Lignans Promote Postmenopausal Cognitive Function

Lignans Promote Postmenopausal Cognitive Function

UTRECHT, Netherlands--Consumption of lignans may improve cognitivefunction in postmenopausal women, according to a study published in the Mayissue of the Journal of Nutrition (135, 5:1190-1195, 2005) (www.nutrition.org).

In a community-based survey of 394 postmenopausal women, researcherscalculated lignan intake using a validated food frequency questionnaire andevaluated cognitive function with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).After adjustment for confounding variables, higher dietary intake of lignans wasassociated with better performance on the MMSE. The association was mostsignificant in women who were 20 to 30 years postmenopausal.

The researchers concluded higher dietary intake of lignans is associated withbetter cognitive function in postmenopausal women.