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Review
. 2018 Jun 30;19(7):1927.
doi: 10.3390/ijms19071927.

Preventive Effects of Dairy Products on Dementia and the Underlying Mechanisms

Yasuhisa Ano  1 , Hiroyuki Nakayama  2
Affiliations
Review

Preventive Effects of Dairy Products on Dementia and the Underlying Mechanisms

Yasuhisa Ano et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Alongside the rapid population aging occurring worldwide, the prevention of age-related memory decline and dementia has become a high priority. Dairy products have many physiological effects owing to their contents of lactic acid bacteria and the fatty acids and peptides generated during their fermentation. In particular, several recent studies have elucidated the effects of fermented dairy products on cognitive function. Epidemiological and clinical evidence has indicated that fermented dairy products have preventive effects against dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Recent preclinical studies have identified individual molecules generated during fermentation that are responsible for those preventive effects. Oleamide and dehydroergosterol have been identified as the agents responsible for reducing microglial inflammatory responses and neurotoxicity. In this review, the protective effects of fermented dairy products and their components on cognitive function, the mechanisms underlying those effects, and the prospects for their future clinical development will be discussed.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; amyloid β; cognitive function; dairy products; dementia; inflammation; microglia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Modulation of microglial activation by dairy products.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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