David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

How Dietary Fat Relates To Alzheimer's Disease According To The Mayo Clinic

26 Jun 2014 · 2 min

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2:12

In this monologue, Dr. David Perlmutter references a Mayo Clinic‑published study from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease to support the central claim of his Grain Brain program: increasing dietary fat while reducing carbohydrate intake benefits brain health. The study followed roughly 1,000 cognitively intact adults (average age ~76) for about four years, collecting self‑reported dietary data. Results showed that participants with the highest carbohydrate consumption had a 90% greater risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), while those with the highest saturated fat intake experienced a 36% risk reduction, and those consuming the most total fat saw a 44% reduction in dementia risk. The study concluded that high‑carbohydrate, low‑fat dietary patterns may adversely affect the development of MCI. Perlmutter emphasizes that dementia currently has no treatment, positioning dietary modification as a preventive strategy.

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One of the fundamental parts of Grain Brain is that we should increase our consumption of fat while we reduce our consumption of carbohydrate because that's good for the brain. And why do I say that? Well, let's look at what the Mayo Clinic has told us. The Mayo Clinic published an incredible report in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, and what they found was a dramatic risk reduction in individuals eating more fat And less carbohydrates. Let's take a look at the study. So here's a study from the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease looking at close to 1,000 adults who were cognitively intact, average age around 76 years, followed for about 4 years, and they asked these individuals what did they eat. And here's what they found, that those individuals who ate the most carbohydrates had about a 90% increased risk during the study of becoming impaired mentally. Those individuals who had the highest amount of saturated fat, the dreaded saturated fat, actually had a 36% reduction in risk for becoming demented, and those individuals who ate the most fat overall had actually a 44% risk reduction in becoming demented. Here's what the study concluded. These findings suggest that dietary patterns consisting of high intake of energy derived from carbohydrates and a relatively low intake from fat may have adverse implications for the developing of MCI. That means mild cognitive impairment. Again, the Mayo Clinic—we would all agree that it's a very well-respected institution—has come out telling us that if we eat more fat. and cut back on our carbs, we reduce our risk for becoming demented. And I'll remind you that dementia is a situation for which there is no treatment. I'm Dr. David Perlmutter.