For example, vitamin B12 is an essential micronutrient found only in foods of animal origin and is necessary for healthy nerve tissue and brain function Vitamin A also regulates most nerve growth pathways that can reasonably affect cognition Nutrient deficiencies is not only associated with body composition and physical fitness muscle atrophy, etc.

The recommended micronutrients in diet for the elderly in France is as follows: daily intake of 15 to 10 mg of zinc, 80 mg of selenium, 15 to 50 mg of vitamin E, mg of vitamin C and mg of folate. An insufficient intake of theses micronutrients in older people has been reported in several studies 16 , There are other factors that can affect the cognitive function of the elderly e.

In addition, environmental problems loneliness, economic conditions, depression, substance abuse may reduce essential nutrient intake leading to clinical side effects and vitamin deficiencies Hence, it is important to follow a diet plan for people over the age of For example, diets recommended for the treatment of obesity, dyslipidemia, osteoporosis or constipation may lead to changes in the intake and absorption of micronutrients It was found in a study that 8.

At the same time, it was reported that they often had problems with micronutrient intake As noted, aged persons are at risk for low energy and protein intake and deficiency of some micronutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B12, vitamin A, folate and zinc Studies show that the world's population is rapidly growing over the world and this process is increasing in developing countries at the beginning of the 21st century.

This is also the case in our country. On the other hand, responsibility for families where the elderly live is another cost to the family and society, so it is necessary to adopt strategies that prevent cognitive impairment reported that physical activity is an effective strategy in preventing and the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

It has also been reported that aerobic exercise and yoga affect the memory and dynamic balance of elderly men Research results showed that physical activity has a significant effect on improvement of memory in aged female exercise can improve cognitive function by improving cerebral blood flow, increasing hippocampal volume, and improving neurogenesis The obtained results in this study can be useful for all those who are in contact with the elderly.

On the other hand, there is a research gap regarding the consumption of micronutrients and motor and cognitive function of the elderly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of micronutrient intake on cognitive function and physical activity of the elderly.

The subjects included all elderly people over 60 years of age in Robat Karim city in Ninety elderly males participated voluntarily in the research after signing the informed consent form.

The first call for research was made through social networks as well as relevant organizations, and finally ninety elderly people announced their readiness to participate in this research, and 70 of them who met the eligibility criteria were included in the study.

Inclusion criteria were age over 65, ability to answer questions, alertness, no history of falls in the last 6 months, no memory or forgetfulness disorders, and having functional independence such as walking. The short form of Beck questionnaire of physical activity and MMSE test were used respectively to measure the levels of physical activity and cognitive status of aged individuals.

Before carrying out the work, all stages of their research were explained. The MMSE consists of seven domains, each with an assigned point value totaling 1 orientation to time 5 points ; 2 orientation to place 5 points ; 3 three word registration 3 points ; 4 attention and calculation 5 points ; 5 three word recall 3 points ; 6 language 8 points ; and 7 visual construction pentagon copying, 1 point.

An MMSE score greater or equal to 24 were considered normal cognitive function, while scores less than 24 indicated cognitive impairment. The common dietary intakes of participants over the past year were assessed using a valid food frequency questionnaire consisting of food items.

The amount of micronutrients and energy intake of each person was calculated via N4 software. A short version of the questionnaire of Beck 27 was used to measure the amount of physical activity. It includes 16 questions in three components of workplace, leisure time and sports see Equation 1.

Questions 1 to 8 refers to physical activity at work and questions 9 to 16 are related to exercise in leisure time and home. The reliability of this questionnaire was calculated to be 0. Calculation of physical activity level is as follow:. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the data using the SPSS v Data were presented as mean ± SD in the table and the text.

General information and descriptive variables of the research are reported in Tables 1 and 2. As seen in Table 3 , Shapiro Wilk test was used to check the normality of data distribution.

