Fasting against Alzheimer's
Intermittent fasting reduced dementia symptoms in mice
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
Short cycles of a low-calorie diet that mimic periods of fasting reduce inflammation and prevent cognitive disorders, at least in mice with Alzheimer's, American scientists have found. Preliminary data indicate the safety of such a nutrition plan for human patients suffering from the same disease.
Researchers from The University of South Carolina has found that a diet simulating temporary abstinence from eating neutralizes the signs of dementia in experimental mice suffering from Alzheimer's disease as a result of genetic modification. In particular, their levels of two main signs of this disease decreased: beta-amyloids — the primary driver of plaque accumulation in the brain — and hyperphosphorylated tau protein. They also found that brain inflammation decreased, and the results of cognitive tests improved compared to mice on a regular diet, according to a press release of the Fasting-Mimicking Diet Reduces Signs of Dementia in Mice.
A diet that mimics fasting consists of foods rich in unsaturated fats and is poor in calories, proteins and carbohydrates. It reproduces the effects of fasting, during which only water is allowed, but provides the necessary nutrients. Previous studies have shown that short, periodic hunger strikes of this type correlate with a number of positive changes, including increased stem cell regeneration, reduced side effects of chemotherapy and reduced risk factors for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other age-related diseases in mice and humans.
During the tests, the mice were put on a diet twice a month for 4-5 days, and the rest of the time they could eat as usual. The long—term experiment lasted for 30 cycles of 15 months, the short-term - 12 cycles and 6 months.
In both cases, the mice showed promising reductions in beta-amyloids and tau proteins. In addition, they have reduced the level of oxidative stress, which plays an important role in Alzheimer's pathology — it leads to damage to neurons and contributes to the accumulation of amyloids in the brain.
In addition to the study of mice, scientists included in an article published in the journal Cell Reports (Rangan et al., Fasting-mimicking diet cycles reduce neuroinflammation to attend cognitive decline in Alzheimer's models), data from the first phase of a clinical trial of a diet simulating fasting on patients who were diagnosed with mild cognitive disorders and the initial phase of the disease Alzheimer's.
Forty such patients, otherwise healthy, were divided into two groups, one of which fasted once a month for five days. The results showed that the diet is safe and suitable for such patients. Further studies are needed to determine its effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of the disease.
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