Ageing is the main risk factor for dementia, with around 2 in every 100 people aged 65-69 having dementia. Factors such as education, job complexity, and social status can also increase a person’s risk of developing dementia. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die. Early symptoms typically appear after age 60, and the risk increases with age.
Main risk factors for dementia include age, genetics, long-term health conditions, lifestyle factors, sex and gender, and cognitive reserve. Genetics/family history, excessive drinking, low cognitive engagement, and high alcohol intake can increase the risk of developing dementia. Hearing loss in midlife is associated with physical inactivity, smoking, high alcohol intake, air pollution, head injury, social isolation, lower levels of education, obesity, and hypertension.
Dementia is also increased by conditions that are not good for our hearts, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Ageing is the main risk factor for dementia, and the risk of developing dementia doubles every 5 or 6 years for those aged 65 and older. Other risk factors include heart disease, air pollution, diabetes, poor sense of smell, high cholesterol, and herpes.
The relationship between dementia and depression is complex, with untreated depression increasing the risk of developing dementia.
📹 What is a Caregiver’s Risk for Developing Dementia?
“What is a Caregiver’s Risk for Developing Dementia?” Presented by: Jessica F. Cain, PA-C Jessica explain’s the risks for …
What 12 things put you at risk of dementia?
Sarah Kennedy, a 54-year-old woman with advanced-stage dementia, is at an increased risk of developing the disease due to her genetic inheritance. The Lancet Commission’s 2020 edition identified 12 modifiable risk factors, including blood pressure, obesity, alcohol intake, smoking, lack of exercise, diabetes, brain injury, social isolation, hearing loss, depression, keeping the brain active, and air pollution. Kennedy’s parents, Liz and Colin, have been married for nearly 60 years, but now they don’t know each other. She is determined to reduce her risk and protect her children.
What makes a person with dementia?
Dementia is a brain disorder caused by nerve cell damage or loss, with symptoms varying depending on the affected area. It can be grouped by common proteins or affected brain parts. Some diseases also have dementia symptoms, and certain medications can cause reactions. Insufficient intake of certain vitamins or minerals can also cause dementia symptoms. Progressive dementias worsen over time, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause. Treatment may improve symptoms with treatment. Progressive dementias, which aren’t reversible, can be triggered by certain diseases or deficiencies in certain vitamins or minerals.
What are the risk factors of developing dementia?
Dementia is a condition characterized by the decline of the brain’s ability to function despite disease. Risk factors include older age, genetics, long-term health conditions, lifestyle choices like smoking and alcohol, sex and gender, and cognitive reserve. A person’s risk of developing dementia is their likelihood of developing it at some point in their life, with some individuals having a higher risk. A risk factor is something that increases a person’s chances of developing a condition, such as ageing.
What habits increase dementia risk?
Lifestyle habits, such as exercise, smoking, drinking, and sleep, can increase the risk of dementia. These factors can act independently or together to affect cognitive aging trajectories. However, research on the link between cognitive decline and lifestyle patterns often uses healthy lifestyle indices, which assume equal contribution of all healthy behaviors to cognitive function. Therefore, more studies are needed to understand how specific behavioral factors combine to affect cognitive decline.
Prodromal dementia symptoms can influence behavioral patterns years before clinical diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of identifying risk factors for cognitive decline in individuals not yet experiencing disease-related symptoms.
What predicts the risk of dementia?
The study focuses on predicting dementia risk using various risk prediction models, including CAIDE, ANU-ADRI, LIBRA, and APOE Ɛ4 genotype status. The variables tested for predictive validity included age, sex, education, medical and surgical conditions, food frequency questionnaire, physical activity, symptoms of depression, self-report of smoking and alcohol intake, social interaction, and cognitive activity. Biometric/clinical measures included height, weight, blood pressure, Audio Recorded Cognitive Screen (ARCS), cholesterol profile, and APOE Ɛ4 status.
The composite outcome of the study was probable dementia or cognitive impairment, defined as having a history of cholinesterase inhibitor or memantine dispensing, having a dementia diagnosis recorded in the APDC, or the final ARCS score below 85 at the end of 7 years. Dispensing cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine was ascertained through linkage to the Pre-Biased Screen (PBS), which has been used to define mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. APDC has been studied for predictors of hospitalization and health service utilization.
What is most likely to cause dementia?
The primary risk factor for dementia is aging. The risk of developing the condition increases with age, with individuals aged 65-69 exhibiting a twofold increased risk compared to younger individuals. In this age group, approximately 2 in every 100 individuals are affected by dementia.
What is the main risk factor for most types of dementia?
Dementia is a disease characterized by a combination of non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors. Non-modifiable risk factors include age, family history, genetic mutations, and Down syndrome. Dementia can occur in people under 65, but the risk doubles every 5-6 years for those over 65. The rate of dementia development continues to increase after 90 due to challenges with diagnosis.
Modifiable risk factors include cardiovascular and lifestyle factors, as well as social factors. Age plays a role in the likelihood of developing dementia, while the level of increased risk remains the same for other risk factors.
It is estimated that 40 of new dementia cases could be avoided if most modifiable risk factors were eliminated. Additionally, a 20 reduction in exposure to seven key risk factors – diabetes, hypertension in midlife, obesity in midlife, physical inactivity, depression, smoking, and low educational attainment – could lead to a 15 reduction in Alzheimer’s disease prevalence by 2050. More research is needed to understand the underlying causes of dementia and develop effective treatments.
What is the main cause of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, a condition characterized by memory and thinking issues that make daily activities difficult. Dementia can be caused by various brain-related diseases, and symptoms worsen over time. Risk factors include Alzheimer’s disease, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, which can cause dementia. Treatments include medication, cognitive support, and lifestyle changes. Accessible information about dementia can be found in audio, Easy Read, and British Sign Language formats.
What factors increase the risk of early onset dementia?
A new study by a research team in the Netherlands and the UK analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which follows around half a million individuals aged 37 to 73 in the UK. The study excluded those aged 65 or older and those who had dementia at the start of the study, leaving 356, 052 participants for analysis. Over a decade, 485 participants developed young-onset dementia, and the researchers compared participants who did and did not develop the disease to identify possible risk factors.
Previous research has identified risk factors for young-onset dementia, such as high blood pressure, stroke, depression, alcohol use disorder, vitamin D deficiency, drug use disorder, and overall cognitive function.
What are the 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia?
Around 40 of dementia cases may be due to twelve modifiable risk factors: high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, lack of physical activity, poor diet, high alcohol consumption, and low cognitive engagement. Risk factors are aspects of lifestyle, environment, and genetic background that increase the likelihood of developing dementia. They represent an increased chance, but not a certainty, that dementia will develop. Having little or no exposure to risk factors does not necessarily protect a person from developing dementia. Some risk factors can be changed, while others cannot.
