The Consensus: Diet Can Help Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Symptoms in most people typically appear in their mid-60s. Alzheimer’s though is not always a disease of older age as the conditions necessary for it to develop can build up over many years. Apart from age and family history, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is known to be linked to education level (a marker of mental stimulation), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and physical inactivity.

Many of the lifestyle factors related to the risk of Alzheimer’s also overlap with diet, especially ones surrounding vascular and metabolic health and obesity. In Alzheimer’s disease, inflammation and insulin resistance can damage neurons and inhibit communication between brain cells. Alzheimer’s is sometimes described as ‘diabetes of the brain’ and a growing body of research suggests a strong link between metabolic disorders and the signal processing systems. Diet here can play an important role in mitigating these risks.

One very promising area of research to do with diet and Alzheimer’s disease prevention is the use of a way of eating known by the acronym MIND diet. MIND stands for the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It combines aspects of two very popular diets: the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. The MIND diet aims to reduce dementia and the decline in brain health that often occurs as people get older.

Mediterranean diets are traditionally high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals, with moderate consumption of oily fish and dairy, and low in meat, sugar and saturated fat. Most fat in this type of diet comes from olive oil, and alcohol is consumed in moderation with meals. The MIND diet focuses on the intake of plant-based foods and limiting the intake of animal products and foods high in saturated fat. The emphasis is on plants, and what’s noteworthy is that this diet promotes a higher consumption of berries and green leafy vegetables.

The Mediterranean and DASH diets are some of the healthiest diets. Research has shown that these dietary patterns can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and several other diseases. Considering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is linked to vascular, metabolic and diabetes disease, then this opens the door for a MIND diet having a role to play in mitigating the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

That was indeed the finding of an observational study that looked at close adherence to a MIND diet and risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The MIND diet lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as 53% in participants who adhered to the diet rigorously, and by about 35% in those who followed it moderately well. As yet, these types of impressive results have not been replicated in an intervention study though.

John Weber from the Memorial University of Newfoundland though did note that we can say with certainty that no specific type of diet can prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but there is strong evidence that some types of foods can inhibit signs of the disease or at least may slow the progression of the disease. One such food group are berries. Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries appear to be linked to delaying cognitive decline by up to two and a half years. Berries are a feature of the MIND diet.

Auriel Willette from Iowa State University also noted that obesity in middle age and early old age is a very strong risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Obesity often leads to decreased ‘good’ cholesterol, excess glucose in the blood that can cause pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, and other conditions that each raise Alzheimer’s risk. Here, diets such as the MIND diet are certainly well supported in preventing and managing all these conditions.

A heart-healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet reduces vascular risk and may reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk as well. Until intervention trials support what observational research has shown, it won’t hurt anyone to adhere to a heart-healthy diet.

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