Alzheimer Disease and dietary fat

A study published in the Archives Neurology Journal 2003, vol 60, pages 194-200 by Morris and colleagues investigated whether dietary fats influence the development of Alzheimer disease (AD). A random sample of 815 community residents aged 65 and over who did not have AD were followed-up after 4 years after completing an extensive dietary intake questionnaire. 131 people developed AD after 4 years - those eating the most saturated fat or hydrogenated (trans) fat had more than twice the risk of developing AD than those consuming the least. In contrast, intakes of omega 6 polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat were not associated with risk of AD. The authors concluded that a high intake of unsaturated, unhydrogenated fats may be protective against Alzheimer disease, whereas intake of saturated or hydrogenated (trans) fats may increase risk. However, a limitation of this study is that consumption of each type of fat correlates with eating other types of fat. That is, if you eat a lot of one fat, you are more likely to eat a lot of all types. More studies are needed to prove that dietary fat is linked with AD.

Last Updated: April 2003