What is increasing the risk of dementia?
Dementia is a condition characterized by two types of risk factors: non-modifiable and modifiable. Non-modifiable risk factors, such as aging, family history, and genetics, are unchangeable and cannot be eliminated. They include alcohol use, depression, smoking, and social isolation. Dementia symptoms and treatment vary depending on the age group and the type of risk factor. Canada is actively working to address these risk factors and promote dementia prevention.
📹 The BIGGESTreason people get Alzheimer’s Disease (DEMENTIA)
Increasing age is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Family history is not necessary for an individual to …
My Mom was intelligent (Ph.d), continued working at a university as a Ph.d candidate advisor into her late 70’s, never drank, sang in vocal group, went on walks every day, played soduko and solitaire and still got Alzheimers. There is nothing one can do to avoid it. *Edit to answer questions of diet. She was very health conscious all her life. To the point we never allowed sugary cereals as kids (plain Cheerio’s was it) and no Hostess type snacks in our lunches either. After going through the entire Alzheimer’s process, they say there are fate’s worse than death. Alzheimer’s qualifies. I know we wish we knew or could identify that reason why it occurs, but we can’t. If one is marked for it, there is simply nothing you can do. God Bless any and their families that do go through this.
Another very important risk factor is indeed chronic stress. Basically, chronic stress leads to a chronic production of glucocorticoids (cortisol for example) which leads to a chronic raise of sugar levels in the blood stream (cortisol turns glycogen stores in the liver to become glucose, therefore increasing sugar levels in the blood), all the while suppressing your immune system. Further down the line it can lead to impairments in the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis, difficulting even more the body’s own stress regulation. Chronic stress is linked with type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairments, Alzheimer’s and much more. I believe that mental health should be given the same “weight” in the topic as diet and exercise is. Regarding cognition: Great ways to prevent dementia in general is to live a stimulating life (cognitively speaking). Challenging your own intellect and pursuing higher cognitive ability are great examples of protective factors. This could be done in multiple ways and should be individualize, but a general idea would be practicing cross words, puzzles, highly intellectual games, reading, pursuing higher education or simply trying to do new things that are challenging to you (like learning an instrument, writing a poem, painting or playing a sport). There are tons of studies on cognitive reserve (ability of the brain to maintain proper functioning despite trauma, age or injury) which explain that the more you “exercise” you brain, the more cognitive reserve you’ll build.
I went on low carb diet 2021 and so did sister and brother in law.(he had no choice) We have all done well, but really the most remarkable results have been with the brother in law. He has reversed type 2 diabetes and we were over the moon. Previously diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 6 years ago; well we weren’t expecting much as long as he is eating well, exercising every day. His recent tests show that it hasn’t progressed, in fact it is back to when he had his first tests. Last week the eye doctor called my sister into his office to inform her, that brother in law no longer had near sightedness. Keep on, keep on.
You know what really grinds my gears? All this could be prevented if the food industry, the gov and health industry was truthful about our body. If we actually started eating REAL food and not all this processed junk it would make a difference. Add on the people refusing to drop their habits and make themselves worse even after hearing the truth. We’re so deeply rooted into this, is there a way to stop this monster?
I think this is an incredibly important article that many more people should see -preferably early on before the bad habits can start to take their deadly toll. I’ve also seen the ‘Dementia’ article on how to prevent -are there any current studies on ways to repair the brains ‘toxic load’ if you come late to all this good advice?
If I understand this correctly, changing lifestyle habits when you’re early in the Type 2 Diabetes struggle, can actually help combat the progress of Alzheimer’s? I’ve been too sedentary following 4x CABG. Fear and depression are both contributing factors. But my docs are working to restore my mood and I’m learning to resist junk food. Hey, it’s a start!
My mom is diagnosed w Alzheimer’s at age 84, has had it for over a year now.She takes a blood pressure pill and a statin for high cholesterol for years. She’s from the Deep South and LOVES sugar almost like an addiction. During my childhood she would skip dinner and eat half a pound cake. Always baking a cake, cookies etc.
My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 55…47 yrs ago! She lived to be 81 but was like a vegetable herself after the first 10 yrs of diagnosis. Eventually died from kidney failure ! She ate salads like crazy .. was raised on parents farm and ate farm fresh foods with no chemicals and poisons! And that was over 100 yrs ago now! So why was she diagnosed with Alzheimer’s that is contributed to being caused by sugar products? She was not a sugar user and did not have sweet foods in our home either…her sister was diagnosed with dementia but no one else in family has had these issues! They had better review real reason for getting dementia and Alzheimer’s!
My husband was diagnosed with MCI in 2017 at the age of 65. He progressed to dementia and subsequently diagnosed specifically with Alzheimer’s. This is all a guessing game until the puzzle is solved. My husband was a runner and watched all he ate. He was at the time of diagnosis 6’1″ and 178 pounds. No diabetes, no high blood pressure, no heart disease. He had two careers in high leading positions. He does have a family history though. On the other side in my family everyone is overweight, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease of which many died of but no one had dementia. Go figure. Don’t fall into guess science.
A very good information and educational article. People nowadays tend to eat junk food mostly for the convenience to get a meal fast and easy, specially in the American society. And when they cook at home, most ingredients they use to make a meal are from cans, campbell’s soup, hotdogs, frozen packages….and juices from the markets that they believe to be nutritious and healthy. It’s sad that the population is not educated for a healthy living, plus the laziness to seek comfort on a couch perusal TV every night after a long day sitting at work. More people getting sick and blame on weather, or anything else without recognize the main causes.
The data doesn’t really support the argument in this article. If you rank the top countries by “rate of Alzheimer’s” (relative to population), Finland is most likely to have people with Alzheimer’s followed by the UK (with America being around #5). If you rank countries by diabetes rates, Pakistan is #1, followed by French Polynesia then Kuwait. His comparison of southern USA vs northern USA might be a case of data selectiveness just to support his case. Always take internet content with a grain of salt people
My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago. She’s 56 now. One day she thought she was in her home town 5 hours away. She LOVES sugar and food that she shouldn’t be eating. We cut out her sugar during COVID and she had no issues with memory and her neurologist told her that whatever she was doing she needed to keep doing it and that Sugar “rots the brain”. We started to slack and started giving into her requests for sweets and processed foods and brought them back into the house. And she has started having these attacks where she will become unresponsive and will almost start humming. Almost like how Mitch McConnell has been doing on TV. I’ve even sometimes seen her hand start to make weird movements. She never remembers these attacks and usually gets nauseous and has to go to the bathroom once she comes out of them. She has history of “mini strokes” so maybe this is what it is? But she for some reason can’t seem to break her cravings of the foods. I’ve seen her eat loads of sweets and one day and then the next day be completely out of it, in a daze, and her equilibrium be off. It’s serious and it’s hard to convince her to stop. But from what we have gathered, the research is true. Edit: recently we have realized that those attacks become more frequent during times of high stress and anxiety. So maybe it’s a combination of both the diet and stress levels.
