Journal Article

The Potential of Fasting-Mimicking Diet as a Preventive and Curative Strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease

Guazzarini, Anna Giulia, Pigliautile, Martina, Boccardi, Virginia, Mecocci, Patrizia

2023

Overview

This review examines the potential of fasting-mimicking diets (FMDs) in preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD). FMDs are low-calorie diets that mimic the physiological and metabolic effects of fasting, including the activation of cellular stress response pathways and autophagy. Recent studies have shown that FMDs can reduce amyloid-beta accumulation, tau phosphorylation, and inflammation, as well as improve cognitive function in animal models of AD. Human studies have also reported improvements in AD biomarkers, cognitive functions, and subjective well-being measures following FMDs. However, the optimal duration and frequency of FMDs and their long-term safety and efficacy remain to be determined. Despite these uncertainties, FMDs hold promise as a non-pharmacological approach to AD prevention and treatment, and further research in this area is warranted.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Alzheimer / Alzheimer's disease / Animal cognition / Animal models / Autophagy / Calories / Carbohydrates / Care and treatment / Cellular stress response / Cognitive ability / Dementia / Diagnosis / Diet / Disease prevention / Energy / Fasting / Free radicals / Health aspects / health span / Hypertension / Hypocaloric diet / Intervention / Lifestyles / Medicine, Preventive / Memory / Metabolism / Methods / Mimicry / Mitochondria / Neurodegenerative diseases / Nutrient deficiency / Nutrients / nutrition / Nutrition research / Older people / Phosphorylation / prevention / Preventive health services / Reducing diets / Review / Risk factors / Tau protein / Theories of aging / Well being