Alzheimer’s Disease: Is Sugar the Culprit?
09 Jan 2019
Ask anyone what causes a heart attack and most will say it’s high blood cholesterol, too much dietary fat, excessive stress, obesity or a lack of exercise. But how many would answer, it’s sugar? And how many would reply excessive amounts of sugar are also responsible for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)?
Dr John Yudkin, former professor of Nutrition at London University, made headlines years ago when his book, “Pure White and Deadly”, was published. He claimed that sugar, not fat, was causing the increase in heart disease.
Yudkin showed that as sugar consumption increased in several countries so did the increase in heart disease. The sugar industry was not amused and made life difficult for Yudkin. Since then other studies have linked an increase in sugar to cardiovascular disease.
Now, Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition, echoes the opinion of Professor Yudkin. He claims that for years the public was given the wrong information about heart disease. The culprit isn’t fat, it’s sugar.
He adds that, in addition to heart disease, excessive consumption of sugar is toxic to the brain, and associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological problems.
What’s so bad about sugar? Perlmutter claims research shows that sugar and other carbohydrates interfere with the brain’s normal function. It does this by primarily shrinking the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved with information and storage of memory.
Other research published in The Lancet in 2017 showed that an increased AIC, a test which measures blood sugar levels over a long period of time, was linked to shrinkage of the brain and a decrease in memory.
A more recent study in the Journal Diabetologia, in January 2018, also demonstrated that a higher blood sugar level caused a faster rate of brain dysfunction.
Still more studies prove that increased blood sugar results in chronic inflammation which causes degenerative changes. In a study of 1,600 people, their blood was tested for inflammation over 24 years. And those who had the highest levels of inflammation had the greatest risk of developing dementia.
Perlmutter concluded that patients who are overweight, with an increased blood sugar level, both of which cause inflammation, have the greatest risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Since there’s no known cure for AD, the best remedy is prevention. This means loss of weight. It’s sound advice because Perlmutter also claims that patients with Type 2 diabetes, 95 percent of whom are obese, have three to four times the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
To lose weight he points to the research carried out by Dr. Jason Fung, published by the British Medical Journal Case Reports. His research shows that fasting is a good option.
The details are covered in Fung’s book, “The Complete Guide to Fasting”. It’s not an easy routine, fasting for 24 hours three times a week for several months. But 66 percent of patients who had been taking insulin for up to 20 years, lost between 10 to 18 percent of their body weight and completely reversed their diabetes. Other studies have duplicated this finding.
I doubt that Perlmutter has heard of The Gifford-Jones Law which states that one bad problem leads to another and another. In this case, obesity leads to increased blood sugar, then Type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation, and sometimes to Alzheimer’s disease.
Readers may recall I’ve suggested that since diabetes causes atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) which decreases oxygenated blood to the brain, this may be responsible for AD. And since research proves that high doses of Medi- C Plus and other powered brands of powdered vitamin C, available in Health Food Stores, can prevent and reverse atherosclerosis, this natural remedy may prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
For years I’ve asked readers to let me know if they know anyone who has developed AD after using high doses of vitamin C. I have never received a reply. But I remain convinced that a lack of vitamin C may be a cause of AD. And even if I’m wrong, high doses of C are helpful to increase immunity, keep teeth from falling out, decrease onset of wrinkles, and build up cartilage to decrease the risk of arthritis, stroke and heart attack.
