由 home-healthhaven 
Alzheimer’s disease is becoming increasingly common, and experts say the number of people affected in the U.S. could triple by 2030. This makes it vital to understand what causes Alzheimer’s. A recent small study suggests that diet might play a big role in whether someone develops this condition.
The researchers found that eating foods high in saturated fats could lower the levels of a chemical called apolipoprotein E (ApoE) in the body. ApoE is responsible for clearing out amyloid-beta proteins from the brain. When these proteins aren’t removed, they can form plaques that damage brain cells, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study discovered that people who consumed a lot of sugar and saturated fats had lower levels of ApoE, which made it harder for their bodies to clear out amyloid-beta. Additionally, those on high-fat diets had more amyloid-beta in their cerebrospinal fluid than those on low-fat diets. Elevated levels of this protein increase the risk of it becoming toxic to brain cells.
The study involved 47 people aged 65 or older from the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle. Out of these, 27 had mild cognitive impairment, an early sign of Alzheimer’s, while 20 had normal brain function. Participants were split into two groups randomly: one on a high-fat diet and the other on a low-fat diet. Both diets had the same calorie content. The high-fat diet got 45% of its calories from fat, with more than 25% from saturated fat. The low-fat diet had 25% of calories from fat, with only 7% from saturated fat.
After just one month, there were notable changes in the amount of ApoE and amyloid-beta in the participants’ spinal fluid. This led researchers to believe that diet can significantly affect the body’s ability to remove harmful substances from the brain, potentially reducing the risk of dementia over time.
While more research is necessary to fully understand how diet impacts brain function, this study backs the idea that a healthy diet benefits both the heart and the brain. Improving your diet may not completely prevent Alzheimer’s, but it can certainly support better brain health.