How Sugar Harms Your Brain and Drives Alzheimer’s Epidemic

How Sugar Harms Your Brain and Drives Alzheimer’s Epidemic by Dr. Joseph Mercola

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• One in 3 seniors in the U.S. dies with Alzheimer’s, and the disease kills more than breast and prostate cancers combined
• A growing body of research suggests there’s a powerful connection between your diet and your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, via similar pathways that cause Type 2 diabetes
• Some research shows that sugar and other carbohydrates can disrupt your brain function even if you’re not diabetic or have any signs of dementia
• Long-term, sugar can contribute to the shrinking of your hippocampus, which is a hallmark symptom of Alzheimer’s disease
• The researchers propose that lowering glucose levels, even if they’re within the “normal” range, may have a positive influence on cognition in older people

Alzheimer’s disease, a severe form of dementia, affects more than 6 million Americans, according to 2022 statistics.¹ One in 9 seniors over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s; and the disease kills more than breast and prostate cancers combined.

A growing body of research suggests there’s a powerful connection between your diet and your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, via similar pathways that cause type 2 diabetes. Seventy-three percent of people with Alzheimer’s are over age 75; two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.

Contrary to popular belief, your brain does not require glucose, and actually functions better burning alternative fuels, especially ketones, which your body makes in response to digesting healthy fats.

According to experts at Emory School of Medicine, Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders are associated with proteins that regulate glucose metabolism. Previously, they had determined that abnormalities in the process by which the brain breaks down glucose were associated with amyloid plaques in the brain and the onset of memory loss.

Interestingly, Alzheimer’s disease was tentatively dubbed “Type 3 diabetes” in early 2005² when researchers discovered that in addition to your pancreas, your brain also produces insulin, and this brain insulin is necessary for the survival of brain cells.

“What we found is that insulin is not just produced in the pancreas, but also in the brain,” researchers said in a press release at the time. “And we discovered that insulin and its growth factors, which are necessary for the survival of brain cells, contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s.”

Sugar Damages Brain Structure and Function

In your brain, insulin helps with neuron glucose-uptake and the regulation of neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, which are crucial for memory and learning. This is why reducing the level of insulin in your brain impairs your cognition.

Research³ has also shown that Type 2 diabetics lose more brain volume with age than expected — particularly gray matter. This kind of brain atrophy is yet another contributing factor for dementia.

Studies have found that people with lower levels of insulin and insulin receptors in their brain often have Alzheimer’s disease. But according to research published in the journal Neurology,⁴ sugar and other carbohydrates can disrupt your brain function even if you’re not diabetic or have any signs of dementia.

To test their theory, they evaluated short- and long-term glucose markers in 141 healthy, non-diabetic, non-demented seniors. Memory tests and brain imaging were administered to assess their brain function and the actual structure of their hippocampus. As reported by Scientific American:⁵

“Higher levels on both glucose measures were associated with worse memory, as well as a smaller hippocampus and compromised hippocampal structure.

The researchers also found that the structural changes partially accounted for the statistical link between glucose and memory. According to study co-author Agnes Flöel, a neurologist at Charité, the results ‘provide further evidence that glucose might directly contribute to hippocampal atrophy.'”

The findings suggest that even if you’re not diabetic or insulin resistant, of which about 80% of Americans are, sugar consumption can still disrupt your memory. Long-term, it can contribute to the shrinking of your hippocampus, which is a hallmark symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. (Your hippocampus is involved with the formation, organization and storage of memories.)

The authors of the study suggest that “strategies aimed at lowering glucose levels even in the normal range may beneficially influence cognition in the older population.”

‘Normal’ Blood Sugar Levels May Still Be Too High

Normally, a fasting blood sugar level between 100 and125 mg/dl is diagnosed as a prediabetic state.⁶ A fasting blood sugar level of 90 to 100 is considered “normal.” But in addition to the featured research, other studies have also found that brain atrophy occurs even in this “normal” blood sugar range.

Neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter insists that being very strict in limiting your consumption of sugar and non-vegetable carbs, and consuming healthy fats,⁷ are some of the most important steps you can take to prevent Alzheimer’s disease for this very reason.

He cites research from the Mayo Clinic,⁸ which found that diets rich in carbohydrates are associated with an 89% increased risk for dementia. Meanwhile, high-fat diets are associated with a 44% reduced risk.⁹

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