Age is one of the biggest factors in what we call Alzheimer’s dementia. Vascular dementia is another animal we can think about with diet but again, most often age is a big factor. My dad was a doctor. He said that too often we blame the victim in this country for something that most often couldn’t have been prevented.
A lot of people here are telling stories of non-overweight loved ones, in great shape, and who watched what they ate, but ultimately ended up with dementia. So, they conclude the article is wrong. It is incredibly hard to remove all sugar from your diet, and I would bet that most of the people talked about in the comments here, probably failed to do so. I could tell a similar story – my uncle was incredibly successful in life, not overweight, a millionaire who exercised his entire aldult life and ate a healthy diet (that’s how most people would describe him). I was very close to my aunt and uncle though, and stayed there many times over Christmas and summer breaks. They both, probably unintentionally, consumed a lot of sugar. – “Adult” breakfast cereals, buns (Hawaiian sweet rolls), most breads have added sugar (so any breads), salad dressings, sauces, sugary “healthy” yogurts, a lot of sliced fruit, …I could go on and on. As I said, it’s incredibly hard to cut out all sugar from a diet. The only way to do so is to build your entire diet around that thought and remain disciplined enough to follow through. On top of all that, just think of all of the get togethers, family occasions, holidays, and nights out with friends where it is easy to slip from a diet. Anyway, my uncle is suffering from severe dementia and my aunt died from cancer a few years ago.
I am bipolar disorder type 2 and use antidepressants and atipic antipsycotics. As you know atipic antipsycotics lower metaboilism,increase insulin resistance and increase apetite,also increase alzheirmer risk but not having medicated in bipolar disorder also highly increase demetia risk. I also have adhd which makes my brain have a goldfish memeory I still do not know how the hell I even graduated from medical school and have quite a good knowledge about diseases and treatments.
You are ALWAYS taking good physical care of patients in the hospital, and of us through this blog with all your effort with these information. And for this reason I want you Dr. Mike to remember this Bible Verse ALWAYS (1 Peter 5:8)🚨, so you can take good care of yourself in a spiritual meaning. Because spiritual + physical are connected. I am a Christian, and I BELIEVE in the Word of God more than 💯percent. 🙏🏼☺️
I would be curious to know if there are other secondary factors that can lead to senility? My Dad died at 92 from heart disease. He was REALLY not an example of healthy living. (Smoking/drinking/no exercise/LOVED sweets) He had type 2 diabetes by his mid 70’s but remained SKINNY except for a belly. I would say his hippocampus did not suffer until he reached his 90’s. Most of his elderly years he was SHARP!!! All but one of his 4 brothers was the same. I used to joke that he was preserving, with tannic acid, the inside of his body with the copious amounts of tea (no sugar) that he drank daily. OR is it GENETICS and some variation that protects against dementia?????
food has changed so much with the sugar. I’ve been a label reader for decades (since it became law) and I cannot believe how many products have sugar now – even spices! I’m not kidding even a little. I’m not diabetic but it’s in the family and I skirt the edges. my sweet tooth strikes me in dark chocolate sweets and ice cream – but I expect it there and limit foods like that. it’s now very hard to find any prepared foods w/o sugar. ow/why would spices add sugar?
Thank you for such an interesting article. And for presenting this information in a less-frightening way. I lost both my grandads to Dementia and Alzhiemers, I’ve been terrified of it and blindness (which also runs in my family) all my life. This gives me something I can do to limit my risks, and maybe break this chain. Thank you. ❤
Thanks, I needed to hear this again, and again, and again. I might alter my self-destructive lifestyle at some point. After all, I’m only 69 yo and have lots of time left to change. Again, and again, and again. I won’t delude myself into believing I can change (like many of my friends) and take it off and put it all, plus more fat back on; only to compound the problem. Sick of trying.
Nice article. One thing I would add is that from the pathological perspective, the most common type of dementia is actually “mixed dementia” (alzheimer’s pathology an vascular pathology on autopsy). Given that diabetes is associated with vascular disease, I would expect it to increase the risk of dementia regardless of any effect on amyloid plaques or neurofibrillary tangles.
It is also worth mentioning processed flour such as is found in bread products and pasta, which is also contributing to diabetes. It’s about the impact of the starches and the speed with which they are converted to basic sugars; glucose, primarily. This overwhelms the ability of the pancreas to make enough insulin to force the sugar into the tissues. It’s also worth mentioning that fructose cannot be used for energy (except a tiny amount in the gut) and is turned into fat in the liver. When the liver is full, then you get huge amounts of glycation. If you want to get fat; eat fructose.
My Japanese wife got me off all kinds of sugar. We, in America were brought up on products with too much sugar. I got her a birthday cake from a Japanese bakery. Most of the guests didn’t like it because it wasn’t sweet enough. My mother didn’t eat right and consumed too much sugar and almost never drank water had a stroke at 85. She died 2 years later
What about the role of too much fat in the diet? Too much fat means that your cells end up being loaded up with lipid and that intramyocellular lipid blocks insulin from being able to push glucose into the cells, i.e. insulin resistance. The examples of foods that you gave that cause this chain reaction are higher in fat than sugar (doughnuts, Starbucks whipped drinks, etc.). Fats plays a role too, not just sugar. High sugar foods almost always come with lots of bad fats in them, thus INSULIN RESISTANCE.
My friend’s mom was always very physically fit. She played tennis all summer, and worked out in her home gym year round. She had a huge social life. She ate a lot of vegetables, but was not Vegan. She drank very little alcohol. She ended up getting breast cancer, which she got treatment for and has been in remission from for over a decade. Unfortunately though, she has had Alzheimer’s now for the last 5 years and is in the final stages of it now. The fact that she got this disease, having done all the right things to supposedly prevent it, really surprised me. I sometimes wonder if it was because she was so obsessed with a low fat diet that may have somehow triggered it.
But Dr Hansen, since fructose has such a bad rep, should we cut it out of our diets almost completely? And how would that be possible if all juices of fruits have fructose? Citrus fruits juices, for example, have around 2.4g/100cc of it. Fructose is naturally found in fruits, even more so than glucose, and when the sucrose which accounts for 4.4g per 100cc of citrus fruit juice is digested, also yields more fructose. So, what to do?
