A team of researchers led by the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) has identified a link between the consumption of foods high in saturated fats and the development of Alzheimer’s. The finding is the result of a study that focused on how this diet affects certain molecules present in the blood and other tissues, including the brain, that function as indicators and modulators of the disease.
The study used a model of mice that develop Alzheimer’s as adults. Previous research had already shown that a high-fat diet led these animals to develop the disease much earlier compared to those that followed a standard diet. However, the mechanisms that accelerate disease progression were unclear until now.
The study was led by Mònica Bulló, full professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology and member of the Nutrition and Metabolic Health (NuMeH) research group and the Center for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology (TecnATox) of the URV. This work was carried out in collaboration with the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV), CIBERobn and the University of Barcelona, and the results have been published in the journal Nutrients.
Dietary strategies that help prevent or treat Alzheimer’s
The researchers examined the expression of 15 microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small RNA molecules essential for gene regulation, in both plasma and brain tissue. They analyzed the alterations of microRNAs linked to insulin in mice predisposed to Alzheimer’s and subjected to a diet high in saturated fats.
“The results of the study represent an advance in the knowledge of the mechanism that would explain the relationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes and the development of Alzheimer’s”
The findings revealed that the diet negatively affected their metabolism, which was manifested by a significant increase in body weight and a reduced responsiveness to glucose and insulin, characteristics similar to those presented by obesity and type 2 diabetes. in humans. In addition, an alteration was detected in several microRNAs, both in the blood and in the brain. These changes are associated with processes that can harm the brain, such as the accumulation of β-amyloid plaques, the uncontrolled production of certain proteins that can damage brain cells, and brain inflammation, also related to Alzheimer’s.
The researcher Mònica Bulló has highlighted that “the results obtained in this study represent an advance in the knowledge of the mechanism that would explain the relationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes and the development of Alzheimer’s. In addition, they offer new targets for the possible prevention and treatment of the disease.”
This work not only provides valuable information on how a high-fat diet can compromise brain health, but also suggests future lines of research on dietary strategies as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s. The results emphasize the importance of maintaining a balanced diet to prevent neurodegenerative diseases and highlight the role of microRNAs as targets for therapeutic interventions.
Source: Rovira i Virgili University (URV)
