Summary: Eating a Mediterranean-ketogenic diet rich in healthy fats and low carbohydrates positively modulates the biological pathways involved in Alzheimer’s disease. Changing to a Mediterranean-keto diet can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially in people who are at risk of developing dementia.
Source: Wake Forest University
Due to the ketogenic diet based on the Mediterranean, it is possible to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
In the study, researchers compared a low-fat diet with a diet based on good fats/protein and low carbohydrates—the modified ketogenetic Mediterranean diet—and found that the modified diet has strong changes in the biological pathway associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings were published online today at Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and 1 in 3 seniors will die with the disease or some form of dementia.
“We hope that a better understanding of this complex relationship between diet, cognitive status and gut health will lead to new interventions to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease,” said and Suzanne Craft, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
This study builds on previous research from Craft’s team showing that a modified ketogenic diet can prove effective in preventing cognitive decline.
The randomized, single-site study involved 20 adults, nine diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 11 with normal cognition. These participants were randomized to follow a modified Mediterranean-ketogenic low-carbohydrate diet or a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet for six weeks and then, after a “washout” period Sixth, change to another diet.
Samples were collected from participants at the beginning and end of each diet, as well as six weeks after the second diet to monitor changes in the gut microbiome. -the good and bad bacteria that live in the gut.
Researchers found that participants with MCI on a modified ketogenic Mediterranean diet had lower levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA-producing microbes. People who participated in this diet had higher levels of GABA-regulating bacteria. GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and GABA dysfunction is associated with neuropsychiatric conditions including Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our study is the first to show that diet modulates GABA in MCI,” says Craft.
The study also showed that participants with MCI who had curcumin in their diet had lower levels of BSH found in bacteria. These enzymes regulate the bile acids produced by the liver and intestines. Low levels indicate reduced intestinal permeability, a condition in which food and waste take longer to pass through the intestine. Common bile acid symptoms are seen in adults with Alzheimer’s disease.
“These findings provide important insight into how diet affects the microbiome and improves brain health,” says Craft. “More studies are needed to evaluate how food processing works in patients with cognitive impairment.”
Budget: The study was supported by the Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center P30-AG072947, the Hartman Family Foundation, Roena B. Kulynych Center for Memory and Cognition Research, National Institute on Aging grants 5U19AG063744, 31U01AG061359-01, 1RF1AG05901, 1RF1AG05901 and RRF1AG05901 AG0151550.
About this diet and Alzheimer’s disease research news
Author: Myra Wright
Source: Wake Forest University
Contact: Myra Wright – Wake Forest University
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“Effects of a ketogenic and low-fat diet on the human metabolome, microbiome, and diet in adults at risk of Alzheimer’s disease” by Suzanne Craft et al. Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Region
Effects of a ketogenic and low-fat diet on the human metabolome, microbiome, and nutrition in adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
DISCLAIMER
The ketogenic diet (KD) is an interesting therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) given its protective effect on metabolic dysregulation and seizures. Gut microbiota is important for KD-mediated neuroprotection against seizure and modulation of bile acids, which are important in cholesterol metabolism. These interactions motivated our analysis of gut microbiota and metabolites in relation to cognitive status after KD intervention compared to a low-fat diet.
WORKS
Prediabetic adults, with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or cognitively normal (CN), were placed on an American low-fat diet or a modified Mediterranean KD (MMKD) for week 6; then, after a 6-week washout period, they go on another diet. We collected samples for shotgun metagenomics and random metabolomics five times to investigate the microbiome and metabolome of individuals in the food industry.
WORK
Participants with MCI in MMKD had lower levels of GABA-producing microbes Alistipes sp. CAG:514 and GABA, and high levels of GABA-regulating microbes Akkermansia muciniphila. MCI patients with curcumin in their diet had lower levels of bile salt hydrolase-containing microbes and an altered bile fluid, indicating decreased intestinal motility.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Our results suggest that MMKD may benefit adults with MCI through changes in GABA levels and gut-transit time.