Dietary Fatty Acid Factors in Alzheimer's Disease: A Review

J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;78(3):887-904. doi: 10.3233/JAD-200558.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease characterized by brain function disorder and chronic cognitive function impairment. The onset of AD is complex and is mostly attributed to interactions between genetic factors and environmental factors. Lifestyle, dietary habits, and food consumption are likely to play indispensable functions in aged-related neurodegenerative diseases in elderly people. An increasing number of epidemiological studies have linked dietary fatty acid factors to AD, raising the point of view that fatty acid metabolism plays an important role in AD initiation and progression as well as in other central nervous system disorders. In this paper, we review the effects of the consumption of various dietary fatty acids on AD onset and progression and discuss the detrimental and beneficial effects of some typical fatty acids derived from dietary patterns on the pathology of AD. We outline these recent advances, and we recommend that healthy dietary lifestyles may contribute to preventing the occurrence and decreasing the pathology of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; MUFA; PUFA; fatty acid; ketone body.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / epidemiology
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Diet / statistics & numerical data
  • Diet, Mediterranean / statistics & numerical data
  • Dietary Fats / metabolism*
  • Disease Progression
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism*
  • Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
  • Humans
  • Ketone Bodies / biosynthesis
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Lipoproteins / metabolism
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Protective Factors
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Dietary Fats
  • Fatty Acids
  • Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
  • Ketone Bodies
  • Lipoproteins