Value of Diet and Nutraceuticals in the Prevention and Treatment of Mixed Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia

Mixed dementia, most often caused by the coexistence of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia pathologies, presents unique preventive and therapeutic challenges that may be addressed through dietary and nutraceutical interventions. Current evidence demonstrates that diets emphasizing polyphenol-rich foods like olive oil, berries, and leafy greens exert neuroprotective effects by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and amyloid pathology while improving cerebrovascular function. Specific bioactive compounds, including resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate, N-acetylcysteine, and Huperzine A, among some others, have demonstrated therapeutic potential through their multimodal mechanisms targeting the pathogenic pathways of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, including Aβ and tau pathology, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neurovascular dysfunction. However, our limited appreciation of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of natural compounds and the inadequate extent of clinical studies underscore the need for further research. This review synthesizes current knowledge on diet and nutraceutical compounds that may be of value in the prevention and treatment of mixed Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. We focus on their molecular mechanisms of action relevant to the dual pathophysiological basis of mixed Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.