Effectiveness of Flavonoid-Rich Diet in Alleviating Symptoms of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Over the past decades, there has been a significant increase in the burden of neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, on a global scale. This is linked to a widespread demographic trend in which developed societies are aging, leading to an increased proportion of elderly individuals and, concurrently, an increase in the number of those afflicted, posing one of the main public health challenges for the coming decades. The complex pathomechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and resulting varied symptoms, which differ depending on the disease, environment, and lifestyle of the patients, make searching for therapies for this group of disorders a formidable challenge. Currently, most neurodegenerative diseases are considered incurable. An important aspect in the fight against and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases may be broadly understood lifestyle choices, and more specifically, what we will focus on in this review, a diet. One proposal that may help in the fight against the spread of neurodegenerative diseases is a diet rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are compounds widely found in products considered healthy, such as fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Many studies indicated not only the neuroprotective effects of these compounds but also their ability to reverse changes occurring during the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here, we present the main groups of flavonoids, discussing their characteristics and mechanisms of action. The most widely described mechanisms point to neuroprotective functions due to strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, accompanied with their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, as well as the ability to inhibit the formation of protein aggregates. The latter feature, together with promoting removal of the aggregates is especially important in neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss a therapeutic potential of selected flavonoids in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases, based on in vitro studies, and their impact when included in the diet of animals (laboratory research) and humans (population studies). Thus, this review summarizes flavonoids’ actions and impacts on neurodegenerative diseases. Therapeutic use of these compounds in the future is potentially possible but depends on overcoming key challenges such as low bioavailability, determining the therapeutic dose, and defining what a flavonoid-rich diet is and determining its potential negative effects. This review also suggests further research directions to address these challenges.