What Dietary Factors Are Associated With Alzheimer's Disease?
Mar 01, 2022
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative neuropsychiatric disease characterized by the deposition of Aβ plaques between neurons in the brain and the neurofibrillary tangles of P-tau in neurons. dementia. In 2017, WHO reported in "Ten Facts About Dementia" that AD has become another killer that threatens human health after cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and malignant tumors.
Due to the complex pathogenesis of AD and the slow progress of treatment, there is currently no intervention that can prevent or reverse the progression of the disease, but only temporarily improve or slow the progression of symptoms. In the past 20 years, hundreds of effective drugs for animal experiments have entered clinical trials around the world. Therefore, adjusting the dietary structure or eating habits of risk groups to prevent the occurrence and progression of AD can be regarded as a natural, simple and effective prevention and treatment method, and has attracted more and more attention from the global scientific community.
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Coffee and AD
A long-term study published in the journal Aging Neuroscience on November 19, 2021, suggests that drinking more coffee may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia surveyed 227 cognitively normal older adults to find out whether coffee intake affected the rate of cognitive decline over the past decade.
The research team found that those participants with higher coffee intake without memory impairment had a lower risk of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment or developing AD and that higher coffee intake may slow the accumulation of amyloid in the brain, while starch Such protein accumulation is a key factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease, and if a person increases from one cup to two cups of coffee (240 g/m per cup) per day, the rate of cognitive decline after 18 months can be slowed down 8%, while the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain can be reduced by 5%.
Fatty Acids and AD
Fatty acids play an integral role in human nutritional requirements and health regulation. The roles of fatty acids in the central nervous system include energy sources, cell membrane components, regulation of axonal growth and function, and neuroinflammatory responses. The brain is the second most oil-rich organ in the human body, and by adjusting the intake of non-hydrogenated unsaturated fats, low hydrogenated and saturated fats, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet, the risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by Vascular mechanisms potentially reduce the risk of AD.
Antioxidants and AD
People at lower risk of AD after additional antioxidant supplementation
Oxygen-free radicals are related to neuronal damage in AD. Excessive oxygen free radicals and oxidative stress in brain tissue can increase the accumulation of amyloid. By supplementing the dietary structure of common antioxidants vitamin E, anti-vitamin C, and carotene intake In order to reduce lipid peroxidation and inflammatory signaling cascades in the body, thereby reducing the risk of stroke in the population, and stroke is one of the high-risk factors for AD, a 2004 study covering 4,000 elderly people over the age of 65 found that the additional intake of vitamin C and E can reduce the risk of AD, another study covering 5395 people over the age of 55 found that after adjusting the intake of vitamin E and C through diet, the risk of AD was lower in the population, and it is more significant in smokers, which is considered to be related to their own heavy oxygen free radical burden.
Dietary polyphenols and AD
Dietary polyphenols are secondary metabolites with a polyphenolic structure, which are widely found in daily edible fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine, and other plant foods. In recent years, a large number of studies have provided strong evidence for dietary polyphenols in the prevention of AD. Among them, curcumin, resveratrol, EGCG, etc. are reported more. 1 Curcumin is one of the world's largest-selling natural food colors. , has good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have shown that curcumin inhibits the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential by regulating the expression of Bcl-2, reduces DNA damage and ROS accumulation, and finally reverses H2O2-induced apoptosis. In addition, in animal experiments, curcumin was found to significantly attenuate oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in AD mice after 7 weeks of maintenance. 2 Resveratrol exists in the epidermis of many edible plants such as as mulberries, grapes, peanuts, and pomegranates. The results of a domestic animal experiment showed that compared with the AD model group, the learning and memory abilities of the resveratrol treatment group were improved. , the contents of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde in serum and brain tissue decreased, and there were significant differences, suggesting that resveratrol has a protective effect on cognitive function in AD mice, and It can improve the antioxidant capacity of AD mice to a certain extent.
Cistanche and AD
Two major functional elements in Cistanche
Echinacea: Antioxidant and Alzheimer's, protect cardiovascular and cerebrovascular
Verascoside: invigorating the kidney and essence, protecting the liver, and improving immunity
According to the research of Peking University professors:
The key extracts of Cistanche deserticola, "echinacoside" and "verascoside", can enter the brain through the blood-brain barrier to help nerve cell regeneration and repair;
"Echinacea" and "verbasin" also have antioxidant effects, which can repair mitochondrial damage caused by oxidation, restore mitochondrial function to normal, and then restore and strengthen brain function, enhance the elasticity of brain cell membranes, and improve brain capacity. Activate brain cells and promote brain cell metabolism.
In the research experiment of Cistanche deserticola in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, 124 patients with Alzheimer's disease were randomly divided into two groups. For 12 weeks, the scores of the Clinical Dementia Scale (CDR), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Self-care of Daily Living (ADL) scale were recorded before and after treatment to detect the degree of dementia and self-care ability of patients.
The results showed that: after 12 weeks, the CDR and ADL of the two groups were significantly decreased, and the MMSE was significantly increased. It shows that the total glucosides of Cistanche deserticola have a therapeutic effect on AD patients and can delay the progression of dementia.
In the treatment of vascular dementia (VD) with Cistanche deserticola • 70 patients with mild and moderate cognitive impairment were randomly divided into the total glucosides of Cistanche deserticola and the Naofukang control group. Both groups were treated with oral enteric-coated aspirin and nimodipine. The total glucosides of Cistanche deserticola were added to the group, and the Naofukang was added to the control group. The course of treatment was 16 weeks. The patients were checked once every 4 weeks before and after the medication. Self-care ability to record adverse reactions, corresponding physical examination and laboratory examination, etc.
The results showed that: after 12 weeks, the CDR and ADL of the two groups were significantly decreased, and the MMSE was significantly increased. It shows that the total glucosides of Cistanche deserticola have a therapeutic effect on AD patients and can delay the progression of dementia.
The brain-enhancing mechanism of Cistanche is mainly through 5 ways to improve memory and immunity, and prevent Alzheimer's disease:
1. Protect nerve cells and inhibit nerve cell apoptosis;
2. Promote the growth and repair of nerve cells;
3. Increase the release of neurotransmitters in the brain;
4. Improve cerebral circulation;
5. Invigorating the kidney and nourishing essence, improving immunity.
Conclusion： The metabolites of Phenylethanoid glycosides, which are the functional components in Cistanche Cistanche, can pass through the blood-brain barrier and directly act on brain cells to relieve mental stress, change health status, increase brain volume, and promote brain cell metabolism, thereby delaying brain function. Cell aging, improve memory, maintain long-lasting brain cell activity. It is very beneficial to improve observation, attention, thinking ability, imagination, reaction ability, and learning ability.
