The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, affects almost one in four Australians over the age of 80.
And the rates of Alzheimer’s seem to only be increasing. As the population ages, the number of people with dementia is set to be more than half a million by 2025.
Scientists are racing against the clock to find a cause. And while genetics do make a small impact, experts now suspect that lifestyle factors – a poor, sugary diet, in particular – may be at fault.
The blood sugar “tipping point”.
Scientists from the University of Bath knew that excess blood sugar increased glycation, where sugar molecules bond to and damage proteins. (FYI: Glycation also damages collagen, making you age quicker!)
But their new study found that glycation also damages an enzyme called MIF that’s involved in the body’s response to abnormal brain proteins characteristic of Alzheimer’s. MIF is also important for regulating insulin.
Sugar molecules may damage important enzymes in the brain.
They believe that the suppression of MIF enzymes by glycation is the “tipping point” of the disease.
“Excess sugar is well known to be bad for us when it comes to diabetes and obesity, but this potential link with Alzheimer’s disease is yet another reason that we should be controlling our sugar intake in our diets,” said study author Dr Omar Kassaar.
A striking pattern.
A 2015 study found people with insulin resistance (often a precursor to type 2 diabetes) used less blood sugar in brain areas prone to Alzheimer’s. Another (on rats) also found that the equivalent of one litre of soft drink a day altered brain genes associated with Alzheimer’s.
But most strikingly, people with type 2 diabetes (increasingly shown to be caused by excess sugar) are up to 65 per cent more likely to get Alzheimer’s. Type 2 diabetics may also have the same damaging proteins on their pancreases as one develops in Alzheimer’s.
People with type 2 diabetes are up to 65% more likely to get Alzheimer’s.
The link is so strong that some researchers even believe Alzheimer’s should be called type 3 diabetes.
Eat your brain food.
Research may be new, but there’s no doubt that excess sugar ain’t good for you. Instead, nourish your brain (and the rest of your body!) with inflammation-fighting, antioxidant-rich foods.
Our top picks are dark berries, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like oily fish and nuts, and turmeric, which may actually help prevent Alzheimer’s. Now that really is food for thought.
0 comments :
Post a Comment