Sugar and Alzheimer's Disease: The Facts Are Bittersweet
Research points strongly to the correlation between sugar and Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a diet high in sugary foods may lead to predisposed symptoms.
So much of Alzheimer's disease and dementia remains a mystery. And when a new piece of evidence arrives on the scene, it changes the way we look at the condition.
Predicting Alzheimer's in patients, in particular, is both complicated and vital in equal measure. All the current evidence suggests that when a physician can diagnose Alzheimer's early (before symptoms begin), the patient has the best chance for staving off the symptoms.
“Brain scans consistently show changes occur in the brain at least ten years before the first signs of Alzheimer’s Disease appear.”
Over the last few years, scientists began to unravel a very specific connection with Alzheimer's: blood sugar glucose.
That's right: the science now says that sugar has a direct connection to Alzheimer's disease.
What do sugar and Alzheimer's have in common? And what does it mean for your lifestyle choices and nutrition?
Keep reading to learn more about sugar, the brain-healthy Alzheimer's diet, and the benefits of a neuronutritionist for high-risk populations.
Sugar and Alzheimer's: The Bittersweet Connection
In 2017, scientists published a paper that identified a "tipping point" for Alzheimer's disease.
Their research found that excess glucose (from sugar) damages a vital enzyme that tackles inflammation. As this enzyme is destroyed, inflammation goes unchecked.
And inflammation in the brain is one of the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease.
The paper connects several dots. We already know that abnormally high blood sugar levels correlate with poor health outcomes like diabetes. Plus, we already know that diabetes patients present a higher risk of developing dementia.
But what the new paper shows is that you don't need the blood sugar levels of a person with diabetes to increase the chance of developing Alzheimer's. Consuming vast amounts of sugar alone or reaching the pre-diabetes stage dramatically increases your risk.
What's the Underlying Mechanism?
How did scientists reach this conclusion? They compared the brains of people with and without dementia.
They found that during the early stages, a process called glycation damages the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Inhibited MIF, as a result of glycation, sends the disease into overdrive. As Alzheimer's disease progresses, so too does glycation.
Why is MIF so important?
In healthy brains, MIF is a part of your immune system's natural response. Specifically, it targets abnormal proteins in your brain called amyloids, and stops them from building up. These are the same amyloid protein clumps that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
When sugar damage (glycation) stops MIF from doing its vital work, it creates the tipping point referred to earlier where Alzheimer's begins to develop in earnest.
What Does It Mean for My Diet?
Early detection is critical for an Alzheimer's diagnosis, and it's a huge focus for dementia researchers. The knowledge that high blood sugar levels can act as a tipping point at such an early stage of the disease is essential both for diagnosis and treatment.
This means there's something you can do to actively protect your brain - both generally and if you have a family history of dementia. And you don’t need to wait until problems start to do it!
Research says that a high-carbohydrate and sugar-heavy diet contributes to abnormally high blood sugar levels. So there's your first clue: if you already have diabetes, manage it well. If you are in the pre-diabetes phase, treat it with the same seriousness as you would a full diagnosis.
For everyone else: observe your sugar intake now while you can still do something about it.
The researchers behind the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet, abbreviated MIND, say that you need to limit sugar to under five pastries or sweets per week and one alcoholic drink per day.
My approach is to limit refined and sugary carbohydrates even more!
Following the right diet could reduce your risk of Alzheimer's by 53 percent and slow cognitive decline if you are already in the early stages.
How to Eat an Anti-Alzheimer's Diet
A huge part of an anti-Alzheimer’s diet involves consuming little to no sugar, adding ample anti-inflammatory foods to your plate regularly, and balancing blood sugar levels.
The first step to managing your sugar intake is understanding all the places sugar comes from.
Most of us understand the largest sources of our sugar cravings. We get sugar from candy, sweet treats, soda, and alcohol. Removing or strictly limiting these food items is a critical first step for managing your blood sugar levels.
But if you have a family history of Alzheimer's disease or dementia, you can also go further and get rid of the hidden sugar in your diet altogether.
Where Sugar Hides
Sugar lurks in all kinds of places: if you buy something pre-packaged in any form, there's a good chance that there's sugar in it.
Some of the most common culprits include:
Instant oatmeal
Packaged fruits
Dried fruit
Ready-made meals
Sauces
Condiments
Yogurts (flavoured)
White bread
To find the hidden sugar, you need to learn two things: the names for added sugar and how to read labels.
Many foods have a natural amount of sugar in them, but by the time they reach you, a manufacturer may have added more. Food producers hide their added sugar by calling it:
Fructose
Lactose
Malt syrup
Nectars
Sucrose
Anhydrous dextrose
Brown rice syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup solids
Dextrose
They may also be specific about the type of sugar, like sugar, white granulated sugar, raw sugar, or brown sugar. Again, all of these are added sugars, which means they are more than you need.
Go to your cupboard and pick up a few bags and cans. What do you see on the label? There's a significant chance that most of your labels have at least one of those words on them.
The second main component of an anti-Alzheimer’s diet is the addition of anti-inflammatory foods to your plate. These foods contain phytonutrients that help combat free radical damage, reduce inflammation, and support your immune system. Typically, they are found are colourful fruits and veggies like berries and leafy greens.
Work with a Neuronutritionist to Get Started
For so many of us, sugar is a part of our daily lives.
Making the transition away from a high-carb, sugar-heavy diet isn't easy. For many, it means upending the way we have always eaten.
Sugar and Alzheimer's go hand-in-hand, and protecting your brain from neuro-degeneration is so worth the cost. We should be willing to go to any length to protect our most valuable organ! [quote]
A neuronutritionist can help you make this transition away from your current diet and into the anti-Alzheimer’s diet by creating a meal plan that satisfies your body's nutritional needs and steers you away from sugar cravings.
Are you ready to harness the power inside of you to make a difference for your mind and body? I want to help you become the healthiest version of yourself.
Get in touch to learn how holistic nutritional services can transform your life.
As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below.
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