Keeping The Situation Under Control
My grandmother is not diagnosed with dementia.
We noticed early warning signs the year before in 2016 and my mother started her on natural remedies and early intervention. We didnt want to get her diagnosed because the diagnosis did not help my grandfather who had dementia. Medication suppressed his aggression but the side effect was that it caused us to lose him completely.
We have seen significant improvements in my grandmother ever since we made a committed effort to fight dementia. Her memory is much better and she is no longer aggressive or suspicious.
So, it was quite disturbing for us to suddenly see a drastic change in her. It happened almost immediately after the sugar incident.
Can Glucose Drown The Brain
Glucose is what sugar becomes once it has been digested by your body, and it is your bodys primary source of energy. Your brain also requires a certain level of glucose to continue functioning, as all organs in your body do. However, contrary to all other cells in your body, the cells in your brain have evolved to not require insulin to absorb and transform sugar. The brain cells take the sugar directly from your bloodstream and transport it to your brain. Although, this creates a problem.
Now that there is sugar in the brain, insulin must be used to rework this sugar into energy your brain can use to think, operate, and monitor highly important bodily functions such as breathing and blinking. If you have been living the lifestyle described above, which causes insulin resistance, then your brain will constantly have a high level of insulin in it, and a high level of sugar. The abnormally large concentration of insulin in your brain is attempting to stop your brain from using sugar and is working to transform it into energy.
Lewy Body Dementia: The Cognitive Disorder You May Not Know About
Its a sad and widely publicized fact that comedian and actor Robin Williams death cause was suicide, but did you know that a commonly misdiagnosed brain disease called Lewy body dementia is said to be the real underlying cause of his premature death?
Since Williams 2014 death, his wife has revealed that his last year of life was plagued by unexplained mental symptoms like delusions and anxiety as well as physical symptoms of muscle rigidity and impaired movement. Unfortunately, doctors didnt realize that Williams was suffering from Lewy body dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies until his body was autopsied.
Lewy body dementia is a complex brain disorder that can be very tricky to diagnose, treat and manage. LBD is not as well-known as its cousin conditions, Alzheimers diseaseand Parkinsons disease, but its not a rare health problem. According to the National Institute on Aging, over 1 million Americans are affected by Lewy body dementia and its extremely challenging affects.
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Things That Can Make Your Loved Ones Dementia Worse
By Shital Rane 9 am on May 15, 2020
Dementia is an umbrella term that encompasses many different conditions, including Alzheimers disease. While there are many forms of dementia, its generally a chronic and progressive condition that becomes more noticeable over time. Its sometimes possible to manage or even reverse symptoms under certain circumstances. However, there are also some things that could cause dementia to worsen, such as those discussed below.
Related Research A Public Health Warning
Upon conducting a basic search, you will be able to find dozens of studies that link diabetes to dementia. Although each specialized study focuses on varying theories and potential factors, the majority yield a similar message. Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia and lifestyle factors play a key role.
Within one 2016 review, published in Diabetes Care, the researchers observed data from 14 studies. This review included data on 2,320,330 individuals and 102,174 dementia case-patients. The researchers concluded that diabetes increased ones risk of dementia by 60 percent. Observed in men and women, women displayed a 19 percent greater risk for vascular dementia in comparison to men.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with a more than two-fold greater risk of dementia, but what about type 1 diabetes? In a 2015 study, published in The Journal of the Alzheimers Association, researchers explored this potential relationship.
After studying 230 individuals with type 1 diabetes, it was found that these individuals were 83 percent more likely to develop dementia in comparison to healthy controls. After adjusting for stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and hypertension, they were 61 percent more likely.
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How To Reduce Adverse Effects Of Sugar And Dementia
It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to cut off sugar in your diet, seeing that most fruits are loaded with sugar. This, however, does not mean that you should not try and limit the amount of sugar that goes into your system.
There are several steps you can take to prevent getting dementia because of too much sugar like:
How Is Sugar Linked To Parkinsons
Research has linked sugar and Parkinsons in a number of ways:
- An increase in sugar cravings may be a side effect of the types of microorganisms that live in our gut that can change in people with Parkinsons.
- Some people report that eating sugary foods makes their Parkinson’s symptoms worse but this has yet to be proven through scientific research.
- Diabetes has been shown to increase the risk of neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinsons.
Research into the impact of diabetes both type 1 and type 2 on the brain is a hot topic and the potential connection to Parkinsons is becoming clearer.
