High Protein Diet Shrinks the Brain

Recently, researchers have begun to focus on the potential role that diet plays in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Sam Gandy, from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York, USA), and colleagues examines how dietary composition modulates cerebral amyloidosis and neuronal integrity in a mouse model of AD.  The researchers found that mice that were fed a high protein/low carbohydrate diet had brains 5% lighter that all the others, and regions of their hippocampus were less developed.  The team theorizes that a high protein diet may leave neurons more vulnerable to AD plaque.  They further found that while mice on a high fat diet had raised levels of plaque proteins, there was no effect on plaque burden.  Commenting on whether their findings can be extrapolated to humans, the researchers stated that: "Given the previously reported association of high protein diet with aging-related neurotoxicity, one wonders whether particular diets, if ingested at particular ages, might increase susceptibility to incidence or progression of AD.    If there is a real chance that the ravages of AD might be slowed or avoided through healthy eating. Such trials will be required if scientists are ever to make specific recommendations about dietary risks for AD."