Rutgers researchers are launching a clinical trial to explore whether alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)-enriched nutrition can improve memory and brain health in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, as well as carriers of the APOE4 genotype, the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. ALA is a healthy fatty acid found in foods such as flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil. ALA-enriched nutrition is intended to help the brain produce the healthy fats it needs for memory and overall brain function.
The study will examine whether daily ALA supplementation can improve memory and thinking, strengthen the brain’s protective blood-brain barrier – a filter that shields the brain from harmful substances – and support brain blood vessel health in individuals at high Alzheimer’s risk.
“People who carry the APOE4 gene are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s, and unfortunately, they also appear to have more adverse effects from currently approved treatments,” said Michal Schnaider Beeri, director of the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center in the Rutgers Brain Health Institute and a core member of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. “Identifying treatments that can help maintain brain health while minimizing adverse effects in this high-risk population is therefore critical.” To read the full story.