Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that impairs the brain cells and affects about 5.4 million people in the United States. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes memory loss, confusion, decline of thinking skills, and mood swings, and affects the personality and behavior of people with Alzheimer's. People with dementia lose the ability to perform normal activities. Dementia can be classified into many types, and Alzheimer’s is one of them. Almost 50 percent of people with dementia have AD. About 5.4 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease, and the number will increase to 7.7 million by 2030. As the sixth leading cause of mortality in the United States, AD is a progressive disease. The root cause of AD is unknown, and unfortunately, there is no cure for AD. The common age range for AD is after age 65, but the early onset of AD can strike people younger than age 65. Coping with AD requires a good care plan to help people with AD to improve their quality of life. According to the Alzheimer's Association report for 2023, the cost of Alzheimer's or dementia was about 350 billion dollars. The financial burden is projected to increase significantly in the coming years, with costs expected to reach $360 billion by 2024 and nearly $1 trillion by 2050. Early diagnosis of AD and intervention can put the patient on the right care path, which has a great impact on lowering the cost of care and saving about 7.9 trillion dollars “over the lifetime of all Americans living today”.

Most scientists believe that dementia is caused by an accumulation of protein inside and around the brain cells, which makes it very difficult for the brain cells to communicate with each other and eventually causes the brain cells to die. Vascular dementia happens when cholesterol clogs the arteries, which the brain depends on to provide oxygen and nutrients, and takes away waste and carbon dioxide. A blocked artery can damage brain cells or neurons. Even one small blockage can prevent the blood supply to a part of the brain. Oxidative damage to brain cells can decrease glucose metabolism, which is the main fuel for the brain cells. If the brain loses the ability to metabolize glucose, the brain cells will die. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and low-protein diet. The KD was developed in the 1920s to treat children with seizure disorders. Healthy unsaturated fats such as “nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, and olive oil” are recommended. Certain fruits, such as berries, in small portions, are allowed because fruits are rich sources of carbohydrates. The KD allows the followers to eat fat with each meal. The exact ratio of eating fats depends on the body’s needs. Leafy green vegetables such as kale, cucumber, celery, garlic, and mushrooms are restricted to a small portion because vegetables are rich in carbohydrates. However, taking saturated fats from coconut, palm, butter, and cocoa butter in high amounts is encouraged. Different types of proteins, which are high in saturated fat, such as beef, pork, and bacon, are allowed. The KD has become very popular as an alternative treatment for obesity, diabetes, lipid imbalance, and AD. Following a KD has shown the ability to prevent the progression of AD.

Taken all together, the KD and ketone bodies can prevent the progression of AD. The majority of these studies were done in vitro or on animal models. Those studies on humans were small and short in duration. It is hard to say how this diet can have a promising and positive result in the long period of time. AD patients are elderly people, and KD is high in fat, so the long-term KD consumption raises some doubts about safety and the general well-being of the AD patients. More studies are needed to investigate in more detail the long-term to assess the therapeutic mechanism of KD on neurodegenerative diseases. The bottom line is that up to half of AD cases may be caused by preventable risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, smoking, physical, and cognitive inactivity. To promote body health, we should follow a well-balanced healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle free from smoking, alcohol, drugs, and stress to maintain a healthy brain function.