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The Impact of Dietary Nutrients and Dietary Habits on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Geriatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2026) | Viewed by 3412

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lorena Perrone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life Science, Health and Health Professions, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: neurodegeneration; inflammation; mitochondria; oxidative stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The life expectancy is increasing worldwide, and the global population is growing, resulting in an enhanced increment of elderly individuals and age-related diseases. Dementia is a severe impairment of the cognitive function that affects daily life and represents a huge problem for the health and economic system. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the major disease leading to dementia. Dementia and AD are promoted by genetic predisposition, aging, environmental factors, nutrition, and lifestyle habits. In particular, there is no cure for AD. Thus, it is important to investigate the role of risk factors in order to prevent AD. Several data demonstrate that dietary habits play an important role in preventing the onset and progression of dementia and AD. Supplementation with dietary nutrients seems to be beneficial against dementia and AD. Nutrients and dietary habits exert an essential role on the microbiota composition, modulating the gut–brain axis and, in turn, the onset and progression of dementia and AD.

This Special Issue aims to collect research articles and review articles providing recent advances in the study of the role of nutrients and dietary habits on dementia, AD, and on the role of the microbiota–gut–brain axis in cognitive function.

Dr. Lorena Perrone
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dementia
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • nutrients
  • diet
  • dietary habits
  • microbiota
  • gut–brain axis
  • microbiota–gut–brain axis
  • metabolism

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4560 KB  
Article
Dietary Whole Wheat Flour Intake in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Insight into Long-Term Dementia Prevention
by Fatima Masood, Antonio Minò, Fouzia Sadiq, Riaz Mahmood, Alfonso Di Costanzo and Antonella Angiolillo
Nutrients 2026, 18(7), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071135 - 1 Apr 2026
Viewed by 902
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Whole grains are increasingly recognized as protective components of dietary patterns linked to healthy aging and reduced risk of chronic disease. Nevertheless, relatively limited research has explored the relationship between whole wheat flour consumption and cognitive health in South Asian populations, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Whole grains are increasingly recognized as protective components of dietary patterns linked to healthy aging and reduced risk of chronic disease. Nevertheless, relatively limited research has explored the relationship between whole wheat flour consumption and cognitive health in South Asian populations, where wheat-based foods represent a major dietary staple. This study investigated the association between habitual whole wheat flour intake and cognitive status in a Pakistani population. Methods: A two-phase cross-sectional study was conducted using interviewer-administered dietary questionnaires. In the first phase, dietary habits related to wheat product consumption were assessed in a population sample of 144 adults. In the second phase, dietary profiles were compared between two matched groups: cognitively healthy individuals (HLT, n = 30) and patients with clinically diagnosed dementia (PwD, n = 30). Categorical variables were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. Results: Whole wheat flour was the predominant flour type used among respondents. Compared with PwD, HLT reported significantly higher consumption of whole wheat flour and greater adherence to dietary practices associated with whole grain intake. HLT also reported higher consumption of several foods commonly associated with brain-supportive dietary patterns. Conclusions: Although causal relationships cannot be inferred due to the cross-sectional design, the findings suggest that whole wheat flour consumption may be associated with broader dietary patterns linked to cognitive health. Given the central role of wheat-based foods in the Pakistan diet, promoting whole wheat flour as a staple food choice may represent a culturally feasible strategy within dietary approaches aimed at supporting healthy brain aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Dietary Nutrients and Dietary Habits on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia)
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16 pages, 1460 KB  
Article
Association Between cMIND Diet and Dementia Among Chinese Older Adults: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study
by Yu Zhang, Yuanyuan Lan, Youtao Mou, Yingjiao Deng, Ziyi Chen, Yandi Fu, Zumin Shi, Lei Zhang and Yong Zhao
Nutrients 2025, 17(22), 3529; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17223529 - 11 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1658
Abstract
Background: China’s rapidly aging population has led to a growing burden of dementia, marked by cognitive decline and heavy social and economic costs. Dietary patterns have been identified as a critical means for prevention. Methods: This study drew on data from the China [...] Read more.
Background: China’s rapidly aging population has led to a growing burden of dementia, marked by cognitive decline and heavy social and economic costs. Dietary patterns have been identified as a critical means for prevention. Methods: This study drew on data from the China Longitudinal Health and Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Three logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between the Chinese version of the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (cMIND) diet and dementia. To test the stability of the results, we conducted two sensitivity analyses. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to assess the potential for a nonlinear relationship. Subgroup and interaction analyses were conducted to explore heterogeneity across covariates and main effects. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed as a secondary analysis to minimize the influence of confounding factors. Results: The study included 9142 participants, with a dementia prevalence of 10.7% among Chinese older adults. After adjusting for all covariates, each one-unit increase in the cMIND diet score was associated with an 11% lower prevalence of dementia (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84–0.93). After full adjustment, the RCS model confirmed a significant and linear dose–response association between adherence to the cMIND diet and dementia. Comparable associations were observed across most subgroups. Conclusions: Adherence to the cMIND diet was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of dementia in Chinese older adults, with evidence of a clear dose–response effect. These findings highlight the potential of the cMIND diet as a preventive strategy against dementia in this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Dietary Nutrients and Dietary Habits on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia)
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Review

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44 pages, 1116 KB  
Review
The Role of Polyphenols on Cognitive Function and Dementia Through Gut–Microbiota–Brain Axis Modulation: A Narrative Review
by Oualid Sbai, Lorena Perrone and Patrick Poucheret
Nutrients 2026, 18(11), 1697; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18111697 - 26 May 2026
Abstract
The number of individuals affected by dementia and cognitive decline is progressively increasing, becoming a serious global health challenge. Several investigations underline the role of nutrition and dietary habits as a preventive strategy. Recent studies suggest that dietary supplementation with polyphenols may constitute [...] Read more.
The number of individuals affected by dementia and cognitive decline is progressively increasing, becoming a serious global health challenge. Several investigations underline the role of nutrition and dietary habits as a preventive strategy. Recent studies suggest that dietary supplementation with polyphenols may constitute an efficient preventive strategy. Indeed, it is emerging that polyphenols exhibit a neuroprotective effect because of their pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Notably, several studies underline the role of the gut microbiota in the metabolism of the polyphenols, producing bioactive molecules that are absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. They may exhibit beneficial effects on the central nervous system. Moreover, dietary polyphenols modulate gut microbiota composition, demonstrating a reciprocal regulation between gut microbiota and polyphenol-induced effects on brain functions. Thus, polyphenols are proposed to have an important role on the gut–microbiota–brain axis regulation. The literature search for this narrative review was conducted across three electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science as well as the NIH ClinicalTrials.gov registry, covering the period from January 2000 to 10 February 2026. The following search terms were used: “polyphenols”, “microbiota”, “gut–brain axis”, “dementia”, “cognitive function”, “polyphenols and cognitive dysfunction”, and “polyphenols and microbiota”. The study selection process was performed in two sequential stages: (i) screening of titles and abstracts, followed by (ii) full-text assessment for eligibility. Articles were included if they were peer-reviewed studies (in vitro, in vivo, or clinical trials), published in English, and addressed the effects of polyphenols on cognitive outcomes, gut microbiota composition, or the gut–microbiota–brain axis. Exclusion criteria included non-peer-reviewed sources, studies lacking relevant cognitive or microbiota-related endpoints, and publications not available in full. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Dietary Nutrients and Dietary Habits on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia)
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