Sugary foods may fulfill your sweet tooth, but they can also increase your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Scientists have only recently uncovered the mechanisms for how sugary foods may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, degenerative neurological condition characterized by loss of cognition, including thinking, memory and inability to fulfill daily activities. Most people with Alzheimer's disease are not diagnosed with the illness until they reach 60 years or older. Yet, Alzheimer's disease can begin years and even decades before symptoms begin to manifest. Neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaque, inflammation and harmful molecules called free radicals develop within the brain, affecting how nerve cells function and communicate. The damage spreads to other areas of the brain, causing cells to lose their function and die.
Sugar Metabolism
Sugary foods, such as cakes, cookies, sodas, fruit drinks, ice cream and candy, contain sucrose, also called table sugar. Sucrose is a disaccharide made up of glucose and fructose molecules. Sucrose is a high glycemic food, which stimulates your body to rapidly digest and absorb glucose into the blood. As a result, your blood levels can spike and signal the pancreas to secrete insulin, a hormone that transports glucose from your blood into the cells throughout your body. A few hours later, you can experience low blood glucose levels called hypoglycemia, which can trigger cravings to eat more sugar.
Insulin Resistance
As you eat more sugar, high levels of insulin can cause cells to become resistant to the hormone, forcing your blood sugar levels to stay in the blood, swell, and induce inflammation and damage in your arteries. Insulin resistance can progress into diabetes and may also cause Alzheimer's disease. Research scientists at Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China, discovered that compared to healthy patients, Alzheimer's disease patients have abnormalities associated with insulin resistance, according to the September 2010 issue of "Journal of Hygiene Research."
Alzheimer's Plaque
Increasing sugary food intake can increase risk of developing brain plaque called Abeta, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Research by scientists at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle and published in "Current Alzheimer Research" in April 2007 showed that increased blood insulin levels in humans with insulin resistance increases nerve cell inflammation and levels of Abeta in the brain. Scientists are developing new therapeutic agents called gamma-secretase modulators that reduce Abeta production associated with Alzheimer's disease. Nonetheless, scientists have not yet compared eating whole grains versus sugary foods to determine differences in Alzheimer's risk.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Deaths: Final Data for 2007
- National Institute on Aging; Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet; 2010
- University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Center for Integrative Medicine; Glycemic Index; 2010
- "Journal of Hygiene Research"; [Analysis of Correlation Between Insulin Resistance, Blood Lipids and Alzheimer's Disease]; Xiaohong Sun, et al.; September 2010
- "Current Alzheimer Research"; Insulin Resistance and Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis: Potential Mechanisms and Implications for Treatment; Suzanne Craft; April 2007
- MayoClinic.com; Researchers Find Drugs Being Tested for Alzheimer's Disease Work in Unexpected and Beneficial Ways; June 2008
