Health
A healthy diet not only benefits your body, but also has a positive effect on the brain and can prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease, scientists say. However, changing your diet will not protect you if the disease has already begun to develop and if you have a memory disorder.
Scientists have tried to measure levels of biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease, including certain proteins found in cerebrospinal fluid.
The research continued for four weeks. Healthy participants ate junk food—that is, foods that are rich in saturated fats, as well as foods that increase blood sugar levels. Scientists found that the levels of the biomarkers mentioned above changed in such a way that they could be said to be harmful to brain health. By contrast, healthy eating had the opposite effect.
“Nutrition can be an important environmental factor that increases or decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,” the researchers say.
The new studies involved 20 older people who were healthy and 29 who suffered from mild cognitive impairment and some memory problems. Participants ate either healthy or unhealthy food for 4 weeks. They were then tested for their ability to remember, and the levels of biomarkers, such as insulin, blood glucose, blood lipids, and proteins in cerebrospinal fluid, were tested.
Participants who already had memory difficulties showed varying results: a healthy diet reduced the levels of some biomarkers that were linked to Alzheimer's, but not all. This makes it clear that if cognitive abilities have already begun to deteriorate, the intervention is not effective.
These results are still preliminary, and there is still a long way to go to confirm them. Scientists do not yet have sufficient evidence to say that changes in diet or other factors can help prevent the development of the disease. A number of studies are also needed to link some other biomarkers to Alzheimer's disease.
Previously, studies have shown that there is a link between nutrition and a person's cognitive abilities. For example, obesity has been found to increase the risk of developing dementia.