A healthy diet has always been touted as an important habit that will keep diseases at bay. But can it prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease?
Are there certain foods that prevent Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline?
In this article, we delve into the research on this topic to help you find ways to fight Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Diet and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
Changes can occur in the brain years before one may spot the initial signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers have been studying these early changes to find ways to prevent or delay the condition. Some methods include drugs and lifestyle changes, like diet, exercise, and brain training.
Diet significantly impacts biological mechanisms, including inflammation and oxidative stress often accompanying Alzheimer’s disease. It also affects other risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiac disorders.
This all means that diet is a crucial way to combat Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer Prevention Diet
Mediterranean and MIND diets are two popular options that offer hope for preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Here are the common food groups that they advocate:
Mediterranean Diet Ingredients
The Mediterranean diet focuses on the following food groups:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Legumes
- Fish and other seafood
- Unsaturated fats, like olive oils
- Small portions of eggs, red meat, and sweets
MIND Diet Ingredients
The Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet is a mix of the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets. It encourages eating plant-based foods that are associated with preventing dementia.
It emphasizes the below food groups:
- Leafy green vegetables
- Other vegetables
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Fish
- Poultry
- Nuts
- Berries
- Wine
- Olive oil
- Small servings of red meat, cheese, butter, margarine, sweets, and fast or fried food
Research Into Alzheimer’s Prevention Diet
Scientists have been extensively testing the cognitive benefits of Mediterranean and MIND diets and other healthy diets. The goal is to determine if they can slow down or prevent age-related cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies on the Mediterranean Diet
A few observational studies that compared the Mediterranean diet with a Western diet have reported a reduced dementia risk among subjects who followed the Mediterranean diet. These studies were done on cognitively normal volunteers.
In a 2018 study, volunteers who adopted a Mediterranean diet had thicker cortical brain regions than the non-Mediterranean diet group. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease have smaller cortical brain regions, meaning the Mediterranean diet can provide powerful cognitive benefits.
Another 2018 observational study reported that people who did not closely follow the Mediterranean diet had higher levels of beta-amyloid protein and lower glucose metabolism. These are common signs in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The benefits of a Mediterranean diet for heart health and cognitive function are a probable cause of the reduced risk of dementia. The diet contains nutrients with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may help protect the brain.
Meanwhile, the Western diet leads to an increased risk of neuroinflammation (inflammation in the brain or spinal cord), which is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroinflammation also affects neuron functions and causes cell death.
Studies on the MIND Diet
There is a lot of promising evidence for the MIND diet in relation to Alzheimer’s disease—it also delays or reduces the risk of cognitive decline.
A 2015 study showed that following the MIND diet for an average of 4.5 years reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 53%. Meanwhile, another study conducted in 2015 found that the MIND diet led to a significant delay in cognitive decline over an average of almost five years.
Studies on Other Healthy Diets
Researchers have also studied the ketogenic diet in relation to brain health. This high-fat, low-carb diet boosts the production of ketones, which are molecules that promote the healthy functioning of brain cells. This diet also affects gut bacteria, helps brain cells use energy better, and improves overall cognitive function.
Foods That Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Scientists have studied many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods with the potential to improve cognitive function and prevent Alzheimer’s disease in the future. These include leafy greens, curcumin (present in turmeric), and blueberries.
But until now, there is no definitive evidence that consuming or avoiding certain foods can ward off age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
Nonetheless, a 2018 study reported that incorporating leafy green vegetables like lettuce, spinach, collards, and kale into one’s daily diet delayed age-related cognitive decline. This could be because of the neuroprotective benefits of certain nutrients in these ingredients.
A 2014 study also showed a link between regular fish consumption with increased brain health and delayed age-related cognitive decline. A 2019 study in mice reported that too much salt in the diet leads to higher levels of tau protein. This protein is present in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients and causes brain impairment.
So, if you wish to follow an Alzheimer’s prevention diet, it is advisable to regularly eat leafy green vegetables and fish and avoid excess salt.
Vitamins and Supplements
Many studies on the Alzheimer’s diet have looked into the benefits of vitamins and nutritional supplements like Vitamins B and E for prevention. The idea was that they might combat inflammation or oxidative stress, keep brain cells healthy, or affect other biological functions that may minimize the risk for the disease.
However, there is no proof that vitamins or supplements benefit brain health in humans. Also, most studies had small sample sizes or were too short and inconclusive, making the evidence on this subject weak.
This means scientists do not recommend any vitamins or dietary supplements for fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
Conclusion
Living and coping with Alzheimer’s disease can be fraught with challenges. But you don’t have to do it alone. 365 In-Home Care provides personalized and reliable in-home care to seniors for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other medical conditions and needs.
Book a care consultation or contact us to learn more about our services.
