Chapter 6 - Neuroprotective Effects of Diet

Summary

This chapter concerns neuroprotective diets, and the use of particular diets and dietary components as an intervention. The first section examines the Mediterranean diet, with its beneficial effects – as prevention and intervention – on cognitive performance, mental health and neurodegeneration. The second section explores the DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet, which has shown promise across the same set of conditions as the Mediterranean diet, and with probably a similar set of common mechanisms (e.g., reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress, plus benefits to the cardiovascular system). The third section looks at the ketogenic diet and its variants, with its high fat to carbohydrate ratio, originally and successfully developed for paediatric epilepsy, and its more recent use in other conditions (e.g., multiple sclerosis, brain tumours). The final part of the chapter reviews single nutrients, these being either examples of polyphenols or omega-3 fatty acids, with research focussing on mental health, aging and neurodegeneration.