Association between frequency of seaweed intake and frailty in Japanese elderly men and women: A cross-sectional study

Summary: Purpose: Seaweed is rich in minerals, vitamins, fibers, and protein, suggesting that intake of high levels of seaweed might contribute to a lower prevalence of frailty. Accordingly, the present study aimed to examine the association between seaweed intake and pre-frailty in elderly Japanese men and women. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected data from 109 elderly individuals aged 65–90 years living in Oga City, Japan. Seaweed intake was assessed using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ), and participants were classified into two groups (i.e., High Intake (HI) group and Low Intake (LI) group) according to weekly intake frequency. A binary logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship between seaweed intake and pre-frailty. Results: The HI group had a lower body weight and BMI compared to the LI group. Additionally, the HI group showed faster gait speed and Timed Up and Go (TUG) performance, as well as a greater distance in the 2-step test (p < .01), compared to the LI group. Seaweed intake was inversely associated with physical pre-frailty and cognitive frailty, while no association was found with social pre-frailty. Conclusion: Seaweed intake was significantly and inversely associated with physical pre-frailty and cognitive frailty, suggesting that high seaweed intake may be beneficial against frailty in elderly men and women.