Alharbi Mushari, Stephan Blossom Cm, Shannon Oliver M, Siervo Mario
School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 22252, Saudi Arabia.
Nutr Metab (Lond). 2023 Oct 25;20(1):45. doi: 10.1186/s12986-023-00766-9.
Dementia is a highly prevalent and costly disease characterised by deterioration of cognitive and physical capacity due to changes in brain function and structure. Given the absence of effective treatment options for dementia, dietary and other lifestyle approaches have been advocated as potential strategies to reduce the burden of this condition. Maintaining an optimal nutritional status is vital for the preservation of brain function and structure. Several studies have recognised the significant role of nutritional factors to protect and enhance metabolic, cerebrovascular, and neurocognitive functions. Caloric restriction (CR) positively impacts on brain function via a modulation of mitochondrial efficiency, endothelial function, neuro-inflammatory, antioxidant and autophagy responses. Dietary nitrate, which serves as a substrate for the ubiquitous gasotransmitter nitric oxide (NO), has been identified as a promising nutritional intervention that could have an important role in improving vascular and metabolic brain regulation by affecting oxidative metabolism, ROS production, and endothelial and neuronal integrity. Only one study has recently tested the combined effects of both interventions and showed preliminary, positive outcomes cognitive function. This paper explores the potential synergistic effects of a nutritional strategy based on the co-administration of CR and a high-nitrate diet as a potential and more effective (than either intervention alone) strategy to protect brain health and reduce dementia risk.
痴呆症是一种高度流行且代价高昂的疾病，其特征是由于脑功能和结构的变化导致认知和身体能力下降。鉴于目前尚无有效的痴呆症治疗方法，饮食及其他生活方式干预已被倡导为减轻该病负担的潜在策略。维持最佳营养状况对于保护脑功能和结构至关重要。多项研究已认识到营养因素在保护和增强代谢、脑血管及神经认知功能方面的重要作用。热量限制（CR）通过调节线粒体效率、内皮功能、神经炎症、抗氧化和自噬反应，对脑功能产生积极影响。膳食硝酸盐作为普遍存在的气体信号分子一氧化氮（NO）的底物，已被确定为一种有前景的营养干预措施，通过影响氧化代谢、活性氧生成以及内皮和神经元完整性，在改善脑血管和代谢调节方面可能发挥重要作用。最近仅有一项研究测试了这两种干预措施的联合效果，并显示出对认知功能的初步积极结果。本文探讨了基于联合实施热量限制和高硝酸盐饮食的营养策略的潜在协同效应，认为这是一种（比单独任何一种干预措施）更具潜力且更有效的保护脑健康和降低痴呆风险的策略。