The test results show that the data distribution was normal. As shown in result section, a significant relationship was found between each of the micronutrients with cognitive function in the elderly. This result is consistent with the results of GU 29 and Gustaw-Rothenberg They stated that a healthy diet pattern that is positively correlated with the consumption of fruits fresh and dried , whole grains, Fresh dairy products, vegetables, breakfast cereals, tea, vegetable fats, nuts and fish, and inversely related to consumption of red meat and poultry, refined grains, animal fats and processed meats On the other hand, the obtained results aren't consistent with the results of 21 , In another study, protein intake was higher in active people than in people with lower levels of physical activity There are several facts suggesting beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids PUFAs fats such as fish and MUFA fatty acids.

Another study found that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for brain health through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antithrombotic properties Vitamin B12 and folate can affect Alzheimer's disease by lowering circulating homocysteine levels.

Since, the elderly is at risk for low energy and protein intake and deficiency of some micronutrients, it's necessary to consider some interventions such as training and prescribing nutritional supplements. It was also observed in a study that there was a positive and significant relationship between calorie intake and dietary pattern indicators and micronutrient intake with sedentary behaviors Evidence has shown that tooth decay and musculoskeletal disorders reduce self-esteem in the elderly and ultimately reduce their presence in physical activity, and this is one of the issues that can directly affect their cognitive function However, the relationship between motor function and cognitive function in lower age groups such as adolescence has not always been positive For example, a study found that there is no significant relationship between physical and cognitive function in adolescents.

It seems that the differences in the findings of the present study with other studies would be related to differences in lifestyle, socio-economic and cultural status. In general, the results showed that there is a significant relationship between each of the micronutrients with the cognitive function of the elderly.

On the other hand, the results showed that there is a significant relationship between each of the elements of micronutrients with the motor function of the elderly.

There are several limitations in the study, including low number of participants, different levels of economic status and education. The lack of precise control of the participants' motivation to answer the research questions was another limitation of this research, so, it is suggested to study more samples to study with more certainty.

Irandoost K, Taheri M, Seghatoleslami A. Iran J Ageing. Bales CW, Ritchie CS. Sarcopenia, weight loss, and nutritional frailty in the elderly. Annu Rev Nutr. Studies that measure micronutrient status in blood and correlate that with cognitive function are also needed to better assess the role of micronutrients on mental function.

In general, supplementation with a broad range of micronutrients, rather than one or a selected few, would cover the micronutrient needs of more of the sample and would also be sensible given the well-known interactions among the various micronutrients with respect to cognition.

While this approach may create complications in terms of attributing any demonstrated cognitive effects, assessment of the nutritional status at baseline and after supplementation will presumably help inform mechanistic questions.

Additionally, it is important to note that the available RCTs have utilized a plethora of cognitive tests to study the effects of micronutrient supplementation.

A recent systematic review of 39 RCTs using supplemental micronutrients or phytochemicals found that the trials utilized different cognitive tasks, thereby making it difficult for comparison among studies and for overall data interpretation Thus, the field would benefit from more standardized and systematic approaches to study the effect of micronutrient supplementation on cognitive functions.

Many of the paper and pencil questionnaires employed to assess cognitive abilities may not be sensitive enough to detect small changes that result from short-term interventions of micronutrient supplementation , On the other hand, validated computer-based tests are becoming widely available; such tests ensure high sensitivity of measurement, both in terms of accuracy and speed of performance across various cognitive domains.

Increased use of computerized cognitive assessments may aid in the ability to detect subtle changes that might result from micronutrient supplementation in healthy individuals.

Although it is not yet clear whether micronutrient supplementation has beneficial effects on various cognitive domains, it is well established that micronutrient deficiencies, especially B vitamin deficiencies, have adverse effects on cognition.

Eating a good diet is important for optimum health and prevention of chronic disease see Healthy Eating in the LPI Rx for Health. US national surveys indicate that a significant proportion of Americans are not meeting the current recommended intakes for a number of micronutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Written in February by: Victoria J. Drake, Ph. Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University. Reviewed in February by: Juerg Haller, Ph.

Hoffman-La Roche Ltd Basel, Switzerland. This article was underwritten, in part, by a grant from Bayer Consumer Care AG , Basel, Switzerland.

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