The underlying causes of Alzheimer that might be addressed by Paleo Diet
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain and is characterized by the gradual loss of cognitive and neurological abilities.
The disease is progressive. Over time, it slowly destroys memory, thinking and social skills, and limits the patient’s ability to conduct a basic conversation. Eventually, patients lose the ability to conduct the simplest daily tasks.
There can be several causes for Alzheimer including genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
According to the Paleo Diet, several factors can lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. They include:
1- Excess glucose: glucose is the brain’s main source of energy and nutrition. It also helps maintain different brain functions, such as thinking, memory, and learning.
High blood sugar levels affect the brain’s functional connectivity and cause brain atrophy or shrinkage. This can lead to small-vessel disease, restricting blood flow to the brain which might cause cognitive difficulties and the impairment of brain functions. In some severe cases, it can even spur the development of vascular dementia.
Hyperglycemia also leads to the increased production of beta-amyloid protein. In a healthy person, beta-amyloid fragments are broken down and eliminated. However, in Alzheimer’s patients, these proteins clump together and form a hard, insoluble plaque.
The plaque then accumulates between the brain’s neurons, disrupting cell communication and function. This eventually results in the death of these brain cells. When brain cells degenerate and die, they can no longer process, store, and retrieve information. This leads to one of Alzheimer’s symptoms: impaired memory.
A study titled “Hyperglycemia modulates extracellular amyloid-β concentrations and neuronal activity in vivo” suggests that high blood sugar can increase the production of beta-amyloid. This can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
2- Insulin resistance: insulin’s main role is to help control the body’s blood glucose levels by signaling to the organs, tissues, and muscles to take in glucose from the blood.
As a result, insulin helps maintain two important functions in the brain: 1- control food intake and 2- regulate cognitive functions, particularly memory.
People suffering from insulin resistance have a diminished ability to respond to insulin, so it does not transport glucose from the bloodstream into the muscles, brain, organs, and other tissues that need it.
This defect in insulin signaling in the brain may contribute to neurodegenerative disorders. It may also damage the cognitive system and lead to dementia states.
If brain cells do not absorb glucose properly, the brain cannot receive the main nutrients it needs to function. This leads to a process known as cell degeneration where brain cells will slowly starve and die.
A study titled “Evidence for brain glucose dysregulation in Alzheimer’s disease" demonstrated that abnormalities in brain glucose homeostasis are intrinsic to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. These can begin several years prior to the onset of clinical symptoms.
3- Excess fructose: fructose is a common ingredient in refined sugars and processed foods which are a big part of the Western diet. Studies show that excess fructose consumption can damage hundreds of genes in the brain, leading to several diseases including Alzheimer’s.
Learn everything about Alzheimer and find all the natural solutions to treat it naturally, including various diet programs, alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, herbal medicine, and home remedies.
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