Healthy Food Pyramid as Well as Physical and Mental Activity in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

The ageing of the population is resulting in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which are an increasing social, economic and medical problem. Diet and physical activity are now considered as important modifiable factors that help prevent or delay the development of AD and other dementia-related diseases. The pyramid of healthy nutrition and lifestyle is a way of presenting the principles, the implementation of which gives a chance for proper development and a long healthy life. The basis of the pyramid, in the first place, is physical activity. Our review of the literature in the PubMed database supports the hypothesis that complementary factors, such as proper diet, physical exercise and mental activity, have a positive impact on the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. The nutritional recommendations for healthy adults primarily include the consumption of vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, vegetable oils and fishes. Therefore, the introduction of Mediterranean and Asian diets may reduce the risk of the neurodegenerative diseases associated with dementia, whereas dairy products and meat—the main sources of L-carnitine—should be consumed in moderate amounts. The aim of our work is to provide up-to-date knowledge about the appropriate dietary model and healthy lifestyle elements and their impact on good health and the long life of people.