Nutritional Information

Diet rich in polypenols might delay onset of Alzheimer’s

By Jane Byrne , 27-Nov-2009

A diet rich in polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease through the production of new brain cells and the strenghtening of neural networks, according to a new Spanish study.  

Mercedes Unzeta, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) claims that the study showed that mice fed a diet based on polyphenols and fatty acids, when compared to those in the control group, had more cell growth in the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus, both of which are damaged in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers maintain that their results show that the diet is capable of inducing the generation of new cells in the adult brain, and of strengthening the neural networks which become affected with age and in neurogenerative processes such as Alzheimer's disease, as well as protecting neurons from oxidative and neural damage, which they say have been associated with many diseases affecting the central nervous system.

The team claims the results give support to the hypothesis that a diet made up of foods rich in polyphenols such as grapes, olive oil, cocoa, nuts as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids from oily fish and vegetables such as corn and soya beans could delay the onset of this disease or even slow down its evolution. The study will be published in next month’s issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Source: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease