Most of us know what is diabetes. It is the body’s inability to control blood sugar. But have you heard of diabetes in the brain? It is actually Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Dennis Selkoe is the pioneer who link high sugar in the blood to Alzheimer’s disease. How does that happen? Here is the process:
All cells need glucose for energy. Insulin is produced in the pancreas when there is excess sugar in the blood. The insulin will help cells to uptake the glucose from the blood thereby reducing the blood sugar level.
When there is excess glucose, high level of insulin is produced to the point that cells become resistant to the high level of insulin. This reduces the glucose uptake by the body cells, resulting in less glucose for use as energy. Brain cells require more energy than others, are starved of glucose producing energy and they die. Memory loss and confusion result, leading to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
People who have type 2 diabetes have 50-65% higher risk to developing Alzheimer’s disease. The causes of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease are:
Inflammatory diet – a diet high in sugar and processed food:
- Allergens
- Imbalance digestive function
- Toxins – mercury, pesticides triggering immune diseases
- Chronic low-grade infection – Syphilis, Lyme disease
- Stress
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Inadequate sleep – minimum 7 hours
- Nutritional deficiencies
Amongst the cause factors, inflammatory diet high in sugar is the most important factor. Insulin triggered by the flood of sugar set in motion an entire inflammatory parade that leads to Alzheimer’s disease as well as sea of diseases beyond the brain; heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, rapid aging.
7 steps prevent Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia
1) Balance blood sugar
Balancing blood sugar is the key to overcoming inflammatory diet. Eat a diet that is low in simple carbohydrate, or white carbs. Go for complex carbohydrates from whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Watch the Glycemic Load (GL) of the food and eat those with low GL.
2) Exercise regularly
Regular exercise will help balance the blood sugar. Simple walking for 30 minutes daily is sufficient.
3) Supplements
Do not rely solely on fresh food for all your body nutritional needs. Good quality supplementation is important to ensure that the adequate amount of the important nutrients are supplied to the body.
- Multivitamins and minerals
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Vitamin B complex – Vit B6, B12 and folate
- Vitamin D
4) Detox regularly
Reduce toxins load in the body will minimize trigger points in the immune system. So, regular cleansing the digestive system, liver and kidney is necessary. Heavy metals and mercury toxicity is detrimental to brain cells.
5) Treat hormonal balance
Thyroid hormone and sex hormone balance is important in preventing and reversing dementia. Treat hypothyroidism and low sex hormone as soon as possible. Low thyroid function has been linked to cause memory loss.
Take the above steps to prevent diabetes in your brain before it is too late.
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