Nutrient intake and brain biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in at-risk cognitively normal individuals: a cross-sectional neuroimaging pilot study

Abstract

ObjectiveThere is increasing evidence to suggest that diet, one of the most important modifiable environmental factors, may play a role in preventing or delaying cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study examines the relationship between dietary nutrients and brain biomarkers of AD in cognitively normal individuals (NL) with and without AD risk factors.DesignAs part of an ongoing brain imaging study, participants received clinical and laboratory examinations, a neurocognitive test battery, positron emission tomography (PET) with 11C-Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB; a measure of amyloid-β (Aβ) load) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG; a proxy of neuronal activity), and completed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires.SettingResearch centre affiliated with the Alzheimer's disease Core Center at New York University School of Medicine.Participants49 NL individuals (age 25–72 years, 69% women) with dietary information, 11C-PiB and 18F-FDG PET scans were examined.ResultsControlling for age and total caloric intake, higher intake of vitamin B12, vitamin D and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was associated with lower Aβ load in AD regions on PiB-PET, while higher intake of β-carotene and folate was associated with higher glucose metabolism on FDG-PET. β-carotene and folate were associated with reduced glucose metabolism for women, apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE4) carriers and participants with positive AD family history, but not for their risk-free counterparts. The associations of vitamin B12, vitamin D and ω-3 PUFA with PiB retention were independent of gender, APOE and family history. The identified nutrient combination was associated with higher intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fish and legumes, and lower intake of high-fat dairies, meat and sweets.ConclusionsOur data provide a potential pathophysiological mechanism for epidemiological findings showing that dietary interventions may play a role in the prevention of AD. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether there is a direct link between nutrient intake, brain biomarkers and risk of AD.

Long-chain n-3 PUFAs from fish oil enhance resting state brain glucose utilization and reduce anxiety in an adult nonhuman primate, the grey mouse lemur

“…Participants received [ 18 F]FDG brain PET examination and completed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires. In this study, higher consumption of saturated fats was associated with lower brain glucose metabolism supporting a possible relation between fatty acids consumption and brain glucose metabolism ( 39 ). Testing this hypothesis, a preliminary intervention study in humans ( 40 ) assessed the effect of a 3-week n-3 PUFA supplementation on cerebral glucose metabolism.…”

Mexico City normal weight children exposed to high concentrations of ambient PM2.5 show high blood leptin and endothelin-1, vitamin D deficiency, and food reward hormone dysregulation versus low pollution controls. Relevance for obesity and Alzheimer disease

“…More important from the point of view of public health: preventive strategies should be implemented across risk populations (Jiménez-Pavón et al, 2013). Research investigating the relationship between hypovitaminosis D, Alzheimer, memory and executive dysfunction has established plausible associations that certainly justify immediate supplementation in deficient subjects (Mosconi et al, 2014;Schneider et al, 2014;Annweiler et al, 2013;Anastasiou et al, 2014;Bishnoi et al, 2014;Bartali et al, 2014).…”

An Intervention Study of Individual, apoE Genotype-Based Dietary and Physical-Activity Advice: Impact on Health Behavior

“…As mentioned in the literature review, some studies have shown a connection between apoE genotypes and vitamin D metabolism [15,31]. This fact could have been included in the messages, especially since a low vitamin D concentration in the serum is a factor predisposing to CVD [15].…”