BRAIN FOOD
Diet loved by Kourtney & Kim Kardashian may help DELAY the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms, scientists find
Watch our video explaining the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia
FOLLOWING the keto diet could help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, a study suggests.
Female mice that followed the food regime — popular with Kourtney and Kim Kardashian — saw particular benefits to their memory, US researchers found.
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Mice put on the low-carb diet had nearly seven times the levels of a molecule called beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which plays a pivotal role in preventing early memory decline.
Dr Gino Cortopassi, of the University of California, Davis, said: “The ketogenic diet in general, and BHB specifically, delays mild cognitive impairment and it may delay full blown Alzheimer’s disease.”
Professor Izumi Maezawa, of UC Davis, added: “We observed amazing abilities of BHB to improve the function of synapses, small structures that connect all nerve cells in the brain.
“When nerve cells are better connected, the memory problems in mild cognitive impairment are improved.”
Around 944,000 Brits are living with dementia now, but experts predict this figure will grow over time, with more than one million living with dementia at the end of the decade.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of the condition and is thought to be caused by build-ups of proteins in the brain, including tau and amyloid.
There is currently no cure for the disease, although promising drugs to slow down its progress are currently in trials.
Cognitive impairment is a medical term used to describe when a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect their everyday life.
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People often experience cognitive decline before they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
The keto diet is an eating protocol that involves swapping out carb-heavy foods like potatoes and pasta for higher fat ones like fish, eggs and avocados.
Lost 70lbs lazy keto simple dinner recipe
Michelle Routhesnstein, registered dietician and nutritionist at EntirelyNourished.com, told MedicalNewsToday: “A ketogenic diet is a high fat, low-carbohydrate eating approach that causes ketosis.
“Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body primarily burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates, which yields ketone bodies as an alternative energy source.”
If these results translated to humans, that could be interesting
Dr Gino Cortopassi
Previous research has shown mice that were put on the diet lived around 13 per cent longer than those that followed regular eating patterns.
The latest study, published in Nature Communications Biology, looked at how it impacts the early stages of Alzheimer’s-related memory loss.
Mice were given either a keto diet or carbohydrate rich diet with the same number of calories for seven months.
Those on keto diet showed better changes to the brain related to memory-formation, researchers said.
Higher levels of BHB were also found in female mice, compared to males.
Dr Cortopassi said: “If these results translated to humans, that could be interesting since females, especially those bearing the ApoE4 gene variant, are at significantly higher risk for Alzheimer’s.”
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But the keto diet is controversial because it is often deemed a 'fad diet', and cuts out an essential food group.
Foods including beans, whole grains and some vegetables are banned on the keto diet - but these are good for health, particularly high in fibre.
What are the early symptoms of cognitive decline?
WE all notice a natural decline in memory and thinking as we age.
This will be more pronounced in some people, as they experience memory and thinking problems that are mild but still noticeable.
This is described as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Unlike dementia sufferers, people with MCI can still get on with day-to-day life.
Research suggests that two out of 10 people over the age
of 65 have MCI, according to Alzheimer's Research UK.
About one in 10 people who've received an MCI diagnosis will go on to develop dementia.
Symptoms of MCI include:
Memory - Misplacing items or having trouble
remembering recent conversations.
- Attention problems - finding it difficult to concentrate,
e.g. while watching a TV programme or carrying out
duties at work - Disorientation - confusion about time, date or place
- Thinking skills - problems with planning or completing
tasks, e.g. managing money, or cooking a meal - Problems with communication and finding the right words
- Mood and behaviour changes - becoming irritable, anxious,
or feeling low
These symptoms may affect someone with MCI all the
time, or they might come and go.
There are steps we can take to keep our brains as healthy as possible. These include:
- Not smoking
- Doing regular physical activity
- Staying mentally and socially active
- Eating a healthy balanced diet
- Limiting the amount of alcohol we drink
- Having your hearing checked regularly
- Keeping blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
levels in check