When you compare the chart of percentage of people with type 2 diabetes and the chart showing prevalence of Alzheimer’s, there’s a problem: the diabetes chart is percentage of overall population while the Alzheimer’s chart is number of cases. You should either be comparing percentage of population to percentage of population or number of cases to number of cases, as these are very different types of data. In fact, research shows that the PERCENTAGE of the population with Alzheimer’s has been falling even while NUMBER OF CASES goes up (because population goes up), which means your comparison of the lines is wrong.
My mothers Alzhiemers disease became noticeable to the family in her mid 70 ‘s. Initially not caring for herself. Crying about the loss of her 1st husband .Hiding food in odd places. Not dressing as carefully as she had done in her life. It was so sad to see and my step dad and I did our best supporting her untill she fell one day after a dizzy spell…this resulted in an ambulance ride to hospital where she asked me Am I going to die ?…but from where she was in a nursing home as dad couldn’t support her being injured. She died 9mths later …a skelleton as she could no longer swallow…but lovingly cared for by staff. So many in the hospital were living dead….so sad. Mum would have been more than happy to have gone to her next existance in her early 80 ‘s as she had a true Christian faith and many loved ones who had passed . She was a teen in Ww2 in the occupied Netherlands and had suffered many losses then and since. My mother had the most healty diet you could imagine !!! On a New Zealand farm our vege garden with no sprays fed a family of 7 year round. We only had biscuts and cakes as treats…she didnt have bread or potatoes or a drop of alcohol. The original health nut 🌈 In my reserch on her condition I came across a book by a nurse calling Alzhiemers a CHOSEN DISEASE. It allows sufferers to finally express buried emotional pain…sadness..anger…fear…shyness..etc .I definatley saw that was how it manifested with my mum. Love to those supporting their loved ones.
baffles me when we keep using genetics for an excuse..if you eat and act like your caregivers (nurture in the nature vs nurture business) your chances of ‘hereditarily’ have their problems is probably higher..blaming on genetics is a copout and takes the power to change out of your hands..theres no guarantess in life but what you put in your head and stomach absolutely makes a difference. empower yourself with better choices and self care.
Now in my seventies, I wish this sort of article was available back when heeding its advice might have prevented, or least lessened, my odd, too-frequent instances of forgetfulness. I weened myself off many sugary “foods” quite some years ago, and have gone further down that path more recently. But unless brain cells grow back, whatever damage was done prior to adopting a more healthy (or at least less unhealthy) diet will be with me until my alloted time expires.
Hmmm this looks like your typical jumping to conclusions type of footage. There is no medical evidence at all to support this. If it was that easy, doctors all over the world would have announced it. No need for a “hit the bell” youtuber to make this eureka discovery. Really bogus. I always wonder what kind of people fall for this kind of stuff.
my mother lived to 91 and her mind was as sharp as a razor. she remembered everything. All her friends were developing dementia. dont know exactly why…..but i speculate 2 things. 1) she took fish oil every day for decades. 2) she would pray and read the rosary many times everyday day. something that no one i know with dementia (and i work with them on a daily basis) does with the same energy as my mother.
Type 2 diabetic and both parents lost to Alzheimer’s so hits home for sure. I’ve been keto or ketovore for 3 years now and I think doing all I can to avoid this. Wish I knew what I do now before my parents passed but I think that’s what lead me to learning what I know now. Sugar is a killer and also “heart healthy oils”. Go back to eating real foods and you will be the best you can be. We are lied to all the time. Meat is a big part of the proper human diet.
My mother developed Alzheimer’s in her mid-60s, despite a modest lifestyle and low sugar intake. She was never sugar-, carb- or alcohol-addicted. Her mother and her brother also developed the disease in their 60s and 50s, respectively. Convinced I was also fated to get it, I got a genetic predisposition test for both myself and my mother. The latter was in case my test result was ambiguous, after all, my mother definitely had the disease. My mother’s came back at a very high genetic risk (5 times higher than average). However, I hit the genetic jackpot: half the average risk at 6%, which was life-changing. Anyway, the point of this comment is that the results came with some info that stated 3/4 (74%) of the risk for Alzheimer’s is genetic, and 26% is due to environmental factors. So, technically, this makes inheritance the BIGGEST reason people get Alzheimer’s. I’m not claiming that diet, exercise, etc., don’t count for much – I believe they are very important, especially as you become older and if you don’t have a genetic risk – but the the genetic component seems to be hugely determinant, and shouldn’t be discounted.
Alzheimer’s is defined as “progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility.” But the term dementia is also often used by doctors to describe persistent forgetfulness that comes with old age and lack of mental stimulation. That creates a lot of confusion with conditions that can be difficult to accurately diagnose. My sister was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 20 years ago, yet her condition has not progressed beyond the kind of forgetfulness one might expect in any 83 year-old who doesn’t get out much. She knows everyone in the family by name and can hold complex conversations. I agree that eating a lot of sugar isn’t good, but lately it’s being blamed for every ailment under the sun and that answer is just too pat.
Eating too much sugar or salt or meat…is not good for health obviously, but in some cultures, people eat quite a lot of sugar, but their people don’t have very high rate of Dementia: India, Mexico…may be they are also eating spices that neutralize it, or countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Mongolia,. Where people eat meat more than carbs and veggies but they don’t have high rate of cancers as the US.
With trauma, there’s often carotid sheath compression of structures like the internal jugular veins, so drainage issues and higher intracranial pressure issues occur which can even severely impact the glymphatic system which depends on lower pressures to work, so metabolic waste buildup can occur too, as well as vagus nerve compression which can interfere with the release of acetylcholine as well as allow an overactive autoimmune system response apparently, which can also be an issue, even if they might not always be noted, so trauma can be a big factor too it seems.
Thank you for a look into this debilitating disease. Nothing can beat this as to why Alzheimer’s disease is beyond the pale into what it does to people. A former student of mine went to visit her mother at a retirement home and when she went into her mother’s room to see her, her mother looked at her in amazement and asked her who she was. My student told me it was the most painful thing she has ever endured—she had to tell her mother that she was her daughter. The best line in the history of rock n’ roll is from a song by The Rolling Stones called Ruby Tuesday: “Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind.” Dr Mike, with Alzeimers disease it could be said this way: Lose your memory and you will lose your life. Notwithstanding, the sad awful truth of your very informative article is that in spite of sugar not being our ‘biological’ friend—try giving it up! In fact, try not drinking coffee, try not drinking alcohol, not eating too much meat! Please; Doc, it’s either give up everything we love to eat and drink and live a long, long life or indulge in the things we love to eat and drink and live a life of happiness until the rubber hits the road.
