Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing concern for the aging population worldwide. With no current cure or reliable treatments available for AD, prevention is an important and growing area of research. A range of lifestyle and dietary patterns have been studied to identify the most effective preventive lifestyle changes against AD and related dementia (ADRD) pathology. Of these, the most studied dietary patterns are the Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, ketogenic, and modified Mediterranean-ketogenic diets. However, there are discrepancies in the reported benefits among studies examining these dietary patterns. We herein compile a narrative/literature review of existing clinical evidence on the association of these patterns with ADRD symptomology and contemplate their preventive/ameliorative effects on ADRD neuropathology in various clinical milieus. By and large, plant-based dietary patterns have been found to be relatively consistently and positively correlated with preventing and reducing the odds of ADRD. These impacts stem not only from the direct impact of specific dietary components within these patterns on the brain but also from indirect effects through decreasing the deleterious effects of ADRD risk factors, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Importantly, other psychosocial factors influence dietary intake, such as the social connection, which may directly influence diet and lifestyle, thereby also impacting ADRD risk. To this end, prospective research on ADRD should include a holistic approach, including psychosocial considerations.

Essential oils (EOs) from various medicinal and aromatic plants are known for their diverse biological activities, including their antimicrobial effects. Citrus aurantium EO is traditionally used for therapeutic benefits due to its high content of bioactive compounds. Therefore, this study focuses on its potential use as a food preservative by investigating the combined antibacterial properties of EOs from leaves (EO1), flowers (EO2), and small branches (EO3) of Citrus aurantium against six bacterial strains by the agar disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods. The chemical compositions of the EOs were analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and revealed the presence of numerous compounds responsible for their antimicrobial properties. The MIC values for the EOs were 3.12 mg/mL, 4.23 mg/mL, and 1.89 mg/mL, for EO1, EO2 and EO3, respectively, while the MBC values were 12.5 mg/mL, 6.25 mg/mL, and 6.25 mg/mL, respectively. A simplex centroid design was created to analyse the effect of the individual and combined EOs against E. coli. The combined EOs showed enhanced antibacterial activity compared to the individual oils, suggesting a synergistic effect (e.g., trial 9 with an MIC of 0.21 mg/mL), allowing the use of lower EO concentrations and reducing potential negative effects on food flavour and aroma. Additionally, the practical application of investigated EOs (at concentrations twice the MIC) was investigated in raw chicken meat stored at 4 °C for 21 days. The EOs, individually and in combination, effectively extended the shelf life of the meat by inhibiting bacterial growth (total bacterial count of less than 1 × 10⁴ CFU/g in the treated samples compared to 7 × 10⁷ CFU/g in the control on day 21 of storage). The study underlines the potential of C. aurantium EOs as natural preservatives that represent a sustainable and effective alternative to synthetic chemicals in food preservation.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide. This disease often leads to poor health outcomes, such as neuropathy and diabetic foot ulcers, and increased risk for comorbidities such as cardiovascular complications and renal disease. Lifestyle modifications including diet and physical activity interventions are often explored as prevention and management strategies for T2DM. It is well established that fruits are a rich source of fiber and a variety of phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds that can help optimize human health. Unfortunately, many experts associate the consumption of fruit with a moderate to high glycemic index (GI), which leads to a spike in blood glucose and eventually elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The purpose of this comprehensive review is to outline the current clinical literature on the relationship between fruit consumption and various indices of glucose metabolism. A variety of fruits have been clinically studied to determine this relationship, namely in the fresh form (e.g., berries, apples, watermelon, cherries, mangoes), dried fruits (raisins and dates), and juices (derived from cranberry, orange, grape, cherry, and pomegranate). Overall, intake of fruits and fruit-derived products is beneficial for healthy subjects and subjects with T2DM regarding their impact on glucose metabolism and other cardiometabolic markers (e.g., inflammatory responses, lipid profiles). Nonetheless, it is more advisable for diabetic patients to consume fresh or dried fruits rather than fruit-derived products. A special consideration needs to be attributed to both the amount of fruit intake with regards to their respective GI and glycemic load (GL), and when these fruits are consumed. Trials with more a comprehensive design and specific outcomes are required to reveal the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of fruit consumption on the T2DM population particularly.