Intermittent fasting may reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease – study

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Researchers from California were able to achieve improved memory in mice with an analog of Alzheimer’s disease using periodic fasting. If the same results are found in human studies, it will be another method of combating a disease for which there is still no cure, reports Science Alert. In a new study, a team from the University of California, San Diego and Los Angeles was able to reset the internal biorhythms of animals with a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease using a program of intermittent fasting. Violation of internal biorhythms (circadian rhythms), which regulate many processes in the human body, including sleep, is one of the ways Alzheimer’s disease interferes with biological processes in the body. Clear differences were observed in mice that were restricted in food. People with this disease experience changes in the sleep/wake cycle, often experience increased cognitive impairment and confusion, may have difficulty falling asleep, etc. Current treatments for Alzheimer’s disease do not target this aspect of the disease, but it is possible that there are other ways to alleviate these symptoms. When the mice were given a time-restricted feeding schedule, the animals’ memory function improved markedly. Amyloid proteins, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, accumulated less in the brains of mice that were starved. In addition, mice on a feeding schedule had more regular sleep patterns, were less hyperactive at night, and experienced fewer sleep disturbances compared to animals that were allowed to eat at any time. “For many years, we assumed that the disturbances in internal biorhythms observed in people with Alzheimer’s disease were the result of the process of neuronal death, but now we know that it may be the other way around – circadian disturbances may be one of the main factors in the development of Alzheimer’s pathology.” – says neurobiologist Paula Desplat from the University of California in San Diego. He said the study makes circadian disruptions a “promising target” for new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and the scientists’ findings are proof of concept “for an easy and affordable way to correct these disruptions.” During the experiment, the mice were only allowed to eat during a six-hour window each day. For humans, this equates to a 14-hour fast in each 24-hour cycle. “Disruption of internal circadian rhythms in Alzheimer’s disease is a major reason people are placed in nursing homes. Anything we can do to help patients restore their circadian rhythms will make a huge difference in how we treat Alzheimer’s in the clinic and how physicians help patients cope with the disease at home,” says Desplat. It will be recalled that earlier Italian scientists stated that espresso coffee can prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Read also: In the USA, a drug was invented that gives hope for slowing down Alzheimer’s disease

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