I went keto + IF 2.5 years ago to address other issues so it doesn’t surprise me that it also combats Alzheimer’s. Fun fact: the brain is mostly cholesterol and those statins your doctor is giving you is also affecting your brain. Either stop using them and figure out ways to lower your small dense LDL and increase large dense LDL or start double or triple dosing on CoQ10.
Anyone saying to eat your fruits and vegetables should look up the sugar content of modern food. Fruits are nearly pure sugar (and it doesn’t matter if it’s natural or not, sugar is treated all the same by your body) and vegetables aren’t far off. We have modified our food to the point that it’s not even the same thing we once eat millennia ago.
On the last 8 years I have worked wirh a large number of people with Alzheimer from the first stage to the end of!All my patients were intelectual,health and from good families!About sugar,many of them hate sugar !So,from my experience with these people the reason why is still unknown and what is really worries me is that,the age of people wirh Alzheimer is not over 60 anymore,is 40 now and definetlly is not because of sugar,as the person who has been diagnostigated with,was a very healthy young man!!!!
I have 0 social life. After my divorce at age 45 .I retired at age 49 due to multiple back injuries. I have a car but nowhere to go. I eat healthy as possible no sugar, soda or alcohol. I am so isolated I lose my voice because I don’t use it. Exercise is not part of my routine I feel too tired and depressed. I guess I’m a perfect fit for getting dementia.
My Dad was super healthy, ate very well, no diabetes, no sugar, hfcs, msg, artificial sweeteners, no artificial fats, etc. He walked, jogged, ride bicycle, weights, worked out at the gym and so on. Didn’t have high Bp or high cholesterol, a health and fitness nut. He had a TIA at 94 and began mentally slipping. He passed at home at age 96 from a stroke. His father died the same way, declined for two years and died at 92. B Both my mother and Grandmother ate pretty much as they pleased, well, but weren’t fanatical. They got a small amount of exercise and not that much cardio due to osteoarthritis. Mom passed last year at age 99, intellect intact, grandma at 103, mentally sharp, and her sister, at age 104. They all kind of shut down during a day’s time. All the ladies were socially and mentally active their entire lives. Nobody ate a poor diet, but all were a bit heavy during their 50’s and 60’s. Not one lady showed any signs of mental decline. Please explain! I don’t dispute that diet plays an important role in health, but it isn’t “the” magic key, either.
Hey Dr. Mike, I thought you would also tie in the evidence that high-fat diets also contribute to blood vessel damage and plaques which also lead to neurological impairment. It’s been known that high-fat diets can also impede sugar metabolism which contributes further to oxidative stress. High-fat and high-sugar intakes are a double whammy of destruction; and sadly, the standard American diet is high in both.
I’ve always had a sweet tooth but at 82 I’ve not had Alzheimer’s far as l know. I probably do have a little old age brain deterioration like forgetfulness but nothing excessive. I find by concentrating on things I’m likely to forget such as where l put my specs or why l entered a room, i.e. thinking about what l’m doing it helps.
What people don’t realise is having something like a slice of toast for breakfast is like having a marathon bar on your insulin response… i worked for years in healthcare, the patients with any kind of dementia all had one thing in common…. They had the toast or cereal for breakfast or both, they were taught in the 70’’s that weetabix etc was good for you ….this is purely my observation…there seems to be a connection with the grains …I never saw anyone who eat eggs or mainly protein for breakfast with this condition … of course we’re being sprayed like ants by our lovely governments but that’s just a whole different story .
Something few people know: Honey has the same ratio of fructose to glucose as some of the high-fructose corn sweetener formulas used in soft drinks. So substituting honey for HFCS or even sucrose is a very bad idea. I wonder if a better substitute would be to use glucose instead, if you don’t want to use artificial sweeteners.
I’m 40 now and have been wary of sugar for several years. Up to 10g of sugar in a 2 hour interval has minimal effects on my mental clarity. After an intense workout, up to about 20g of sugar will have a minimal effect on my mental clarity. I have eliminated sugar up to 4 days at a time (0g of sugar) and I am amazed by how my perspective and appreciation for life increases. If everyone exercised daily, slept up to 9 hours a night (but no less than 8), and avoided sugars, life expectancy and quality of life would sky rocket across all demographics and cases Alzheimer’s disease would plummet. Oh yeah!!
Just make sure when you do Keto and IF, that you truly make sure to get your electrolytes and vitamins in – I rhought that i had a chronic illness, but in addition to keto and IF, I drank too much coffee and water to the point i had major deficiencies in water soluble nutrients. I thought I had MS and,/or a stroke on the horizon. I have always been low BP, but it got dangerously low. Once i started intentionally taking certain vitamins, restoring my electrolytes, and reducing diuretic intake, i have more energy than ever before. I am not perfectly healed yet, but a lot has been restored.
The blue zones keep getting referenced but they are promonatly whole food plant based diets they eat whole carbs not keto diets. Rarely or no meat. But yes also non processed food. Fat in the cells causes insulin resistance. Plant based diets have been shown to reverse this and diabeties as well as other major chronic disease including cancer, heart disease. I was also under the impression for alzheimers that It’s not just sugar it’s anything that causes insulin resistance or atherosclerosis which is actually fat and sugar and the saturated fat in animal products.
Unprocessed food, intermittent fasting and exercise: Definitely YES ! – Keto diet: A big NONO. Why this is ? All the countries showed on the map where people live longer: None of them live on a keto diet, quite the opposite in fact: Lots of fruits and veggies, legumes, whole grains. So by no means any population has ever thrived on a keto diet. Anyways, great article. Thanks Doctor.
Start eating cilantro. Look it up… (but don’t over do it bc it’ll give you chest pain.) But as bad as some foods are for you, on a molecular level, I feel like there are also food that counteract some of the damage that some food can cause. Essentially, eating both levels it out. If you look at some time tested recipes, you’ll notice random herbs that are added to some dishes but the reasoning behind it gets lost over time, but it’s added for a reason like balancing out the bad effects —like the bay leaf. My general rule of thumb is eat twice the amount of healthy food to the unhealthy foods and you’ll bc okay. There’s no sense on going on an extreme diet or restrictions bc you won’t keep that up. And I’ll tell you the easiest way to change your diet. They say if you do something for a week, it becomes a habit so pick one thing and try to maintain that for a week. For example, your drink too much soda so don’t restrict your soda intake bc you’ll crave it more. Instead, say you can have as much soda as you want but however many soda you have, you have to drink the same amount for water. You literally can only drink so much liquid so you inadvertently will drink less soda without the psychological craving bc you “restricted” your soda. And once drinking more water becomes a habit (you do it without thought) move on to the next thing like if I eat a bag of chips, I have to pick a vegetable like raw carrots and eat the equal amount. After you master the balancing game you can do a 2:1 ratio ect.
