A high-fat diet could promote the development of Alzheimer’s

	Tweet

A team of Université Laval researchers has shown that the main neurological markers for Alzheimer’s disease are exacerbated in the brains of mice fed a diet rich in animal fat and poor in omega-3s. Details of the study—which suggests that diets typical of most industrialized countries promote the development of Alzheimer’s—are outlined in the latest online edition of Neurobiology of Aging.

To demonstrate this, the team led by Frédéric Calon used a type of transgenic mice that produce two proteins found in the brains of Alzheimer patients—tau proteins, which prevent proper neuron functioning, and amyloid-beta, associated with the formation of senile plaques within the brains of afflicted patients.

The researchers fed transgenic and regular mice different diets for nine months, after which they compared the effects on the animals’ brains.

The mice whose diet was poor in omega-3s and rich in fat (60% of consumed calories) showed amyloid-beta and tau protein concentrations respectively 8.7 and 1.5 times higher than the control group mice, whose food contained 7 times less fat. The high-fat diet also reduced drebrin protein levels in the brain, another characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Metabolic changes induced by such a diet could affect the inflammatory response in the brain,” suggests study co-author Carl Julien to explain the link between fat consumption and Alzheimer’s.

In most Western countries, diets rich in saturated fats and poor in omega-3s are the norm. “Our findings lead us to believe that a diet containing more omega-3s and less saturated fat could prevent the development of Alzheimer’s, at the very least among people genetically predisposed to the disease,” comments Dr. Calon. “We cannot state with any certainty that what we have observed among transgenic mice also occurs in humans, but there is no harm in eating less fat and more omega-3s,” concludes the researcher.

###

In addition to Calon and Julien, this study was co-authored by Cyntia Tremblay, Alix Phivilay, Line Berthiaume, Vincent Émond, and Pierre Julien.

Information:
Frédéric Calon
Faculty of Pharmacy
Université Laval
Phone: 418 654-2296

Contact: Jean-François Huppé

418-656-7785
Université Laval

RELATED STORIES:
Can stress increase the risk of multiple sclerosis?   Raw food vegans thin but healthy, study finds   Stroke Study Reveals Key Target for Improving Treatment   High-fat diet could be harmful for the brain   Short Stressful Events May Improve Working Memory   In Women, Caffeine May Protect Memory   How is stroke recovery managed?   Alzheimer’s decline faster in more educated people   Improving Outcomes for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease   Resveratrol effective in lowering amyloid-beta peptides   Does Diabetes Speed Up Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease?   Massage Could Put You at Risk for Nerve Injury

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]