Blood-brain barrier disruption: mechanistic links between Western diet consumption and dementia

In Western societies, both obesity and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) present significant health challenges. While traditionally considered distinct conditions with separate causes, this review by Hsu & Kanoski (2014) suggests that the consumption of “Western diets” — characterized by high levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and simple carbohydrates — may represent a common environmental risk factor contributing to the development of both conditions. The review explores the impact of Western diet consumption on learning and memory processes, particularly those reliant on the hippocampus. Additionally, it underscores the role of the hippocampus in the development of obesity and the onset of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The review also proposes a potential mechanism linking the consumption of Western diets to the degradation of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), subsequent hippocampal damage, and the pathology associated with dementia. [NPID: Obesity, western diet, Alzheimer’s, hippocampus, cognitive impairment, blood-brain barrier]

Year: 2014

Reference: Hsu, T. M., & Kanoski, S. E. (2014). Blood-brain barrier disruption: mechanistic links between Western diet consumption and dementia. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6, 88. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00088