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The Role of Diet on Liver Health and Neurodegenerative Disease Risk
Dover, Gabriella
Dover, Gabriella
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2025-12-18
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by gradual memory loss and impaired cognition that affects 7.2 million Americans. Emerging scientific research reveals that behind the well-known neuronal cell death and inflammation hallmarks behind the disease, could be a connection to metabolic dysfunction and the liver. As obesity, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), persist as common comorbidities of patients with AD, the liver's role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis may appear less isolated and extend to protecting brain health. As diet is one of the most important determinants of metabolic and liver health, this study seeks to vary nutritional components, while maintaining caloric macronutrient consistency across diets. The Typical American Diet (TAD), characterized by being high in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates, aids in hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Alternatively, the Mediterranean Diet (MED), is rich in unsaturated fats, antioxidants, and fiber, which has been shown to reduce chronic disease risk. The study investigated how these dietary patterns influence hepatic lipid accumulation using a mouse model with C57BL/6 mice. Mice were assigned to respective diets, TAD, MED, or standard chow (CONT), for 6 months, after which body weight, liver weight, and hepatic lipid deposition were assessed. TAD-fed male mice appeared to have significantly greater weight gain and higher liver mass compared to MED and CONT groups. This same effect was not seen in females demonstrating an interaction between diet and gender. As for images and hepatic lipid deposition, male and female mice both saw elevated hepatic lipid deposition with the TAD compared to MED and CONT. These findings demonstrate that dietary composition strongly influences hepatic health and suggests that nutrient quality, rather than quantity, plays a critical role in regulating metabolism. Understanding how diet interacts with liver outcomes will offer valuable insight into how AD risk can be modified by lifestyle