Diet and Alzheimer's Disease

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Diet and Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a very costly illness for both patient and caregiver. Drugs used to treat this disease may not be very effective or may result in undesirable side effects. Genetics do not account for all variance in the disease, therefore environmental interventions, such as diet and nutrition, may impact the prevention and course of the disease. Dietary interventions are one of the most feasible and effective ways to prevent age related illness, and the Mediterranean diet is thought to be especially protective against AD.

Studies examining the effects of the Mediterranean diet on AD risk must meet certain criteria to be considered sound research. First, the study must consider whether the diet used follows the guidelines of a strict Mediterranean diet (high monounsaturated fat to saturated fat ratio, moderate alcohol, limited dairy and meat products, high fruit, vegetable, cereal, and legume intake). The closer the diet is to a true Mediterranean diet, the more protective it is against AD. The second consideration is how AD is diagnosed. The most accurate method of diagnosis is postmortem histological analysis, but generally clinical studies rely on other tools for diagnosis, such as the Mini-Mental State Exam. This instrument cannot distinguish AD from other forms of dementia, however 80% of dementia cases are typically AD. The final consideration is the limitations of this type of research and confounding factors such as exercise and other lifestyle behaviors that may interfere with the validity of the research. This can be overcome by applying an intervention to a study, such as one study consisting of counseling interventions of the DASH diet, Mediterranean Diet, and MIND diet and its effects on the risk of AD.

Low carbohydrate diets have also been introduced to prevent AD. Similar to the ketogenic diet, it is thought that the low carbohydrate diet may reduce risk factors for AD, such as diabetes, by reducing hyperglycemia. A low carbohydrate diet was not effective in improving cognitive function in mice, however a ketogenic diet was found to increase lifespan and maintain cognitive function in mice. In humans, the ketogenic diet is very difficult to adhere to because of its unpalatability over time, making it difficult to study the effects of this diet on AD. If the diet is strictly followed, it’s biochemical effects on the body make it a potential intervention to protect against AD.

AC

Mobbs, C. (2018). Diet and Alzheimer’s disease. Today's Dietitian, 20(3). Retrieved from: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/10096222#/10096222/1

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