A micronutrient rich yogurt against forgetfulness

A micronutrient rich yogurt against forgetfulness

There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s diseases. But the expectations are high, to find ways to delay the accelerated loss of brain cells, e.g. with the help of a micronutrient-rich diet. A promising success has now been reported from Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany in the context of the LipiDiDiet study (1). For the first time, scientists have investigated whether nutrient-enriched yoghurt helps people whose short-term memory is occasionally compromised but who have so far not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. The idea is to help by supplying nutrients, which are important for the nerve cell membranes in the brain,  on a daily basis in order to support the transmission of information.

The nutrient cocktail therefore contained mainly omega-3 fatty acids (1,500 mg docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid per day), phospholipids [1] and choline [2] as well as vitamin B12, B6 and folic acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium and uridine monophosphate [3] in high concentrations. For two years, 311 volunteers daily consumed either nutrient-rich or natural yoghurt. At the end of this probationary period, Alzheimer’s disease was less advanced among those who followed a nutrition-enriched diet.

Read more:

(1) H Soininen for the LipiDiDiet clinical study group (2017). 24-month intervention with a specific multinutrient in patients with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (LipiDiDiet): a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. The Lancet. Published: 30 October 2017. Available at http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laneur/PIIS1474-4422(17)30332-0.pdf

[1] Phospholipids are  among many other metabolic functions for example an important component of the myelin sheath in the brain, which protects the nerve cells.

[2] Choline is a semi-essential nutrient that can be produced by the body, if adequate protein intake is provided. It is an important part of the cell walls. In the brain and in the nerve cells, choline is converted to acetylcholine, the most important neurotransmitter in stimulus transmission. The best suppliers of choline include eggs, liver and fish, while it is also found  in wheat germ, soybeans, vegetables and nuts in smaller quantities.

[3] Uridine monophosphate is an important component of a building block of DNA and RNA (carrier of the genome). Uridine improved the learning and memory performance when omega-3 fatty acids (DHA) were given in animal experiments.

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