I am currently reading “Pure, White and Deadly” and am more wary than ever of sugar in its adulterated forms. It really just isn’t a necessary part of anyone’s diet. We need to make our bodies work harder to extract energy from other foods. Sugar in any form without fibre accompanying it to slow down absorption is the worst, e.g. fruit juices, white flour, white bread, white rice, etc. Nature at least packs its poison (sugar) with its antidote (fibre). Humans love to take the sugar out though and eat it separately. Then we get addicted. I am always trying to reduce sugar in my family’s diet. Too many cases of dementia in our older relatives and we don’t want to go down the same path.
By saying fructose it would have been less confusing if you clearly mentioned that you were talking about high corn fructose syrup, and not eating whole fruits like apples and bananas which also have fructose. Medical experts and researchers from institutions such as Johns Hopkins who study fatty liver disease, diabetes, and inflammation caused by sugar are clear that fruits are not the culprit, rather processed sugars.. and why I find the messaging here about fructose a little confusing.
I DON’T think it can be cured. I THINK it’s STRESS. that’s what EVERYBODY have in common. Race, gender, food, location on the EARTH all are different but stress hits US ALL from young to old, the rich or poor, skinny or fat. The KEY IS TO RID OUR BODIES OF STRESS FAST AND WHEN WE DO NOT IT TAKES A TOLL. Now we must figure out how to stop stress BEFORE it wrecks the brain.
If this is the case, it explains it, bc I’m fricking young, and some years my only food was sugar… No wonder I felt fricking amazing on carnivore diet. That is just not convenient in this world… TwT And I do fear of the fall if I quit ketosis and become fat suddenly just bc I’d get broke or scout camps offer vegetarian food 😛
Love the disclaimer which indicates this article may mean nothing at all. “40% of Alzheimer’s cases MAY BE preventable based on modifiable risk factors”. ‘MAY BE”, the biggest ‘we’re not sure yet’ catch all seen all over the English speaking world. So basically everything mentioned here is still all just speculation. My family tends to live well into their 90’s, and only ONE has had Alzheimer’s disease. So, good luck, because some things he’s mentioned as risk factors, have also been seen to prove absolutely NOTHING in other studies. Do your own research, google is your friend.
I just wanted to point out. That island, across the pond. Is pronounced, Britt-Ten. Not Bri-In. And it’s the British that say, Off Ten. Which, lately, Americans are, “Off-en”, mispronouncing. Don’t ask me why? And then there is that stuff in your kitchen and those cans of pop and beer. Here in America, Alum-inum. And the British slang it up as, Aluminminiuum. And that’s British style, pronunciation. And you’ll find a universal pronunciation of, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious & Yabaddabadoo RamyRAD
From the Cleveland Clinic: “The exact causes of Alzheimer’s disease aren’t fully understood. But at a basic level, brain proteins fail to function as usual. This disrupts the work of brain cells, also called neurons, and triggers a series of events. The neurons become damaged and lose connections to each other. They eventually die. Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.” The medical community must just not know that there is a “BIGGEST reason people get Alzheimer’s Disease (DEMENTIA),” perhaps Doctor Mike Hanson ought to bring them up to date 🙂
Sugar and HFCS is in everything. We should demand that the food companies take it out. Even the fast food industry has sugar in their food. I eat at home 95% and only fresh meats, veggies and fruits. My aunt had Alzheimer’s disease from 84-92 years old and it is a horrible disease. My sister has it now at 75. I walk 2-3 miles a day and exercise with a group 3 times a week. I encourage everyone to get healthy and avoid sweets. ❤️🙏🏼
Well, my loved one who is 97 has had Alzheimer’s for about 10 years now, and she has never been overweight and never been into sugar at all. So this theory definitely does not apply to her. In fact, she used artificial sweeteners for many years, but never overdoing anything. She probably used one packet a day for her one cup of coffee a day. The other thing that she did was she had a low-fat diet, everything had to be low-fat. So if anything caused her dementia, I would guess it could be eating a low-fat diet for years. Neither of her very elderly parents had dementia. So it doesn’t appear to be genetic.
Also done 2x mri brain scan this year in 2023 1 cat scan on my head in 2022 nothing shown on ct cat scan and my mri found a tiny cyst on my brain stem 8mm chiari malformation type 1 cyst, nasal congestion headaches, migraine suffering and panic anxiety attacks suffering, more medical problem? Unknown to me that in future?, i will see a new neurologist next year for 2nd opinion, although, last nuerologist I’ve scene professor neurologist did say not say to much about it😢? •That’s why? Feel this way, if I’d did not have a cyst in my brain stem, i would not feel this way? Because i have a cyst, stopping me going certain places like comic con visit place sometimes when this conditions come out of nowhere it stops me in my tracks sometimes unexpectedly, not fact i could have a panic attack or faint, raise or lower in blood pressure also, long trips in vehicles? •I’ll make a day 1st march 2024 Friday if things do not improve I’ll see health specialist?😢 maybe more comments in future january-to 29th february thursday 2024, scary how times catchs up nearly 33 years old? 3rd june 2024?
Sugar, sugar, and sugar… even proteines will turn into sugar, only about 10 grams are employed as building material. Soluble fibre can allso produce bacterial proteines from which part go in the blood ans will turn into sugar. “Ketoses” would harm kidneys… meanwhile fill the belly with unsoluble fiber as bran, would provoke a terrible excès of intake of phosphorus …How many calciumcarbonate to take with the bran and yolk, to send the exces of phosphorus to the toilet, straight away, without charging kidneys ? Too muc calcium would be allso trouble… How to know, while using a diet without sugar and poor in carbo if you have still a tendance to be insulinoresistent ? Sugar will reach yout muscle, but with exces of insuklina, reducing the “combustion” of triglycerida, with a higher risk that insaturated fatty acids will be peroxydated and form VLDL in stead of HDL… the worst in stead of the best. Meanwhile, excès of chalc to protect your kidneys of exces of intake of phosphorus will allso increase formation of atherome and provoke vascular trouble and …vascular dementia. So ? Not only there are important individual differences, but anyhow, the “medium directive” how many at least how many at most… you can still trie to find it… Or HOW to prefent a desease if you don’t have correct information ? And, is kdney-failure that much to prefer to allzheimer or a vascular accident or..???
