This systematic review and meta-analysis examined five different dietary restriction regimens in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers looked at how caloric restriction, intermittent fasting, and fasting-mimicking diets affected cognitive function, pathological markers, memory, and neuroinflammation. The analysis included data from 23 separate studies involving these animal models.
The fasting-mimicking diet showed the largest effect size for improving outcomes. Caloric restriction provided the most consistent benefits across the studies reviewed. However, results varied depending on the specific model used, indicating that efficacy is not uniform across all experimental setups.
One safety concern emerged with intermittent fasting, which was found to exacerbate neuroinflammation in specific 5xFAD models. The findings support a precision nutrition framework for Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that future interventions should be tailored to the individual. Because this research was conducted in mice, the results cannot be directly applied to humans without further testing.