Treatment Options
Diet
- Include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the diet to ensure adequate intake of polyphenols, flavonoids and anti-oxidants to help prevent and reduce both systemic and neuroinflammation (1).
- The Mediterranean diet reduces neuroinflammation by anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities (2,3).
- Limit saturated fat and sugar intake, and reduce exposure to fluoride and alcohol to avoid oxidative stress in the brain and microglia activation(4,5,6).
- Include green tea in the diet. EGCG activates the Nrf2 pathway (7).
- Garlic is another Nrf2 activator (7).
Supplements
- Probiotics minimise systemic inflammation and consequent neuroinflammation via increased intestinal barrier integrity and immune activation (8,9).
- Resolvins derived from DHA and EPA actively turn off the inflammatory response (10,11). The brain tissue content of DHA depends on the amount of omega-3 PUFA in the diet (12).
- Antioxidants reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the brain (13). Examples include vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC)
- Resveratrol (200 - 500mg/day) inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, reduces ROS levels, modulates transcription factors, increases brain derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) and activates the Nrf2 pathway (7,14,15,16,17,18).
- Folic acid (1,250 μg/day). Low folate levels impair vitamin B12 absorption, which in turn may lead to an inflammatory state (19).
- Thiamine deficiency increases pro-inflammatory mediators and should be addressed if present (20).
- Nrf2 activators such as glutathione, curcumin, resveratrol, lycopene, capsaicin, garlic, EGCG, sulforaphane, spirulina, and a ketogenic diet should be considered. Nrf2 suppression in the brain is linked to oxidative stress and inflammation (7,21,22).
Mechanisms of action
Most dietary components which help to regulate neuroinflammation do so via their anti-inflammatory and/or anti-oxidant properties.
- The increase in pro-inflammatory adipokines and cytokine levels promotes neuroinflammation as well as inhibition of neuronal proliferation and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus (3).
- Inflammation induces oxidative stress and DNA damage, which leads to the overproduction of ROS by macrophages and microglia
- Oxidative stress can directly activate glial cells at the injury site. In turn, the direct contact of activated glial cells with neurons may generate immune mediators that spread inflammation in the CNS (23).
Flavonoids and Polyphenols
Suggested anti-neuroinflammatory mechanisms include (1,24,25,26,27)
- Downregulation of pro-inflammatory transcription factors, such as NF-κB, via their influences on glial and neuronal signalling pathways
- Improvement of the regional cerebral perfusion
- Inhibition of:
- Cytokine release (e.g. IL-1β and TNF-α)
- Nitric oxide production from activated microglia
- The activation of NADPH oxidase and subsequent ROS generation in activated glial cells
- Misfolded protein aggregate formation
Figure 1. The neuroprotective effects of garlic components on oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration (22) CC BY 4.0
Table 1. Mechanism of action of neuroprotective dietary components
Dietary component |
Mechanism of action |
Extra-virgin olive oil |
|
Zinc
|
|
Tocotrienols
|
|
Ketogenic Diet
|
|
Luteolin |
|
Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG)
|
|
Resveratrol
|
|
Curcumin, quercetin, vitamin C
|
|
Folic Acid
|
|
Vitamin D
|
|
Omega-3 PUFAs
|
DHA and EPA decrease the inflammatory responses especially in microglia (1,10,13,42,43):
|
Mediterranean Diet
|
Table 2. Mechanism of action of harmful dietary components in neuroinflammation
Dietary component |
Mechanism of action |
Fluorine |
|
Thiamine Deficiency |
|
Alcohol |
|
Western Diet |
Excessive consumption of saturated fats and sugars results in:
|
Metabolic Disorders and Obesity |
|
Hypothalamic inflammation
- Persistent excess of caloric intake and diet-induced obesity results in chronic and low-grade inflammation which leads to neuroinflammation. This neuroinflammation impairs central regulatory pathways of energy balance and nutritional metabolism, leading to obesity, diabetes, CVD and other complications (8,54).
- Fatty acids activate the innate immune system directly through Toll-like receptors and indirectly via modulation of the gut microbiota (55,56).
- Leptin can promote a prolonged neuroinflammatory response through the sustained delivery of IL-1β (57).
Gut-Brain axis and probiotics
Possible mechanisms that link the microbiota to neuroinflammation include:
- Modified immune response, enhancing response to cerebral amyloid-β (58).
- Age-related microbiome changes are associated with the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines (59,60).
- Epidemiological links between oral bacteria and increased TNF-α production (61,62).
- Decreased intestinal barrier integrity and consequent neuroinflammation via the vagus nerve (8,9).
Table 3. Food Sources of neuroprotective dietary components
Name |
Sources |
|
Curcumin |
Turmeric |
|
Resveratrol |
Dark chocolate, skin of grapes and berries (such as blueberry, mulberry and raspberries) |
|
Tocotrienols |
Avocados, bananas, berries, cabbage, cherries, coconut, corn, kiwi fruit, green peas, onions, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, peanuts, hazelnut, cashew, lychee, cereals, wheat, olive fruit, specialty oils from palm, rice bran, barley and oats |
|
Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) |
Tea (Camellia sinensis) (includes green, white, oolong and black tea) |
|
DHA |
Marine fish and algal oil |
|
Astaxanthin |
Algae, yeast, salmon, trout, shrimp and crayfish |
|
Lutein |
Green leafy vegetables, green/yellow vegetables and egg yolk |
|
Sulforaphane |
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower |
Table 4. Flavonoids and their sources (1,16,52)
Flavonoid |
Examples |
Sources |
Flavones |
Apigenin, luteolin |
Parsley, celery, green pepper, broccoli, carrots, olive oil, chamomile plant flowers and peppermint |
Flavonols |
Kaempferol, quercetin |
Onions, leeks, broccoli, tomatoes, radish and several other fruits and green leafy vegetables |
Isoflavones |
Daidzein, genistein |
Soy and soy products |
Flavanones/flavanonols |
Hesperedin, naringenin, astilbin, engeletin |
Citrus fruit, herbs (oregano) and wine |
Flavanols |
Catechin, epicatechin, EGCG |
Green tea, red wine and chocolate |
Anthocyanidins |
Pelargonidin, cyanidin, malvidin |
Red wine and berry fruits |
Common markers
General markers of inflammation include:
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
Takeaway on Neuroinflammation and Nutrition
Neuroinflammation is central to many acute and chronic brain diseases and can be prevented and modified by dietary factors.
- A high intake of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods via high intake of a variety of vegetables and fruits can help to reduce peripheral and neuroinflammation.
- Omega-3 intake (especially DHA) is crucial to brain heath.
- Probiotics and ensuring gut integrity can be beneficial.
- Reducing obesity and avoiding western dietary patterns can also help to reduce inflammation.
Visit the Neuroinflammation and Nutrition post for more information.