Both my parents are 72 years old. My dad is type 2 diabetic and has been for at least 20 years. My mom has never been diabetic. Both overweight. Both high sugar diets and lack of exercise. My mom was diagnosed 3 years ago with early onset Alzheimer’s. The last appointment with her neurologist she was middle stage altzhimers. I personally don’t think she’s advanced that much to give that diagnosis. She’s not depressed but even still the neurologist put her on Wellbutrin and a sleep monitor to watch for brain seizures. My question however is if it’s found to be directly related to insulin resistance then wouldn’t it be true that my dad would be the one to have the altzhimers and less likely to be my mom!? Also if altzhimers is directly related to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetics higher chance of developing altzhimers is there a statistic on how many positive type 2 diabetics with Alzheimer’s vs. Non diabetic with Alzheimer’s?
Another keto bandwagon fanatic.. just eat clean, unprocessed whole foods, including lits of fruits and veggies. Minimize the meat consumption and if you do preferably grassfed and organic fed chicken. Certainly no deli meats. Stay of the alcohol. Move your body every day, like every day.. different kind of fasting methods are recommended. Most importantly, don’t worry so much, live life with love and gratitude. If you think something will hurt you it will. Peace. Oh dont forgot to get high. Bliss.
My dad was diagnosed with dementia probably about 7 years before he died at the age of 88. He did love his sweets. He would always blame his sweet tooth on his Pennsylvania Dutch mom for always making like 10 pies every week back in the day. He loved baked goods. These are probably the worst sweets as they’re high in refined carbs (white flour) sugar, they’re often deep fried so contain unhealthy oxidized fats and aluminum containing baking soda which they say alzheimer’s patients have a lot of in their brain as well. He drank an enormous amount of coffee with cream but from what I remember no sugar. Surprisingly I heard though coffee was supposed to be good at preventing Alzheimer’s. All the coffee he made at home was instant never fresh brewed.
I wish doctors would just say “we know almost nothing about Alzheimer’s and its causes”. Note how the article starts with factors that SEEM to contribute to Alzheimer’s. We are not sure of anything. This sugar thing is just another speculative factor. Correlation doesn’t necessarily imply causation, and that seems to be one of the biggest problems in Alzheimer’s
You do know everything turns into sugar? As a diet coach and trainer with over 20,000 hours of clients time… people who are obese and eat mostly unhealthy food lack nutrients. Over time this is what affects them. They typically dont exercise and thats why thier body has less oxygen and bloodflow. Eating sugar is NOT BAD. Eat your fruits and drink your juices people. I eat refined sugar all the time. But i burn 4000 cals per day so as long as i drip feed it all throughout the day after getting my base 2500 cals from good healthy foods there is no extra stress on my pancrease. My glycogen is low and liver needs energy ao it doesnt have to balance things with insulin if YOU balance it yourself.
Ya missed something. Sometime in the 70s or 80s, the major sugar producers did a massive research study. They discovered that it is extremely harmful to us and all animals. They of course also discovered (or already knew) how addictive it is. They totally and utterly buried the research and scapegoated fat. It came out like 5-8 years ago via some leaked documents. I’m always shocked that it was not major news. There are or were a few articles on here about it. Also some news websites did cover it. Some people were calling it Sugargate. The fact that it is mostly buried again is probably a sign of how powerful the sugar producers are in government and the world in general. Also a sign of how strong people’s addiction to it is AND the non ceasing time of catastrophe we have lived in since the document leaks. Really, the sugar industry needs to be slapped harder than the tobacco industry was.
Not even panadol or panadeine forte does not always work still got morning migraines headaches, i eat healthy, lost abit of weight during covid period cannot gain much weight? Maybe stress anxiety panic attacks, shock and depression may made that happened, not sure maybe on day, to cure, prevent, treat all those diseases, cancers, disorders, syndromes, generic genetic health issues like dysfunctions and allergens also, beat als, ms, Parkinson’s Disease, aneurysms, edema, heart arrhythmia, panic disorders, comas and etc.. robot arms to help ms, als, mnd, pd- Parkinson’s, things like that, maybe comments later if i get to Jan to feb 29th 2024 Thursday😢😮
How did i know that diabetes is the scapegoat again? Because on every health website regardless of what sickness or ailment is on the headline, it is the same song: Sugar,sugar, honey honey, 🎤🎸 repair it with lemons and ginger oh and dont forget the garlic and those 10km of jogging per day. “Oh you are in a wheel chair!” So sorry old Borry, just tough luck and happy funerals for you.
A minor point, you say ‘Britain was the most significant in the slave trade’. Actually, in one way yes, because Britain did more than any other country to end slavery worldwide. But even if we just consider the Atlantic Slave Trade, Portugal was more significant. Worldwide the Islamic countries vastly outdid any European country, since Europe was involved in it for a short time, but Islam from its beginnings, and it continued even after Britain sent gun boats to Zanzibar to close its slave market and stopped the ships. In terms of dementia it was the most significant, in that sugar for Europe was grown in the Caribbean.
Refined Sugar is highly dehydrating. So are many other things people commonly eat & drink in our modern diet – tea, coffee, sugary drinks, alcohol, chemical additives, ultra & highly processed & refined foods, etc, etc. It is estimated for instance, that the body needs five cups of water to process just one cup of coffee. Sugar forces the body to use a lot of water to process it. The modern diet is manipulated to create chronic cellular dehydration. What happens in cellular dehydration? Shrinkage & atrophy. Leave an apple on the side – it shrivels. Imagine how it can affect the brain & indeed any other part of the body. Unprocessed natural food (especially raw) is usually water-rich.
I stopped eating sugar several years ago. I changed my diet to pescatarian, eating seafood once every three days, in general. I also gave up alcohol a couple of years ago. I feel great. The change came after a “life event” (not health related). I lost weight, blood pressure is normal, no joint pain (some had been creeping in). My stools are wonderful. All of this without any medications. I probably have taken less than two dozen aspirin in the seven years since the event. I have also experienced no more than two or three days of illness (mild cold) in that time. I am in my late 60s. My current diet is more like what I had in my late teens to late 20s. My body is also back to that level. The impact diet on health cannot be overemphasized.
Evidence against copious amounts of fructose is piling up. First half of the article you kept saying “sugar”. I think simple sugars or specifically fructose would have been more accurate. The entire time you’re saying that I’m thinking about complex sugars in bread which has been around for thousands of years. At the end you mentioned causes of diabetes and said specifically high sugar diets. I don’t know if by accident or intentional but energy dense diets with a sedentary lifestyle seems to be more of the diabetes culprit. High sugar or high fat. Just too much in general causing more visceral fat.
Doctor, have you studied the Chastain family where most ALL of them end up with alzheimers? My adoptive fathers family is from this line. They are studying this family to find out more about why this family has a higher rate of alzheimers. It is literally in their DNA, and diet and exercise does not seem to affect it…
I am working a night shift right now with Alzheimer’s patience. One is not sleeping as she eating Carmel candy after candy. These are gifts her daughter brought her. I whole drawer full of candy. I wonder if her dayghter loves her or hates her. This candy addiction is upsetting to me as I have watched this ladies memory fade too quickly and I know it the suger.