High blood sugar levels can cause the brain to age and shrink. It can also lead to small-vessel disease reducing blood flow to the brain and increasing the risk of vascular dementia.
These effects are so significant that scientists are developing ways to try to combat the neurological consequences of diabetes. In America, researchers are testing if nasal sprays containing insulin can boost the areas of the brain associated with memory. Results showing improved cognition in healthy volunteers have begun attracting attention in Alzheimers research.
Our results indicate that diabetes promotes striatal oxidative stress, alters dopamine neurotransmission, and increases vulnerability to neurodegenerative damage leading to motor impairment. Iara PérezTaboadaet al., 2020. Movement Disorders
You can read about the latest news on the exenatide trials here:
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How Do You Reduce The Amount Of Sugar You Eat Daily
Reducing sugar intake is a relatively straightforward thing, but it is more difficult than often expected. There is sugar in nearly everything we consume, from our morning coffee to our toothpaste. Consequently, staying mindful of what you are eating and drinking throughout the day, every day, is the key way to minimize the amount of sugar you are consuming.
An easy way to avoid large quantities of sugar is to read the labels on food and drink you purchase. For example, if you enjoy coffee in the morning , read the Daily Value and Nutrition Info labels on the products you purchase to make that coffee. Perhaps there are low-sugar, or Diet alternatives to your favorite foods and beverages. This will also help combat sugar cravings, which are big factors in dementia, and so you will be feeling better every day, but also defending your body from things it does not need.
Another way to limit the sugar you consume every day is to switch out what you eat for dessert every night. Obviously, some nights it will be impossible to not enjoy pie, or cakes, or ice cream, etc., but there are many times when fruit could be an alternate option for deserts. For example, perhaps on the weekends, you treat yourself to sugary delights like pies, while on weekdays, fruits are the go-to dessert.
Sugar Intake Hinders Mental Capacity
Elevated blood glucose harms blood vessels. Blood vessel damage is the major cause of the vascular complications of diabetes, leading to other problems, such as damage to blood vessels in the brain and eyes causing retinopathy.
Studies of long-term diabetics show progressive brain damage leading to deficits in learning, memory, motor speed, and other cognitive functions. Frequent exposure to high glucose levels diminishes mental capacity, as higher HbA1c levels have been associated with a greater degree of brain shrinkage.
Even in those without diabetes, higher sugar consumption is associated with lower scores on tests of cognitive function. These effects are thought to be due to a combination of hyperglycemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and elevated cholesterol.
Additional research shows that a diet high in added sugar reduces the production brain-derived neurotrophic factor , a brain chemical essential for new memory formation and learning. Lower levels of BDNF are also linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the journal Diabetologia.
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What Is Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy body dementia is a progressive disease that involves having abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits are called Lewy bodies, and they affect chemicals in the brain. Those changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior and mood. LBD is one of the most common causes of dementia, after Alzheimers disease and vascular disease.
There are two types of Lewy body dementia dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinsons disease dementia. The early signs of these two types of LBD can be different, but they reflect the same biological brain changes. Dementia with Lewy bodies starts out with a decline in thinking ability that may look somewhat like Alzheimers disease. Parkinsons disease dementia begins as a movement disorder with symptoms like slowed movement, muscle stiffness, tremors and a shuffling walk. As time goes on, someone with dementia with Lewy bodies and someone with Parkinsons disease dementia tend to have similar LBD symptoms.
Lewy bodoy dementia is believed to be a cousin to Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease given the following facts:
- Lewy bodies contain a protein associated with Parkinsons disease.
- Lewy bodies often are present in the brains of people with Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease and other dementias.
- People who have Lewy bodies in their brains also have the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimers disease.
Its The Type Of Carb Not The Quantity That Counts
Reducing sugar doesnt mean you need to reduce carbs. One study looked at the quantity and quality of carbs consumed by nearly 70,000 women who had completed menopause. Researchers applied a glycemic index score to each food they analyzed. Foods with high GI scores, which raise blood sugar levels more, are often made from simple carbs and filled with simple sugars. The results showed that women who ate high-GI foods had a higher risk of depression than people who ate lower-GI foods. Women who ate a higher amount of lower-GI foods, such as vegetables and non-juiced fruit, had a lower risk for depression.
The results mean that carbohydrates in general arent the cause for depression and other mental health disorders. Instead, its the quality of the carbs you eat that can impact your depression risk.
