Dietary Patterns and Alzheimer’s Disease: An Updated Review Linking Nutrition to Neuroscience

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing concern for the aging population worldwide. With no current cure or reliable treatments available for AD, prevention is an important and growing area of research. A range of lifestyle and dietary patterns have been studied to identify the most effective preventive lifestyle changes against AD and related dementia (ADRD) pathology. Of these, the most studied dietary patterns are the Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, ketogenic, and modified Mediterranean-ketogenic diets. However, there are discrepancies in the reported benefits among studies examining these dietary patterns. We herein compile a narrative/literature review of existing clinical evidence on the association of these patterns with ADRD symptomology and contemplate their preventive/ameliorative effects on ADRD neuropathology in various clinical milieus. By and large, plant-based dietary patterns have been found to be relatively consistently and positively correlated with preventing and reducing the odds of ADRD. These impacts stem not only from the direct impact of specific dietary components within these patterns on the brain but also from indirect effects through decreasing the deleterious effects of ADRD risk factors, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Importantly, other psychosocial factors influence dietary intake, such as the social connection, which may directly influence diet and lifestyle, thereby also impacting ADRD risk. To this end, prospective research on ADRD should include a holistic approach, including psychosocial considerations.

The interaction between Mediterranean diet and intestinal microbiome: relevance for preventive strategies against frailty in older individuals

“…In the field of dementia research, ketogenic diets have shown a potential of slowing down cognitive impairment by improving cerebral metabolism [ 72 ]. Recently, some authors have proposed to combine the Mediterranean and ketogenic diet approaches into a modified Mediterranean-ketogenic diet (MMKD) [ 72 ], which has shown the capacity of improving body composition and reducing levels of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of amyloid deposition (Aβ42) and tau protein [ 73 , 74 ].…”

Effects of dietary intervention on human diseases: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential

“… 6 Similarly, conditions such as osteoporosis and certain neurological disorders have also shown links to dietary patterns, highlighting the broad influence of diet on overall health. 7 , 8 In the context of cancer, increased consumption of alcohol and red or processed meat is associated with a heightened risk of cancer, whereas adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern—characterized by high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and olive oil, along with moderate consumption of dairy products such as yogurt—may confer protective effects against carcinogenesis. 9 , 10 Similarly, a strong adherence to the plant-based Paleolithic diet and a Paleolithic-like lifestyle has been found to significantly reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), especially in individuals with a body mass index (BMI) less than 30.…”

The relationship between gender differences in dietary habits, neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer’s disease

“…To date, the most widely studied dietary patterns to prevent and delay AD and related dementias (ADRD) are the Mediterranean (described earlier), DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay), ketogenic diets, and modified Mediterranean-ketogenic diets ( Ellouze et al, 2023 ). The DASH diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet but also emphasizes dairy consumption and limited intake of sodium, industrial sweets, and saturated fat ( Pistollato et al, 2018 ), whereas the ketogenic diet emphasizes high intake of fats and low intake of carbohydrates.…”

“…A systematic review by Van den brink et al (2019) demonstrated that the Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets have been associated with less cognitive decline and a lower risk of AD, the strongest associations of which were observed in the MIND diet ( Van den brink et al, 2019 ). Most predominantly, whole food plant-based dietary patterns have the most robust and consistent evidence in preventing and reducing the risk of ADRD ( Ellouze et al, 2023 ). Overall, multi-component healthy dietary patterns appear to be more effective than single nutrient supplementation strategies for brain health management and reduced AD risk ( Pistollato et al, 2018 ).…”