Western diet promotes cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers are studying the role of the Western diet in cognitive decline and neurodegenerative problems in mice. Previous research has already shown a link between poor nutrition, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. New research in rodents may reveal a mechanism behind this phenomenon, which scientists can use to develop potential therapies to treat neurodegenerative disorders.

In recent years, studies of the typical Western diet have linked it to side effects in the body, including prostate cancer, sepsis and chronic intestinal infections. A new study suggests that the Western diet may have a negative effect on the brain, leading to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative problems. The researchers believe their findings could provide potential treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The study was published in the journal iScience

Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Western Diet

Neurodegenerative disorders include a variety of disorders resulting from loss of structure and function of the central or peripheral nervous system. The two most common neurological disorders are Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Previous research shows that the impact of obesity and poor diet may increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Another study earlier this year found that preventing obesity at a young age through healthy eating may delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

The typical western diet, also referred to as the standard western diet by health experts, usually includes large amounts of foods with more calories and fat and lower nutritional value. In a previous study, researchers identified a peptide called NaKtide as a way to block signals from a cellular sodium-potassium pump called Na, K-ATPase. By blocking this signal, the study authors reduced obesity growth in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Current research indicates that the Western diet causes cognitive decline and neurodegeneration by increasing Na and K-ATPase signaling in fat cells or fat cells. When the researchers disrupted Na and K-ATPase signaling by using NaKtide in these fat cells, they found that it stopped the Western diet’s negative effects on the brain, particularly the hippocampus, which plays an essential role in learning. and long-term memory.

research results

In the study, the researchers used a mouse model in which the gene had been altered. They fed the mice a normal diet or a Western diet for 12 weeks. They also gave them the antibiotic doxycycline to activate NaKtide in the fat cells. At the end of the study, the researchers noted that mice fed the Western diet significantly increased body weight compared to mice fed the regular diet. In addition, the first group of mice showed marked insulin resistance, low energy and low oxygen levels.

The Western diet also increases the type of cytokine molecules that promote inflammation. The body needs anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines to regulate the response to each. Having too many inflammatory cytokines can lead to certain conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. The study authors also found that mice fed the Western diet showed signs of behavioral changes, changes in gene expression and signals consistent with those typical of people with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

next steps

For the study authors, the next step is further research to try and replicate the current findings in humans. The research also demonstrates the potential for therapy aimed at deactivating Na and K-ATPase signaling in fat cells.

Although it is premature to talk about new drugs that can address the redox state of adipocytes, in the context of clinical neurodegeneration it may be worth considering dietary changes to prevent exacerbation of oxidative stress in adipocytes.

In addition, this research may have important implications for proposed dietary changes for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or with increased risk factors. In fact, this research offers a new way to reduce the effects of the Western diet by blocking Na and K-ATPase signaling in fat cells. Previous work examined the effect of a high-fat diet on encephalitis and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. On the other hand, several studies show that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and healthy fats, such as the Mediterranean diet, can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Role of fat cells Na, a K-ATPase redox amplification loop in cognitive decline and neurodegeneration