Following a more plant-based diet may be linked to reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a study finds. Martha Jagodzinski/Stocksy
- Although
medications can help minimize symptoms of Alzheimer’s, the disease is
currently incurable.
- Diet is one of several lifestyle factors that
may reduce or increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
- A new, comprehensive review has determined that
diets high in plants, such as the Mediterranean diet, are most effective
in decreasing Alzheimer’s risk.
- The review also notes the typical Western diet,
high in meat, saturated fat, and ultra-processed foods, increases
Alzheimer’s risk.
According to the
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which causes around
70% of cases.
Risk
factors for Alzheimer’s and other dementias include:
- age
- family
history and genetics
- head injury
- high blood
pressure, high
cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease
- diabetes
- smoking
- excessive
alcohol consumption
Recently, diet has been a focus of attention as a
factor that may reduce or increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Now, a
comprehensive review of the evidence, published in The Journal of
Alzheimer’s Disease, has identified what types of diet may
increase a person’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s, and which might have
a protective effect.
The authors looked at multi-country
In ecological studies, the researchers found that meat
consumption was most strongly correlated with increased numbers of people with
Alzheimer’s. They concluded that meat consumption was the single most important
dietary risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
William
B. Grant, Ph.D., study author and independent researcher, director
of Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center in San Francisco, told Medical News
Today why meat might have this effect:
“Red and processed meat
have a number of mechanisms by which they increase the risk of Alzheimer’s
including having iron that increases oxidative stress, [and] methionine, which
increases homocysteine, a very important risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Cooking
meat at high temperature produces
— Dr. William B. Grant, study author
The observational studies looked at a range of dietary
patterns, including:
The Western diet is characterized by a high intake of
foods that are high in energy and low in nutrients, such as fast foods, soft
drinks, and highly processed
foods. These foods are also high in added sugars, salt, and saturated fats.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes intake of grains, legumes,
vegetables, fruit, nuts, and fish, plus small amounts of meat, eggs, dairy, and
alcohol.
The DASH diet is similar, but encourages intake of
low-fat dairy products as well. Both advise people to limit intake of saturated
fats, red meat and
sugars.
The MIND diet is an adaptation of these 2 eating
systems, but it focuses on daily and weekly recommendations for the different
food groups.
The
Mediterranean diet reduced Alzheimer’s risk the most, with a relative risk 46%
of the Western diet. For the MIND diet, relative risk was 47%, and for the DASH
diet it was 61%.
“The study suggests that adopting a diet similar to
the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts,
whole grains and de-emphasizes red meat, saturated fats and ultra-processed
foods, is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Emer
MacSweeney, CEO and consultant Neuroradiologist at Re:Cognition Health, told MNT. Dr.
MacSweeney was not involved in the research.
Plant-rich diets are known to benefit the gut
microbiome.
Dr.
Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association vice president of
Medical and Scientific Relations, who was not involved in the study, explained
how this might affect Alzheimer’s risk:
“Many studies have shown
that bacteria living in the gut may play a key role in how well a person’s
immune system functions. People with higher levels of beta-amyloid in their
brain — which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — tend to also have higher
levels of bacteria in their gut that are associated with brain inflammation.
However, it is not yet known whether these changes relate to declines in
thinking and memory that occur as Alzheimer’s progresses. More research is
needed in this area.”
Inflammation has been called a
Research suggests that inflammation contributes to
both
“Inflammation leads to an accumulation of amyloid beta
plaque aggregates and tau hyperphosphorylation, resulting in neuronal loss,” Dr.
Grant explained. “Inflammation increases in old age in a process called
Inflammaging: systemic chronic low-grade age-related inflammation.”
However, diets high in plant-based foods reduce
inflammation, which may explain the findings of this study, as Dr. MacSweeney
noted.
“Foods
like green leafy vegetables, colorful fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts,
omega-3 fatty acids and whole grains are protective against Alzheimer’s
disease,” MacSweeney said.
“These foods contain anti-inflammatory components and
antioxidants, which may help mitigate the risk factors associated with
Alzheimer’s.”
The authors identified several other risk factors,
including oxidative stress,
insulin resistance, and obesity, all of which they suggest can be addressed by
modifying diet along the same lines.
What lifestyle factors can help reduce Alzheimer’s risk?
Although this study has identified diet as a key factor in
Alzheimer’s risk, other modifiable lifestyle factors can also help to reduce
the risk of developing this form of dementia.
“Improving diet is the first line of defense for our
brain,” Dr.
Steve Blake, study author and director of Nutritional Neuroscience
at the Maui Memory Clinic, told MNT.
“Continuing
to learn keeps our brain sharper. Physical exercise improves brain-derived
neurotrophic factor to help with short-term memory. Reducing stress and anxiety
can improve cognition,” Dr. Blake added.
And Dr. MacSweeney agreed: “It’s important to note
that while diet appears to be a significant factor, other lifestyle factors
such as physical activity, cognitive engagement, and social connections also
play roles in overall brain health and may influence the risk of Alzheimer’s
disease.”
However, she stressed the importance of consulting
healthcare professionals for personalized advice based on individual health
conditions and needs before undertaking any diet and lifestyle changes.
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