For a long time, fat was thought to have a negative impact on the health status of people with Alzheimer's disease. However, a new study suggests that a high-fat, low-carb diet can lower levels of the brain protein amyloid-beta, an indicator of Alzheimer's disease. The study was done with rats, so it is still unclear if the results will apply to humans as well. The findings appear in the current issue of Nutrition and Metabolism.
From the Healthcentral article:
"This work supports the premise that key aspects of Alzheimer's disease can be altered by changes in metabolism. It also highlights the interaction of dietary components and how such components influence the metabolic state," the researchers wrote.
The study was led by Samuel Henderson, a researcher with the Colorado-based pharmaceutical company Accera Inc. Henderson's team also included researchers in Belgium.
The researchers believe insulin and a related hormone, insulin-related growth factor-1 (IGF-1), are major factors in how diet may affect Alzheimer's disease.
"Insulin is often considered a storage hormone, since it promotes deposition of fat but insulin may also work to encourage amyloid-beta production," the authors noted.
I would argue that insulin is not the only factor in the results of this study. Every cell in the body is built from lipids we ingest from our diet. If we ingest the wrong kinds of fats or insufficient levels, the health status of our cells will suffer. We know beyond a doubt that our diets are deficient in omega-3 fats, which are crucial to healthy brain development and function.
A more pointed study would look at the results of a low-carb diet with high levels of omega-3 fats from fish oil and omega-6 and -9 fats from flax oil. I suspect this approach would yield even better results.
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