Association of Antioxidant Vitamins A, C, E and Carotenoids with Cognitive Performance over Time: A Cohort Study of Middle-Aged Adults

Carotenoids may strengthen the association of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E with favorable cognitive outcomes over time, though a few prospective studies have examined this hypothesis. We evaluated the longitudinal data from 1251 participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study (Age at visit 1 in 2004–2009 (v(1)): 30–65 years). Vitamins A, C, and E dietary intakes and total and individual dietary carotenoids were computed using two 24-h recalls at v(1). Cognitive tests, covering global mental status and domains of memory/learning, attention, psychomotor speed, visuo-spatial, language/verbal, and executive function were conducted at v(1) and/or v(2) (2009–2013); mean ± SD follow-up: 4.66 ± 0.93 years. Mixed-effects linear regression models detected an interaction between vitamin E and total (and individual) carotenoids for three of 11 cognitive tests at v(1), with only one meeting the statistical significance upon multiple testing correction whereby vitamin E was linked with greater verbal memory performance in the uppermost total carotenoid tertile (γ(0a) = +0.26 ± 0.08, p = 0.002), a synergism largely driven by carotenoid lycopene. Vitamins A and C showed no consistent interactions with carotenoids. In conclusion, we provide partial evidence for synergism between vitamin E and carotenoids in relation to better baseline cognitive performance, pending further studies with time-dependent exposures and randomized trials directly examining this synergism.