FUNDING supplied through the Dementia Australia Research Foundation will exam whether intermittent fasting can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Intermittent fasting, or time restricted eating involves not eating any food for periods of between 12 and 24 hours between meals.
It has been shown to have several health benefits, including improved blood vessel health and reduced inflammation.
The man leading the research, Dr Alby Elias from The University of Melbourne, said intermittent fasting also had a range of benefits for several health conditions, including obesity, arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure.
“That said, no human studies have been conducted so far looking at fasting and Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
“Animal studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting was associated with removal of the beta amyloid protein from the brain, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Dr Elias said the first step was to work with clinicians and people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease to design a trial that was safe and achievable for participants.
The Chair of the Dementia Australia Research Foundation, Professor Graeme Samuel said with dementia affecting almost 50 million people worldwide, research into dementia was now more important than ever before.
The Dementia Australia Research Foundation acknowledges the generosity of donors who contribute each and every year to support dementia research and the grants program.
Since the Dementia Grants Program started in 2000, almost $30 million in funding has supported more than 350 projects.
The full list of grant recipients is available here. The Dementia Australia Research Foundation is the research arm of Dementia Australia, which provides funding to support new and emerging dementia researchers. In 2022, $2.4 million in funding was allocated to support Project Grants, Post-doctoral Fellowships and Mid-Career Research Fellowships.
For support, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.
An interpreter service is available.
People looking for information can also visit dementia.org.au
