Association between dietary antioxidant quality score and cognitive function in older adults: A cross-sectional study based on NHANES 2011–2014

The aim of this study was to examine the connection between the dietary antioxidant quality score (DAQS) and cognitive impairment in older adults. This cross-sectional study of 2713 older adults aged ≥ 60 years from the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cohort evaluated cognitive performance at quartile thresholds using the digit symbol substitution test, the animal fluency test, and the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer disease word learning test. Vitamins A, C, E, zinc, selenium, and magnesium consumption were used to calculate the DAQS score. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between DAQS and the cognitive capacities of senior citizens. In the fully adjusted model, higher DAQS was linked to less cognitive impairment (odds ratio = 0.34, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.53). According to our research, older adults' cognitive decline is adversely correlated with higher DAQS, and improving their antioxidant intake may help them improve cognitive function.