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Things You Should Do Every Day To Stave Off Dementia
7 things you should do EVERY day to stave off dementia
Research is increasingly finding links between diabetes and dementia. Alzheimers Society is calling on participants to join a clinical trial to understand whether a Type 2 diabetes drug can treat early stage Alzheimers disease.
Scientists looked specifically at brain tissue samples during autopsy from participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Ageing which tracked neurological, physical and psychological data on participants over several decades.
The research team found distinct abnormalities in glycolysis, the main process by which the brain breaks down glucose.
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An association was then identified between the severity of this problem and the extent of the patients memory loss and confusion.
Higher brain glucose levels associated with sugar in our diets correlated to more severe plaques and tangles found in the brains of people with Alzheimers.
Dr Thambisetty explained: These findings point to a novel mechanism that could be targeted in the development of new treatments to help the brain overcome glycolysis defects in Alzheimers disease.
The study was published in Alzheimers & Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimers Association.
Risk Factors For Dementia & Alzheimers
Scientists know that genetics, environment, and lifestyle affect your risk of developing Alzheimers disease and dementia.
The factors that put you at higher risk include:
- Age: As you get older, youre at greater risk of developing dementia and Alzheimers.
- Genetics: If you have a family member with dementia, you are more likely to have dementia, too. Additionally, having certain versions of genes, like apolipoprotein E 4 , increases your risk of developing Alzheimers.
- Education: People with less education have a higher chance of getting Alzheimers.
- High risk for cardiovascular disease: The same factors that affect your heart health, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, also increase your Alzheimers risk.
- Head trauma: Youre more likely to develop Alzheimers if you suffer a head injury that makes you lose consciousness.
- Alcohol abuse: Patients with alcohol-use disorder are more likely to have impaired cognition and develop Alzheimers disease.
- Sleep issues: Older adults who experience constant interrupted sleep experience Alzheimers disease more frequently.
- Poor diet: Eating the wrong foods can make it more likely that youll develop dementia or Alzheimers.
If you have one or more of these risk factors, you are not destined to have Alzheimers. There are still things you can do to lower your risk and prevent disease.
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Too Much Sugar Leads To Strokes
Another possible variable when discussing sugar and dementia is the fact that too much glucose in the blood vessels can lead to stroke.
This is because a spike in blood sugar can cause the vessels to become weak. Meaning, they will not function as they should leading to strokes, which can make a person get various dementia forms.
In such a case, the brain cells will die because they lack oxygen.
Sugar Clogs The Brain
The large amount of abdominal fat in obese people double’s a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s. This is because obese people have “clumps” in their brains that literally clog thinking.
How? Amyloid proteins are toxic to the brain. Obesity leads to higher levels of amyloid proteins. When there are a lot of amyloid proteins, they stick together and form clumps. These clumps are found in the brains of people with Alzheimers disease.
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The Connection Between Diabetes And Dementia
Over the past few years, several theories have emerged regarding the link between dementia and high blood sugar. Some of the potential variables explored in the past include, but are not limited to:
- Diabetes weakens ones blood vessels. This increases ones risk of a stroke and in turn, the potential development of various types of dementia. In this case, brain cells die due to a lack of oxygen.
- Linked to insulin resistance high resting blood sugar affects all cells including those in the brain. This may lead to cell death and in turn, significant cognitive decline. This is also connected to the effect of oxidative stress.
- Sugars effect on obesity and in turn, the brain. Obesity not only causes a wide range of health complications, including high blood sugar and hypertension, but it can also lead to increased levels of inflammatory proteins. Obesity may also lead to elevated levels of amyloid proteins in the brain.
Researchers have often stated that the brains of Alzheimers patients appear to be in a diabetic state. When studying Alzheimers patients, it has become clear that sugar is not used properly in the brain. Since this may lead to cell death, the brains ability to communicate is then significantly affected.
Have An Nhs Health Check
An NHS Health Check is a free check-up of your overall health for people aged 40 to 74 who do not have heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease, and have not had a stroke. It’s offered every 5 years.
The NHS Health Check can help find early signs and tell you if you’re at higher risk of certain health problems that can also increase your risk of dementia. These include:
- heart disease
- kidney disease
- stroke
If you’re over age 65, you’ll be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for. You’ll also be given advice on how to lower your risk of dementia.
If you have not been invited for an NHS Health Check, ask your GP surgery.
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Tips To Reduce Sugar In Your Diet
Sugar and sweeteners are added to many foods that we bake or buy in a box or can. When you stay aware of this fact it can be easier to lower your sugar intake. Eat a diet that is naturally low in sugar by following these steps: