Featured article | April 2026
Alzheimer’s Disease: The Nutritional Hypothesis
Abalan, F. (1988). Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, 3(1).
This review examines whether long-term malnutrition, with or without digestive malabsorption, contributes to the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. It suggests that ongoing deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and cofactors may explain key metabolic, neurochemical, and brain changes seen in the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is presented as a systemic condition involving multiple physiological systems as oppose an isolated brain disorder.
Discussed in this article:
- Increased rates of cognitive decline and dementia have been observed in populations exposed to chronic undernutrition.
- Normal body weight or obesity does not rule out nutrient deficiency, since malnutrition can occur even with adequate or excessive calorie intake.
- Poor cognitive performance in the elderly has been associated with low intake and serum levels of key nutrients, including riboflavin, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin C.
- Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease may exhibit signs consistent with malnutrition, including weight loss, frequent infections, and reduced levels of multiple nutrients (e.g., B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, tryptophan).
- Severe or prolonged malnutrition has been associated with neuropathological changes, including neurofibrillary degeneration.
- Nutrient deficiencies may contribute to reduced cerebral glucose and oxygen metabolism observed in Alzheimer’s disease, potentially leading to impaired neuronal energy production.
- Limited availability of amino acids, along with deficiencies in enzymes and cofactors, may impair neurotransmitter synthesis and other metabolic processes in the brain.
- Digestive malabsorption may be a contributor to nutrient deficiency in Alzheimer’s disease.
“The consequences of malnutrition concern the whole body: for us, AD is a disease of the whole body and not only a disease of the brain.”
