A recent study published in Science Advances linked the low-protein diet with accelerated neuron degeneration and increased risk of cognitive impairment.
Furthermore, it shed light on mechanisms of dementia development in humans and uncovered the Amino LP7 supplementation’s potential in Alzheimer’s disease prevention.
A team of scientists headed by Dr. Makoto Higuchi from Japan’s National Institutes for Quantum Sciences and Technology examined the relationship between diet and brain function on a tauopathy mouse model.
They found that mice on the low-protein diet experienced increased neuronal degeneration, poor neuronal connectivity, and neuronal death. Furthermore, they noted the abnormal accumulation of tau proteins in the brain.
Upon being fed Amino LP7, a specific cocktail of seven essential amino acids, the mice showed signs of improvement in terms of cognitive function.
The essential amino acid supplementation seems to reverse the damage, indicating that this particular amino acid formulation significantly affects brain metabolism. Moreover, amino LP7 supplementation lowered the levels of kynurenine (an inflammatory molecule).
The amino acid cocktail prevented it from crossing the blood-brain barrier and attracting immune cells in the brain, thereby preventing the immune system from harming the neurons.
The findings are significant because they give hope for developing preventative dementia and Alzheimer’s treatment.
Protein intake is also crucial for brain function in the elderly, who commonly suffer from protein malnutrition due to decreased appetite and age-related diseases such as periodontal disease, dysphagia, etc.
And the resulting low protein intake is one of the potential risk factors for senile dementia.
All in all, although the supplement was tested only on animal models, it gives hope for treatment for those with impaired cognition.
