Medium-Chain Triglycerides in Combination with Leucine and Vitamin D Benefit Cognition in Frail Elderly Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
What this study found
Daily MCT plus leucine and vitamin D3 improved cognitive function, whereas the matched long-chain triglyceride version did not show the same benefit. In LD1MCT, MMSE increased from 16.6 ± 6.8 to 18.4 ± 7.0 over 3 months (change 1.8 ± 2.9), while LD1LCT changed from 18.4 ± 9.2 to 18.4 ± 10.1 (change 0.0 ± 2.7). The NM total score rose from 24.6 ± 9.3 to 32.2 ± 9.3 in LD1MCT (change 7.5 ± 3.8), with a reported total p-value of 0.001, but declined in LD1LCT from 31.2 ± 14.5 to 27.7 ± 13.7 (change -3.5 ± 6.3). Several NM domains improved in the MCT arm, including housework/arranging personal…
- Study & population
- Randomized controlled trial in frail elderly nursing home residents in Yokohama, Japan.
- Intervention
- The active intervention was an oral daily jelly supplement given at the beginning of dinner for 3 months.
- Key limitation
- The active arms were small (n=13 each), the intervention lasted only 3 months, and the trial was conducted in frail nursing home residents at a single site in Yokohama, limiting generalizability.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
The combined supplementation of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), L-leucine-rich amino acids, and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) increase muscle strength and function in frail elderly individuals. However, their effects on cognition are unknown. We enrolled 38 elderly nursing home residents (mean age±SD, 86.6±4.8 y) in a 3-mo randomized, controlled, parallel group trial. The participants were randomly allocated to 3 groups: the first group received a L-leucine (1.2 g)- and cholecalciferol (20 μg)-enriched supplement with 6 g of MCT (LD+MCT); the second group received the same supplement with 6 g of long-chain triglycerides (LD+LCT); and the third group did not receive any supplements (control). Cognition was assessed at baseline and after the 3-mo intervention. The difference in changes among the groups was assessed with ANCOVA, adjusting for age and the baseline value as covariates. After 3 mo, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score in the LD+MCT group increased by 10.6% (from 16.6 to 18.4 points, p<0.05). After 3 mo, the Nishimura geriatric rating scale for mental status (NM scale) score in the LD+MCT group increased by 30.6% (from 24.6 to 32.2 points, p<0.001), whereas that in the LD+LCT and control groups decreased by 11.2% (from 31.2 to 27.7 points, p<0.05) and 26.1% (from 27.2 to 20.1 points, p<0.001), respectively. The combined supplementation of MCTs (6 g), L-leucine-rich amino acids, and cholecalciferol may improve cognitive function in frail elderly individuals.