Naturopathic Supports for Alzheimer's Disease

naturopathic medicine can provide a great deal of support for patients dealing with alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive conditions.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide and is the most common form of dementia. Risks for AD can include smoking, diabetes, hypertension, alcohol consumption, obesity, and increasing age as these can cause neuroinflammation within the body. While there is no cure for AD, naturopathic approaches offer a holistic perspective by focusing on lifestyle, nutrition, and complementary therapies.

As it is never too early to begin thinking about your cognitive health, here are some things you can start doing today to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Mediterranean Diet

Studies have shown that individuals who adhered to a Mediterranean diet were associated with a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline in comparison to individuals who did not adhere to the diet. The Mediterranean diet is a diet that emphasizes the consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats to lower inflammation within the body thus lowering the risk of developing AD.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Dietary intake or supplementation of omga-3 fatty acids has also been shown to help reduce risk of cognitive decline due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Foods rich in omega-3 include nuts and seeds including flaxseeds, walnuts and chia seeds or cold-water fish including salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring.

Vitamin D

Patients with AD have a higher prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency, low mood and impaired cognitive performance so ensuring that Vitamin D levels are being tested and supplemented accordingly with foods and fats is beneficial.

Yours in good health,

Sami Leung

1. Lu’o’ng, K. V., & Nguyên, L. T. (2011). The beneficial role of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s disease. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 26(7), 511–520. https://doi.org/10.1177/1533317511429321

2. Scarmeas, N., Stern, Y., Tang, M. X., Mayeux, R., & Luchsinger, J. A. (2006). Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Annals of Neurology, 59(6), 912–921. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.20854

3. Sobue, A., Komine, O. & Yamanaka, K. Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease: microglial signature and their relevance to disease. Inflamm Regenen 43, 26 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41232-023-00277-3

4. Wei, B. Z., Li, L., Dong, C. W., Tan, C. C., Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, & Xu, W. (2023). The Relationship of Omega-3 Fatty Acids with Dementia and Cognitive Decline: Evidence from Prospective Cohort Studies of Supplementation, Dietary Intake, and Blood Markers. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 117(6), 1096–1109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.04.001

5. Welty F. K. (2023). Omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive function. Current Opinion in Lipidology, 34(1), 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0000000000000862

Omega-3s for Inflammation-Associated Depression

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, meaning the body cannot make them on its own so they must be obtained through diet. They are both polyunsaturated fatty acids, however, they are found in different foods and have different roles in the body. Omega-3s are found in fish, nuts, seeds, and plant oils, while omega-6s are found in meats, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and processed foods.

The body requires a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for good health. However, the western diet is abundant in omega-6-rich foods, shifting this balance in some cases by 20:1 or higher. While both beneficial and necessary for the maintenance of good health, omega-3 and omega-6s have opposite effects on inflammatory modulation – the omega-6 pathway being more pro-inflammatory, the omega-3 being more anti-inflammatory.

Inflammation & Depression

Neuroinflammation is an inflammatory response within the brain and is a known component of many brain disorders. Rapaport et al., conducted a study exploring whether inflammatory biomarkers might act as measures of clinical response to omega-3 fatty acids – specifically eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid – in subjects with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

The subjects were assessed for their baseline biomarkers of inflammation, as well as the presence and severity of their depressive symptoms using the Hamilton Depression rating scale. They were then randomized to 8 weeks of double-blind treatment with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or placebo. Those given EPA who had high inflammation consistently reported a significant decrease of depressive symptoms by treatment week 8. While also critical to brain function, DHA did not produce the same effect. This difference is possibly explained by the fact that EPA has the ability to dampen the inflammatory response, while DHA does not.

This study highlights the importance of individualized assessment and treatment in mental health, and the value of EPA as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for depression.

Written by Dr. Jacalyn Sieben ND

References:

Kalkman H. O. (2020). The Association Between Vascular Inflammation and Depressive Disorder. Causality, Biomarkers and Targeted Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 13(5), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph13050092

Rapaport, M. H., Nierenberg, A. A., Schettler, P. J., Kinkead, B., Cardoos, A., Walker, R., & Mischoulon, D. (2016). Inflammation as a predictive biomarker for response to omega-3 fatty acids in major depressive disorder: a proof-of-concept study. Molecular psychiatry, 21(1), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2015.22