Diet

You can help your brain, especially as it ages, by eating and drinking right

Green tea compound reverses Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice

  • Compounds found in green tea and carrots reversed Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice.

A diet containing compounds found in green tea and carrots reversed Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice genetically programmed to develop the disease. The two compounds were EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a key ingredient in green tea, and FA (ferulic acid), which is found in carrots, tomatoes, rice, wheat and oats.

After three months, the treatment completely restored working memory deficits seen in the Alzheimer's mice. The compounds appeared to help prevent amyloid precursor proteins from breaking up into amyloid beta, as well as reduce neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the brain.

The amount of EGCG and FA was no more than could be gained from an appropriate diet.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/uosc-asr030619.php

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Nutrients linked to better brain connectivity, cognition in older adults

  • A study found that higher levels of several key nutrients were associated with more efficient brain connectivity and better cognitive performance in older adults.

A study involving 116 healthy older adults (65-75) has found that higher levels of several key nutrients in the blood were associated with more efficient brain connectivity and better cognitive performance. In fact, the findings suggest that the level of nutrients governs the strength of the association between functional brain network efficiency and cognitive performance.

The study looked at 32 key nutrients in the Mediterranean diet. The effective nutrients, which appeared to work synergistically, included omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, carotenoids, lycopene, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

A pattern of omega-3s, omega-6s and carotene was linked to better functional brain network efficiency.

Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in fish, walnuts and Brussels sprouts; omega-6 fatty acids are found in flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and pistachios; lycopene is the vivid red pigment in tomatoes, watermelon and a few other fruits and vegetables; alpha- and beta-carotenoids give sweet potatoes and carrots their characteristic orange color.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/uoia-sln121918.php

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Diet quality in midlife not associated with dementia risk

  • A large, long-running study found that self-reported diet during midlife was not linked to later dementia risk.

A long-running study involving 8225 adults found that self-reported diet during midlife (mean age 50) was not significantly associated with subsequent risk for dementia.

Dietary intake was assessed in 1991-1993, 1997-1999, and 2002-2004, with follow-up for incident dementia until March 31, 2017. Diet quality was assessed using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), an 11-component diet quality score (score range, 0-110), with higher scores indicating a healthier diet.

There were 344 cases of incident dementia developed in the study period. 69.1% of participants were male.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/jn-wdq030719.php

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Choline linked to better memory & healthier brains

  • A large, long-running study of middle-aged men found that higher dietary intake of choline was linked to a lower risk of dementia and better memory & verbal abilities.
  • A mouse study found that offspring of those given high amounts of choline showed better memory. Both mother and offspring showed lower levels of inflammation in the hippocampus.

Dietary choline linked to reduced dementia risk & better cognition

Data from a large, long-running Finnish study, involving some 2,500 men aged 42-60, has found that dietary intake of phosphatidylcholine was associated with a reduced risk of dementia (the risk was 28% lower in men with the highest intake compared to the lowest). Men with the highest intake of dietary phosphatidylcholine also excelled in tests measuring their memory and linguistic abilities.

The key sources of phosphatidylcholine in the study population's diet were eggs (39%) and meat (37%).

Choline is necessary for the formation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Earlier studies have linked choline intake with cognitive processing, and adequate choline intake may play a role in the prevention of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

There was no interaction with the APOE4 gene.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/uoef-dca080619.php

Choline helps fight Alzheimer's across generations

A study using genetically engineered mice found that when they were given high choline in their diet, their offspring showed improved in spatial memory.

Study of the hippocampus found the choline had reduced microglial activation, and thus brain inflammation, and reduced levels of homocysteine by converting it into the more helpful chemical methionine. These effects, achieved through gene modification, passed on to the next generation.

It has long been recognized that choline is particularly important in early brain development.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/asu-enm010719.php

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Ylilauri, Maija P.T. et al. 2019. Associations of dietary choline intake with risk of incident dementia and with cognitive performance: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, published online July 30, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz148

[4504] Velazquez, R., Ferreira E., Winslow W., Dave N., Piras I. S., Naymik M., et al.
(2019).  Maternal choline supplementation ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease pathology by reducing brain homocysteine levels across multiple generations.
Molecular Psychiatry. 1 - 10.

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Canola oil impairs brains of Alzheimer's mice; olive oil helps them

  • Studies involving genetically engineered mice found that canola oil was linked to worse cognition, more amyloid plaques, and greater synapse loss, while extra-virgin olive oil was linked to fewer plaques, less inflammation, and better memory.

A mouse study has found that canola oil in the diet was associated with worsened memory, worsened learning ability, and weight gain in Alzheimer's mice.

Canola oil-treated animals also had greatly reduced levels of amyloid beta 1-40 (the “good” version), leading to more amyloid-beta plaques (made from amyloid beta 1-42), and a significant decrease in synapses.

The mice were given the equivalent of about two tablespoons of canola oil daily. The mice began their enriched diet at 6 months of age, before they developed any signs of Alzheimer's.

A previous study by the same researchers found that Alzheimer’s mice fed a diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil had reduced levels of amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau and experienced memory improvement.

Moreover, olive oil reduced inflammation in the brain, improved synaptic integrity, and dramatically increased levels of autophagy (the process by which waste products from cells are cleared away).

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/tuhs-trc120617.php

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/tuhs-tse061917.php

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Lifestyle changes can prevent cognitive decline even in genetically at-risk individuals

  • A large study indicates that lifestyle changes, together with advice and support for managing vascular health, can help prevent cognitive decline even in carriers of the Alzheimer's gene.

A Finnish study involving over 1000 older adults suggests that a counselling program can prevent cognitive decline even among those with the Alzheimer’s gene.

The study involved 1,109 older adults (aged 60-77) of whom 362 were carriers of the APOE4 gene. Some of the participants received regular lifestyle counselling (general health advice), while the rest received “enhanced” lifestyle counselling, involving nutrition counselling, physical and cognitive exercises, and support in managing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Earlier findings from the FINGER (Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability) trial showed that the regular lifestyle counselling group had a significantly increased risk of cognitive and functional impairment compared to the group receiving enhanced counselling. This analysis shows that this holds true even for those with the Alzheimer's gene, and indeed, might even be more helpful for carriers of the risky gene.

The findings emphasize the importance of early prevention strategies that target multiple modifiable risk factors simultaneously.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/uoef-lcp012518.php

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