AvoCog - the Effect of Daily Avocado Intake on Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Purpose
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if adding avocados to the diet of impacts cognition in 70 older adults, age 65-85, without dementia. We will test for change in functional MRI, cognitive performance, and brain blood flow. Intervention group participants will be asked to consume 1 avocado per day for 12 weeks. Participants in the control group will be asked to continue their normal intake for 12 weeks. Throughout the study, participants will be asked to perform cognitive tests, MRI, blood tests, and questionnaires.
Condition
- Brain Aging
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 65 Years and 85 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Males and females aged 65-85 years - Good general health with no concomitant disease - BMI 18.5 - 35 kg/m2 - Mini Mental State Exam ≥26 - Reports consuming ≤2 medium avocados per month - Reports consuming ≤3 servings of carotenoid-rich foods per week and ≤3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day - Skin carotenoid content <400
Exclusion Criteria
- Unwilling or unable to consume avocado - Latex allergy - Consistently taking lutein + zeaxanthin supplements - Skin carotenoid content ≥400 - Central neurological disease such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, brain tumor, etc. - Serious medical risk: cancer requiring chemotherapy or radiation within the past 5 years, recent cardiac event (i.e. heart attack, etc.) - Diabetes mellitus or uncontrolled hypertension - Use of psychoactive or investigational medications - Consumption of ≥3 alcoholic drinks per day or substance abuse - Unable to undergo MRI
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Intervention Model Description
- Study participants will be randomly assigned equally to either the intervention or the control group.
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
- Masking Description
- Participants cannot be blinded to their allocation in order to follow the study protocol. Investigator and Outcomes Assessor will be blinded.
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Avocado Group |
Participants will consume 1 avocado per day and receive education to maintain usual caloric intake for 12 weeks and participate in 4 study visits. |
|
|
No Intervention No Diet Modification Group |
Participants will continue their normal dietary pattern for 12 weeks and participate in 4 study visits. |
|
Recruiting Locations
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, Kansas 66160
Kansas City, Kansas 66160
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- University of Kansas Medical Center