A preliminary study links a high-fat diet with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Spanish researchers discovered that mice fed a high-fat diet developed significant markers for Alzheimer’s disease. It’s another piece of evidence that following a low-fat, healthy diet benefits not only our physical health, but our cognitive function as well.

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According to Brain Tomorrow, the study mice were divided into two groups: normal mice and those that were genetically programmed to develop Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. The scientists from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili fed half of each group a regular diet and the other half a high-fat menu. After six months, the mice on the fatty diet gained weight and developed signs of Type 2 diabetes, such as issues with glucose and insulin metabolism.

But the researchers also noted that the fat mice had altered levels of miRNAs, which are small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression. A particular miRNA called miR-19a-3p was higher in the blood, cortex, and hippocampus of the Alzheimer’s mice. The hippocampus is a key area in the brain associated with memory. It was also higher in the hippocampus of the normal mice fed a high-fat diet, suggesting that miR-19a-3p could be the link between poor eating habits, metabolic issues, and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Other miRNAs were also elevated in both groups of mice fed a high-fat diet. These included miRNAs associated with insulin resistance, inflammation, and the formation of the toxic protein clumps found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. This information could mean that a high-fat diet accelerates or worsens Alzheimer’s disease and identifies molecules that could be used to detect the disease.

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“The results of this study are a step forward in our understanding of this disease and may explain the relationship between obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings also offer new targets for the possible prevention and treatment of the disease,” said Mònica Bulló, lead author of the study, in a university media release.

The study not only provides new data on how a high-fat diet can affect brain health, but also opens the door to future research into dietary strategies to help treat Alzheimer’s disease. It also highlights the importance of a balanced diet in preventing neurodegenerative diseases and identifies miRNAs as targets for therapeutic interventions.