Associations Between Chrono-Nutrition Behaviours and Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged Adults: The NUTRICO Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Healthy midlife cognitive function (CF) reduces the risk of later cognitive decline. Emerging evidence suggests that chrono-nutrition may be associated with CF. This cross-sectional cohort study aimed to examine associations between chrono-nutrition behaviours and CF in adults aged 45–65 years living in Cyprus. Chrono-nutrition, including misalignments between actual and preferred eating times, Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, sleep and physical activity were assessed using validated questionnaires. Computerised neurocognitive remote testing was used to derive standard normalised age-matched scores for composite memory, psychomotor speed, cognitive flexibility, complex attention, reaction time and neurocognitive index. Education, marital status, smoking, body mass index, chronic disease diagnosis and religious fasting were also assessed. Adjusted multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to assess each chrono-nutrition variable against each cognitive outcome. Two-hundred and seven participants were analysed (58% female, median age: 52 years, 75.6% university graduates). Morning latency (duration of time between one's wake time and first eating event) misalignment was associated with higher neurocognitive index (OR eating later than preferred by 30–90 min: 2.91; 95% CI: 1.33–5.97 and OR eating later than preferred by > 90 min: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.34–4.88) and with higher cognitive flexibility (OR eating later than preferred by 30–90 min: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.07–4.64). An eating window longer than preferred by > 120 min was associated with a lower psychomotor speed (OR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04–0.67). Evening eating between 20:00 and 22:59 versus before 20:00 was associated with higher complex attention (OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.08–3.97). No evidence was found that eating alignment is associated with better CF. The study provides insights that some chrono-nutrition behaviours may be associated with CF with potential implications for improving CF in middle-aged adults.