory scores during early perimenopause. A verbal memory benefit of higher dietary lignan consumption was apparent only during late perimenopause, when women from all ethnic/racial groups who were in the highest tertile of intake demonstrated a small advantage. Coumestrol was unrelated to cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive effects of dietary phytoestrogens are small, seem to be class-specific, vary by menopause stage and cognitive domain, and differ among ethnic/racial groups (but whether this is related to dose or to host factors cannot be discerned).
AB - OBJECTIVE: Phytoestrogens, which consist mainly of isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans have estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous research suggests that higher dietary or supplemental intakes of isoflavones and lignans are related to better cognitive performance in middle-aged and older women. METHODS: We conducted longitudinal analysis of dietary phytoestrogens and cognitive performance in a cohort of African American, white, Chinese, and Japanese women undergoing the menopausal transition. The tests were Symbol Digit Modalities, East Boston Memory, and Digits Span Backward. Phytoestrogens were assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire. We modeled each cognitive score as a function of concurrent value of the primary predictors (highest tertile of isoflavones, lignans, or coumestrol) and covariates including the menopausal transition stage. RESULTS: Coumestrol and isoflavone intakes were 10 and 25 times greater, respectively, in Asian than in non-Asian participants. During late perimenopause and postmenopause, Asian women with high isoflavone intakes did better on processing speed, but during early perimenopause and postmenopause, high-isoflavone Asian consumers performed worse on verbal memory. The highest isoflavone consumers among non-Asians likewise posted lower verbal memory scores during early perimenopause. A verbal memory benefit of higher dietary lignan consumption was apparent only during late perimenopause, when women from all ethnic/racial groups who were in the highest tertile of intake demonstrated a small advantage. Coumestrol was unrelated to cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive effects of dietary phytoestrogens are small, seem to be class-specific, vary by menopause stage and cognitive domain, and differ among ethnic/racial groups (but whether this is related to dose or to host factors cannot be discerned).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84864277675&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84864277675&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/gme.0b013e318242a654
DO - 10.1097/gme.0b013e318242a654
M3 - Article
C2 - 22415567
AN - SCOPUS:84864277675
VL - 19
SP - 894
EP - 903
JO - Menopause
JF - Menopause
SN - 1072-3714
IS - 8
ER -