Exploring Functional Foods in Prevention of Dementia

Functional foods not only provide energy and nutrients to the body, but they also improve one or more other desirable functions in the body that either help promote health or reduce the risk of disease in the body. Nutrients work in several biochemical and metabolic pathways, and evidences show their neuroprotective effects for protecting against mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, toxicity of β-amyloid and Tau, and cell death. There are studies assessing the effects of functional foods on dementia. This study aimed to evaluate the role of functional foods for the prevention of dementia. We review different studies and the mechanisms of functional foods. In the current chapter, we review studies on phenols, microalgae, fungi, grains, fibers, omega-3, vegetables, etc. Some other functional foods are described in other chapters. In sum, functional foods can have the protective roles in the body against dementia due to different properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.