1Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Sai Nath University, Ranchi, Jharkhand 835219, India.
2Clinical Instructor, Department of Nursing, Sai Nath University, Ranchi, Jharkhand 835219, India.
3Student, Department of Nursing, Sai Nath University, Ranchi, Jharkhand 835219, India.
4Student, Faculty of Medical Science and Research, Department of Pharmacy, Sai Nath University, Ranchi, Jharkhand 835219, India.
5Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medical Science and Research, Department of Pharmacy, Sai Nath University, Ranchi, Jharkhand 835219, India.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most?prevalent form of dementia worldwide, currently afflicts over 50 million people, and is characterized by cognitive decline, memory loss, and behavioural changes. Current pharmacological approaches, including cholinesterase inhibitors?and NMDA receptor antagonists, generally relieve symptoms, but they are limited by side effects and do not modify the disease process. As a result, non-pharmacologic approaches like?dietary changes have been investigated for neuroprotective properties. Recent research has indicated that antioxidant-rich diets, omega-3s and polyphenols may help limit oxidative stress, but that does not tell?the entire story in this complex disease. The adoption of these dietary strategies necessitates?caregiver engagement, which can be met by challenges related to patient resistance, knowledge deficits, and socio-economic challenges. Nurses are uniquely positioned to facilitate caregiver-led dietary interventions by providing?education, establishing tailored care plans, and offering emotional support. Prominent dietary strategies are the Mediterranean diet, with its protective effect against cardiovascular?and cognitive decline; the ketogenic diet, which induces ketosis to enhance neuronal metabolism; and antioxidant-rich diets that counteract oxidative damage. It has also been studied?to reduce neuroinflammation and support synaptic function. These potential advantages notwithstanding, adherence remains a major hurdle, driven by?cultural preferences, cost, and patient-specific barriers. Closest collaboration between health care providers is necessary to?develop dietary plans based on individual characteristics, to make sure they are as nutritious as possible and ensure compliance. Preliminary studies suggest?benefits, with improvements observed in cognitive function, behavioural symptoms and quality of life, but controlled trials would need to be done in order to clinical guidelines to be made for eating patterns. This biocentrism preliminary autonomy study preliminarily concluded that nursing?support that ultimately ameliorates patients also has a positive influence on their caregivers, thereby reducing caregiver burden. Future studies to validate the efficacy of dietary interventions?in AD management require long-term longitudinal studies, as well incorporation of dietary interventions as part of a holistic therapeutic umbrella that contains pharmacological management as well behavioural modifications.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for 60–70% of all dementia cases worldwide, with more than 50 million people affected. This progressive neurodegenerative disease is characterized by cognitive decline, memory impairment, and changes in behavior, and it has significant effects on the quality of life of both patients and their families. Indeed, while pharmacological interventions (e.g., cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists) continue to play a pivotal role within the scope of AD interventions, these agents largely represent symptomatic modification rather than disease modification. Moreover, these treatments are often accompanied by negative side effects, such as gastrointestinal issues, dizziness, and cardiovascular problems, which can further diminish patient's well-being. Therefore, the focus on non-pharmacological strategies such as dietary modifications is increasing and may serve as a complementary approach to reduce disease progression, osteoarthritis discomfort, and advance health result. There is emerging evidence that nutrition is crucial for brain health, with particular dietary patterns and nutrients showing neuroprotective properties [1, 2]. Diets with high antioxidant, omega-3 fatty-acid, and polyphenol contents have been associated with decreased oxidative stress, inflammation and amyloid-beta deposition, all of which play a role in AD pathogenesis. Many of these dietary approaches require family members to be involved, so caregivers are a key stakeholder, whose skills in preparing food needs to be adapted to provide dietary interventions as they hold responsibility for provision, duration and compliance. Yet these efforts are often hindered by a lack of knowledge, time, or patient resistance. It is here that nurses, as core health care providers, provide essential resilience. They are trained to educate, train, and physically and emotionally support caregivers so they can surmount barriers and employ dietary strategies. In addition, nurses work within interdisciplinary teams and with other health-care providers, including dietitians and physicians, to design individual care plans tailored to meet the patient’s preferences, cultural practices and medical requirements. Recent studies have suggested caregiver led dietary interventions for AD that might address the underlying pathology of AD through dietary modulation, increase functional outcomes, with positive effects for cases of mild-moderate AD with a focus on quality of life and cognitive healthy ageing. This review of current scientific evidence on AD caregiver dietary interventions. Next, we discuss the contribution of nursing support strategies to facilitate caregiver-led dietary interventions, and its impact on therapeutic outcomes including cognitive function, behavioral symptoms and quality of life. Introducing dietary adjustments in AD care can improve patient outcomes and reduce caregiver burden, thereby paving a path for a holistic approach to preventing this debilitating condition [3, 4].
Inspired by traditional eating patterns in countries such as Spain and Italy, the Mediterranean diet (MeDi), which emphasizes high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil; moderate intake of fish, poultry, and dairy; and minimal intake of red meat and sweets; has been recognized for its potential neuroprotective effects against the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is an ample literature of epidemiological and clinical studies documenting a strong association between adherence to such dietary pattern and a lower risk of cognitive decline and better brain health in AD subjects. Particularly, the high concentrations of antioxidants, polymers, monounsaturated fat, and olive oil consumed in the MD are likely to contribute to the diet's protection against oxidative stress and inflammation, which are two potential pathophysiological mechanisms of AD. Moreover, the Mediterranean diet is known to support cardiovascular health closely associated to cognitive function, since vascularized risk factors are known to promote AD progression. For caregivers, the diet needs careful planning and the food has to be prepared in a way that is balanced and in accordance to patients preferences. Nurses and dieticians are integral to teaching caregivers the fundamentals of the Mediterranean diet — portion control, food selection, cooking methods, and more. This backing is crucial to breaking down possible hurdles including inadequate access to home-grown produce or noncompliant attitudes towards dietary modifications ensuring an effective incorporation of this diet change in the normal care schedule directed at individuals afflicted with AD [5, 6].
Susmita Gorai, Sayantani Samaddar, Krishnendu Roy, Madhu Vishwakarma, Priti Payal Jha, Naba Kishor Gorai, Anand Kumar, Arnab Roy*, Indrajeet Kumar Mahto, Caregiver-Led Dietary Interventions for Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Nursing Support Strategies and Therapeutic Outcomes, Int. J. Sci. R. Tech., 2025, 2 (4), 620-635. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15290961
10.5281/zenodo.15290961
