title: Will caloric restriction and folate protect against AD and PD?
abstract: Recent epidemiologic studies of different sample populations have suggested that the risk of AD and PD may be increased in individuals with high-calorie diets and in those with increased homocysteine levels. Dietary restriction and supplementation with folic acid can reduce neuronal damage and improve behavioral outcome in mouse models of AD and PD. Animal studies have shown that the beneficial effects of dietary restriction result, in part, from increased production of neurotrophic factors and cytoprotective protein chaperones in neurons. By keeping homocysteine levels low, folic acid can protect cerebral vessels and can prevent the accumulation of DNA damage in neurons caused by oxidative stress and facilitated by homocysteine. Although further studies are required in humans, the emerging data suggest that high-calorie diets and elevated homocysteine levels may render the brain vulnerable to neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, Gerontology Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. mattsonm@grc.nia.nih.gov
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mattson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D002149:Energy Intake; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid