Nutritional supplementation for Alzheimer's disease?
Thomas B Shea1, Ruth Remington
1aLaboratory for Neuroscience bDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts cFramingham State University, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|January 21, 2015
Summary
Combinatorial nutritional interventions, including diet and supplements, show promise for improving cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Combining these with lifestyle changes offers an optimal early approach for managing AD.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Alzheimer's Disease Research
Background:
- Growing evidence supports nutrition's role in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Individual vitamin studies show limited benefit, but combinatorial formulations are promising.
- Nutritional interventions may influence epigenetic modifications relevant to AD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent clinical advances in nutrition for Alzheimer's disease.
- To summarize supportive preclinical studies on nutritional interventions.
- To explore the role of epigenetics in AD and nutritional modulation.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent clinical and preclinical studies on nutritional interventions for AD.
- Discussion of challenges in nutritional study design (participant history variance).
- Examination of epigenetic mechanisms and their interaction with nutrition.
Main Results:
- Novel positive effects of diet, trace elements, vitamins, and supplements on AD were identified.
- Challenges in nutritional studies due to participant history variance were discussed.
- Evidence suggests nutritional interventions can modify epigenetic events impacting cognitive performance.
Conclusions:
- An optimal approach for AD involves early, multicomponent nutritional strategies (Mediterranean diet, multivitamins, supplements).
- Lifestyle modifications (social, mental, physical activity) are crucial adjuncts.
- Pharmacological agents may be added when necessary.
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