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Low-cholesterol diet shown to decrease Alzheimer's risk

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

A diet that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in cholesterol has been connected to a decreased Alzheimer's disease risk by a team of researchers at Tel Aviv University. Cholesterol testing may help individuals decide if lifestyle changes are needed to help them avoid the condition.

The researchers said that dieticians have long recommended eating more healthy fats as a way to maintain mental sharpness in old age. However, their new study is among the first to provide specific evidence of the benefits of healthy eating as it relates to Azheimer's.

For the study, they fed one group of mice a diet with high levels of omega-3s and low levels of cholesterol. The researchers then examined the mice's brains for a molecule called APOE, which can accumulate in the brain and is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's.

They found that mice fed the healthy diet had significantly lower levels of APOE. Furthermore, they were less likely to show symptoms of cognitive decline.

"The main take-away message here is that good diets can alleviate the effects of bad genes," said Daniel Michaelson, who led the study.