Benefits of Functional Foods in the Treatment of Neurological Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are chronic conditions linked to aging and are currently widespread and problematic. Their development involves both genetic and environmental factors, as well as their interactions; therefore, an intervention on lifestyle represents a strategy to counteract these diseases. In recent years, much attention has been paid to diet and nutrition as important factors for the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders. Many scientific studies report the benefits obtained by following traditional dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet characterized by increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grain cereals, nuts, and seeds; higher amounts of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids; elimination of processed foods, fast food, commercial baked goods, and sweets; paying attention to probiotic intestinal bacteria. Due to conditions of suffering, pharmacological therapy is prolonged for a long time, resulting in the manifestation of undesirable effects that are poorly tolerated by patients. The purpose of this review is to highlight the need to associate pharmacological therapies with a diet rich in functional foods to improve the conditions of patients suffering from neurological diseases.It has been shown that bioactive substances present in plants can have neuroprotective effects in the treatment of mental health conditions such as depression and neurodegenerative diseases. The amount of biologically active compounds is very low in herbal medicines, and their beneficial effect becomes evident over time, as they can be taken for long periods without showing undesiderable side effects. The functional foods present in them have all the characteristics for a healthy diet, being rich in fibers, vitamins, terpenes, polyphenolic compounds, and anthocyanins, which have many physiological functions and delay the onset of age-related changes, help fight infections and chronic diseases, and prevent the progression of cancer, osteoporosis, and neurological diseases.