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In a breakthrough study, a healthy plant-based diet, along with mild exercise, stress management, and group support has been shown to improve both subjective and objective signs of brain function in individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish and colleagues at the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, the study included 51 individuals, half of whom were assigned to the treatment group. Clinical Global Impression of Change scores improved or stabilized in 71% of treatment-group participants, and those who adhered most consistently to the diet and lifestyle program achieved the greatest benefits. Meanwhile, 68% of those who made no changes had worsened cognitive functioning. In addition, the Aβ 42/40 ratio, a blood marker of amyloid protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, improved by 6.4% in the intervention group, compared with an 8.3% decline in the control group. Overall, the results compared favorably to pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and were accompanied by additional benefits, such as weight loss and improved cardiovascular health. Video overview of the study and A Testimonial.
References
Ornish D, Madison C, Kivipelto M et al. Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Alz Res Therapy. 2024:16(122). doi:10.1186/s13195-024-01482-z
New research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam shows that infrequent trips to the bathroom is associated with cognitive aging and decline. People who chronically only have bowel movements every three or more days were found to have a worse cognitive age by 3 years. We know from previous research that gut health, which likely mediates this association, plays an important role in cognition.1,2 Diets low in fat and processed food and high in fiber and plant foods have been shown to improve gut and overall human health.3
References
Ma C, Ngouongo Y, Muhammad J. Use of dietary supplements in sports drinks: Constipation Associated with Cognitive Aging and Decline. Presented at: Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®); July 19, 2023; Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Proctor C, Thiennimitr P, Chattipakorn N, Chattipakorn SC. Diet, gut microbiota and cognition. Metab Brain Dis. 2017;32(1):1-17. doi:10.1007/s11011-016-9917-8
Mazzocchi S, Visaggi P, Baroni L. Plant-based diets in gastrointestinal diseases: Which evidence? Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2023;62-63:101829. doi:10.1016/j.bpg.2023.101829
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Flavonoids, a healthful compound abundant in plant foods including tea, blueberries, and peppers, may reduce the risk of death. According to new research published in BMC Medicine, adding three servings per day of flavonoid-rich foods lowed the risk of dying for any reason by 8% and the risk of brain death due to neurological causes by 13%. These effects were even seen when dietary changes were made in middle age, suggesting it is never too late to start improving your diet.
References Bondonno, NP, Liu, YL, Zheng, Y, et al. Change in habitual intakes of flavonoid-rich foods and mortality in US males and females. BMC Med. 2023;21(1):1-13. doi:10.1186/s12916-023-02873-z
Dietary flavonoids from berries, apples, and other plant-based foods help protect against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers reviewed diet record data and compared flavonoid intake and dementia incidence rates for 2,801 participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. Those who had the highest total flavonoid intake from oranges, pears, strawberries, and other plant-based foods were 40% less likely to develop dementia when compared to those with the lowest intakes of flavonoid.
Reference: Shishtar E, Rogers GT, Blumberg JB, Au R, Jacques PF. Long-term dietary flavonoid intake and risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. Published online April 22, 2020
Diets high in fruits, vegetables, pulses (beans, lentils, peas), and nuts protect against cognitive decline, according to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health, & Aging. Researchers compared test scores in verbal fluency, a measure of cognitive decline, in participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and tracked dietary intake, socioeconomic status, and other covariates. Those who consumed more than 0.5 servings of pulses/nuts and more than 3 servings of fruits/vegetables per day scored higher on the cognitive tests, compared with those who had less. The authors call for policies to address food access and obesity and hypertension risk to improve risk factors.
Reference: Fuller-Thomson E, Saab Z, Davison KM, et al. Nutrition, immigration and health determinants are linked to verbal fluency among anglophone adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). J Nutr Health Aging. 2020;24:672-680.
A metabolite produced in the gut from consuming soy products known as equol may reduce the risk for dementia, according to a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Researchers examined brain magnetic resonance imaging for white matter lesions associated with cognitive disease in 91 elderly participants and tracked serum equol levels. Those who produced more equol from dietary soy products had 50% fewer white matter lesions than those with lower equol levels. Japanese populations have more gut microbiota well-suited to produce soy metabolites, compared to Americans, due to higher consumption of dietary soy. Equol may improve dementia risk by improving arterial stiffness associated with white matter lesions in increased mitochondria function later in life.
Reference: Sekikawa A, Higashiyama A, Lopresti BJ, et al. Associations of equol-producing status with white matter lesion and amyloid-β deposition in cognitively normal elderly Japanese. Alzheimer’s Dement.. 2020;6:e12089-e12098