(OR32-02-24) Soy Isoflavone Consumption Is Associated With Greater Attentional Inhibition Among School-Aged Children

Objectives: Soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens present in soy foods that may have beneficial effects on cognition. Although the effects of soy isoflavones have been studied in adults, their potential health benefits in children remain unclear. This study aimed to understand the cross-sectional relationship between habitual soy isoflavone consumption and cognitive abilities in school-aged children. We hypothesized that increased soy isoflavone consumption would be associated with better cognitive performance.

Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using secondary data among children ages 7 – 12 years (n = 128). Habitual total isoflavone intake (i.e., genistein, daidzein, glycitein) and overall diet quality (i.e., Healthy Eating Index 2015 [HEI-2015]) were assessed using 7-day diet records. General intellectual ability (GIA) was measured using the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. A modified Eriksen Flanker task was used to assess attentional inhibition. The P3 event-related potential (ERP) was measured from electroencephalographic activity during the Flanker task to index information processing speed (e.g. P3 peak latency) and attentional resource allocation (e.g. P3 peak amplitude).

Results: Partial Spearman correlations controlled for age, sex, HEI-2015, Body Mass Index, and household income. Total isoflavones were negatively related to flanker incongruent reaction time (rho = -0.22, p = 0.02). Total isoflavones were also positively related to incongruent FPZ P3 mean amplitude (rho = 0.22, p = 0.04). There was no significant relationship between total isoflavone intake and GIA.

Conclusions: Soy isoflavone intake was positively associated with behavioral performance in attentional inhibition but not intellectual abilities among school-aged children. Additionally, the ERP findings suggest that habitual soy isoflavone intake is associated with faster information processing speed during an attentional inhibition task. Future intervention studies are necessary to prospectively test the effects of soy isoflavone consumption on differential aspects of cognitive function.

Funding Sources: Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Egg Nutrition Center