Mediterranean diet, high carotenoid intake reduce frailty in adults

Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and higher intake of total carotenoid help prevent frailty over time, according to a study. This benefit is more pronounced in adults aged <60 years.

A group of researchers conducted a prospective study of 2,384 nonfrail adults from the Framingham Offspring Study with a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern score (MSDPS) and data on antioxidant intakes (vitamin C, E, and total carotenoids) estimated from a food frequency questionnaire at the index examination (199‒2001) and one prior examination, as well as a frailty assessment at the index examination and at least one follow-up.

Frailty was characterized by at least three of five Fried frailty phenotype (FFP) criteria at follow-up, while worsening of the FFP referred to an increased number of frailty criteria over follow-up (yes or no). The researchers then used logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to estimate odds ratios (ORs), adjusting for confounders. Analyses were stratified by age for significant interactions.

Participants had a mean age of 60 years (range, 33‒86 years), and more than half were female (55 percent). Adjusted models showed that a 1-unit higher MSDPS lowered the likelihood of frailty by 3 percent (OR, 0.97, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.96‒0.99).

Likewise, each 10-mg increase in total carotenoid and vitamin E intake reduced the chances of frailty by 16 percent (OR, 0.84, 95 percent CI, 0.73‒0.98) and 1 percent (OR, 0.99, 95 percent CI, 0.98‒1.00), respectively. Vitamin C showed no association (p=0.36).

The associations observed were stronger among participants aged <60 years for each 1-unit higher MSDPS (OR, 0.93, 95 percent CI, 0.89‒0.96) and total carotenoid intake (OR, 0.59, 95 percent CI, 0.41‒0.82) than those in older individuals (OR, 0.98, 95 percent CI, 0.97‒1.00 and 0.92, 95 percent CI, 0.79‒1.08, respectively).