Alzheimers & Type 3 Diabetes. The connection.
Why is Alzheimer’s being called type 3 diabetes
There is a TON of research being done on the link between how you eat, primarily in regards to the sugar and carbohydrates that you eat, and your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Because of this link many researchers are now calling Alzheimer’s type 3 diabetes.
In fact, 80 of those with Alzheimers has insulin resistance or type 2 diabetesKind of scary and kind of cool at the same time. It looks as though this disease is turning out to be largely preventable. Not curable, but preventable.
Once there is brain damage associated with Alzheimer’s some of that damage can often be irreversible, depending on how much damage has been done.
Researches have found that the pancreas is not the only organ of the body that produces insulin. In fact, they found that the brain also produces its own insulin. Which when/if you think about it makes perfect sense. The brains main form of fuel is glucose. Not sugar but glucose. By the brain secreting its own insulin it can more likely ensure that it gets the energy it needs to function properly.
Mind blown right?!
They discovered that without the insulin your brain cells will die. duh - no gas, things stop running.
Insulin in the brain, and all cells for that matter enable the uptake of glucose into your cells. Think of glucose (not talking sugar or carbs) as the gas or fuel for your cells.
Studies are also finding that not only is insulting responsible for getting glucose into the cells of your brain, but it also helps with the regulation of certain neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is the main transmitter responsible for memory and learning.
So here is the technical breakdown
If insulin levels are low or dysfunctional = poor brain energy = decreased acetylcholine = ???? What was I talking about?
So stop eating so many sugar foods and drinks, cut back on your grain and carbohydrate baed foods. These foods are triggering chronically high levels of glucose which is leading to the desensitization and blunting of the effects insulin should be having in your body and your brain. This is leading to what is now being called type 3 diabetes or Alzheimer’s.
There are many possible causes of glucose and insulin dysregulation. If you eat a fairly clean diet and are still having issues with controlling your glucose, or you are worried about developing Alzheimer’s.
Give my office a call to schedule an appointment.
Im Dr. Craig Mortensen
Be health, be Happy.