Alzheimer’s impacted by diet, Brock study finds
What you eat could be a factor in whether you contract Alzheimer’s, according to new research from Brock University.
The study found that “a diet high in saturated fats and sucrose can lead to Alzheimer’s disease when paired with the normal aging process,” said a press release.
The 13-week study with PhD student Kirsten Bott and master’s student Bradley Baranowski was conducted on middleaged mice. One group of mice was fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet and the other group was fed a normal diet.
The mice on the high-fat diet “saw exacerbated effects of aging on the different markers of inflammation, insulin signalling and cellular stress,” Baranowski said in the press release.
Rebecca MacPherson, assistant professor of health sciences, said the study was unique because it looked at middle groups, ranging from 40 to 60 years old.
“We’re trying to see what the initiating signals are that can lead to progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” MacPherson said.
She said most research is done once the the markers of Alzheimer’s are already visible.
“People often view Alzheimer’s disease as a genetic disease when in fact, genetic mutations leading to Alzheimer’s accounts for less than five per cent of cases,” Baranowski said in the press release. “This study highlights that our lifestyle choices matter and can potentially be putting us at risk of developing or progressing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.”
The full study was published in the journal Physiological Reports.