Fasting, a Potential Intervention in Alzheimer's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder causing severe cognitive deficits.
• Existing AD treatments focus on symptom management, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
• Dietary interventions, particularly fasting, are emerging as promising approaches for AD prevention and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of fasting in Alzheimer's disease.
• To establish a theoretical basis for fasting as a viable clinical intervention for AD.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing research on fasting and Alzheimer's disease.
• Analysis of molecular pathways affected by fasting, including neuroinflammation, autophagy, and protein aggregation.

Main Results:

• Fasting may alleviate cognitive decline associated with aging and AD.
• Potential mechanisms include modulation of neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, autophagy, and gut microbiome.
• Fasting influences the accumulation of amyloid-beta and tau proteins, key hallmarks of AD.

Conclusions:

• Fasting presents a promising, non-pharmacological strategy for managing Alzheimer's disease.
• Further research into fasting's molecular effects can support its clinical application in AD treatment.