Thanks! We’ve been perusal my mom sink into dementia since last year, and this past month it’s gotten worse so fast. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2015 and jumped on the Golo plan in Jan 2021 and have kicked all my diabetic meds to the curb in May 2021. I’ve lost about 25lbs and I exercise and still healthy as I don’t want to end up like my mom. You talked about a lot of things I’ve watched my mom do wrong over the years and I tried telling her, but always said she’ll eat what she likes. We’ve gotten her off the sweet stuff, but the damage is already done.
Reading the books of the New Testament, we probably asked ourselves more than once: “Why 2000 years we do not see those miracles that accompanied the Сhurch of Christ in the I century, as described in the New Testament?” Why do the so-called preachers of Christ have to prove that Jesus really existed and atheists boldly deny the historicity or divine origin of Christ? Maybe because the Сhurch of Christ has not existed for 2000 years? The Сhurch does not exist in the form in which it is presented in the books of the New Testament, but there are Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and other christian sects claiming to be the place of the Church, but they not have the only thing that distinguishes the divine from the human and is characteristic of just the Сhurch of Christ -the reinforcement of the word with signs, that is, miracles (Mark 16:15-20). Therefore, some researchers doubt the historicity of Christ, and some of them are not opposed to declaring him a an ordinary philosopher, teacher. But even if Jesus were an ordinary philosopher, his disciples would be ordinary followers of Jesus. And they would not dare to write about the miracles that not only Jesus, but also his disciples, could perform. If there were the Church in our time as described by the authors of the New Testament books, where miracles are performed, the sick are healed, where prophesied, and the dead are raised, no one would doubt the historicity of Christ. Then there would be the same controversy throughout the world as in the first century – Jesus the Son of God or the false prophet who seduces the world by miracles.
Subscribed!! It’s great that you show proper studies (and not just “common beliefs” without evidence. Would be even better if you put links to those papers (I had to pause, and copy down the titles!). It is also very good that you keep it relatively short and to-the-point. A suggestion, while still keeping everything evidence-based, might be to distinguish between “overview” (like this one), and maybe on each sub-topic, do a deep dive. Maybe you already have and I haven’t browsed enough. But good research explained clearly, that’s what we need more of!! Thanks.
Excellent article presentation! Thank you so much. I wish I would have known this information when my mom was suffering with onset of Dementia and her Vascular doctor told us, “She can eat all the ice cream she wants.” He knew better and really should be behind bars for not informing of the impact of sugar on the brain and the advancement of Alzheimer’s. Wonder how many others that young doctor killed off prematurely.
Sugar is the silent killer 😓 the one thing that is cheap that cheers folks up.. Cut back on sugar please!! The older people I talk to are dealing with Alzheimer’s & Dementia at higher rates than ever. It’s hard when you don’t have much money to eat better however eat less sugar and exercise oh and read daily!! 💕🙏🌺🌺
Mother had dementia, which figure was some of vascular as her old brothers and sisters seemed to have had also. Last scan done said signs clinical and brain- of Parkinson, Loey body and alzh. She was still there tho. Not always know who I was but knew #’s like SS# (she told police, even tho didnt recall her name, when lost, so he could bring her home!) or wanted to walk even tho to low BP which wish I had got Dr’s to remove her BP med. How much might also be genetic sensitivity to some foods… Am curious about BDNF as a cardiologist said mine slightly high (so not ‘bad’ yet,but not say how to effect or lower), how related to it being needed in brain but not heart?
My mom died of Alzheimer’s disease at 97. It is the same as my grandmother (father’s side) died at 92. Strangely, my grandmother (mother’s side) died at 105 as a natural cause. She never ate anything from fast food restaurants, and she cooked her food and drank coffee every morning. My mom ate McDonald’s burgers daily when she was in her 80s, and she loved sweet food, but she drank coffee. 😱
Excellent coverage of the downstream effects, but are you not concerned that focusing on the limitations of liver metabolism will scare people away from very healthy fruit consumption? There is good reason to believe that the liver story is incorrect, that majority of physiological amounts are processed in the small intestine by glut2 via KHK. Jang 2018 is the most interesting radioisotope study elucidating this liver pre-emptive pathway, there are others, and a good review was published in Nutrients 2020 by Merino et al Intestinal Glucose and Frucose absorption in health and Disease. The short of it is that the kind of 25-50g bolus doses found in fruit will mostly not reach the liver.
My mother had Dementia and she was diagnosed in 2015 she already had it for 18 months when they scanned her brain had shrunk by 2% which doesn’t sound a lot but that 2% decrease over the size of the brain is a lot and within 6 years she was gone. My grandad and my mother both had Dementia and the probability of my brother and I having Dementia is quite high. I have told my brother and my family in the event of me showing any signs of Dementia it is a one-way ticket to Switzerland because I know what is coming and I have it written in my Will that in the event of me being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia then I will go to Switzerland for assisted euthanasia. And that this was my choice and last request and nobody coerced me into going this was my choice and this was written when I was of sound mind and able-bodied. It is signed by me and witnessed by my solicitor and I’ve made a recording to say what I have done and nobody else is to blame other than myself. As soon as my wife and kids land back in the UK they would likely be arrested and then released without charge because assisted euthanasia is illegal in the UK and if you assist with taking somebody to Switzerland you can’t be arrested under British laws but it’s a great area of law and I haven’t known anybody yet who has been charged with assisted euthanasia. Alzheimer’s and Dementia are both in my family along with heart attacks and strokes.
I heard in my reading that there is an enzyme in the body (I forgot the name) that has two jobs. One of its jobs is to break down insulin after it’s done doing its job but the primary job of this enzyme is to break down and clean up the plaque in your brain. So since both jobs are done by the same enzyme if you’re constantly consuming sugary foods the enzyme doesn’t have time to do its primary job to clean up the plaque in your brain thus causing Alzheimer’s.
I wonder if statins have to do with Alzheimer’s rates increasing in the last 30 years. It seems as if statins came out around the time we saw Alzheimer’s rates rise. Why have doctors not looked into a possible link? Everyone I know that has had Alzheimer’s has been taking them. I say let the science guide them. I may be completely wrong.
What kinds of sugars I’ve noticed today that people throw the word around sugar like there’s only one kind there’s complex sugars which are necessary and generally good for us and then there are simple sugars which we know are generally bad, but you do not find that distinction on packaging or any dietary descriptions, or any kind of literature anymore everybody this is sugar bad, and that Not true, so what kind of sugars are the problem?