"Alzheimer's as Diabetes?" or "Insulin-Resistant Memory"

[PlaneCrazy]

Scientific American, December, 2007, page22

Insulin Resistant Memory
Alzheimer's disease may be a novel variety of diabetes. Researchers at Northwestern Univeristy experimented with a form of amyloid beta-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs), which are small, soluble proteins that can travel around the body like hormones. Like amyloid beta and tau proteins, these molecules are often found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients (see "Shutting Down Alzheimer's"; SciAm, May 2006 and "Downsized Target"; SciAm, May 2004).

Applying ADDLs to mature cultures of hippcampal neurons, the researchers found that the proteins specifically bind to the tips of nerve endings at synapses. This precise attachment quickly shut down the replenishment of insulin receptors by inhibiting their transport from the cell body, where they are manufactured. The resulting resistance to insulin, a hormone that helps cells regulate the metabolism of sugar, destroys the capability of memory neurons to communicate properly.

Based on such evidence, investigators have begun to view Alzheimer's disease less as nerve cell death and more like synapse failure. According to team leader William Klein, who published the work August 24 online in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/abstract/fj.06-7703comv1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Klein&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT), this perspective could clarify why some people have an abundant number of plaques yet remain cognitively healthy and why elderly type 2 diabetics usually have memory problems.
- Peter Sergo

Gary Taubes also talks about the possible link between insulin resistance and Alzheimer's in this book Good Calories Bad Calories, see pages 204-209.

The question remains if this kind of insulin resistance is related to, and possibly caused by, other forms of insulin resistance caused by excessive carbohydrate consumption.

Plane

[rightnow]

And all this time the larger world has been acting like carb consumption didn't even relate to diabetes, let alone heart disease, alzheimers, etc. That looks like a terrific inroad to a few more people realizing the likely connection.

[Rachel1]

So clearly the solution to Alzheimer's is to eat less fat. (rolls eyes)

Rachel

[oakdryad]

So clearly the solution to Alzheimer's is to eat less fat. (rolls eyes)

Rachel

True, because we all know that the brain needs glucose not fat to operate. Never mind that the brain is primarily composed of fat.

/sarcasm. :D

Of course, the brain operates just fine on ketones...which were probably the primary source of its fuel before the introduction of grains into the human diet anyway.

[Nancy LC]

Dr. McCleary has a wonderful blog and blogs a lot about sugar and Alzhemier's.

http://www.drmccleary.com/

[eryalen]

The question remains if this kind of insulin resistance is related to, and possibly caused by, other forms of insulin resistance caused by excessive carbohydrate consumption.

Plane
My doctor is of the opinion that all diabetics should be on statins. I wonder if the statin's effect on memory was considered when analysing this study?

[cartersg1]

I wonder if the "increase" in autism isn't simply the ability to diagnose even extremely mild forms of the disease rather than an actual net increase? And if there is a net increase, I wonder if it's due to gluten intolerance brought on by our so-called diet? SO many kids area dealing with cognitive problems (comprehension) that I'm curious if the damage starts MUCH earlier. Rather, is there a link between autism and Alzheimer's and shouldn't we look to our diets for a possible solution? I wonder also if a pregnant mother, who might be gluten intolerant and doesn't know it, will create development problems if she doesn't change her diet?? Just throwing out some ideas - we're so quick to do research to come up with a pill - why not look at something invariably cheaper to fix rather than millions of dollars spent on R & D for something that may everntually be taken off the market because of side effects?

And are we seeing a rise in Alzheimer's because of better detection or is there a net rise? If so, could it be linked to our horrible diets? My grandparents, none of them, were ever plagued by dementia or other brain diseases. If we're seeing a rise, the Baby Boomer generation should be the first massive rise in Alzheimer's since they were the first generation truly raised on processed, sugar-laden foods on a grand scale. This doesn't bode well; if there is a general rise in Alzhemier's in the 50+ generation, what will that say about us, about our kids in 30 - 50 years???

[Wifezilla]

Great questions Carter. As the mom of an autistic son, I would love answers.

[cartersg1]

Hi, Wifezsilla! A former colleague was looking at research linking autism and vaccines. Recent research linking gluten intolerance and autism had just been released but she wouldn't read it (which made me question her research). Our bodies simply aren't made to digest the overly-processed junk out there and that HAS to have some health consequences. Many people may think that having an allergy is "weakness" and don't want to know the truth because they'd have to give up foods. Those foods could be killing them and they refuse to look at it. Check out the Celiac Foundation for more information.

Clearing the "brain fog" is about what our WOE helps along with energy and weight loss. So we may be able to reduce the damage by changing our eating habits. There are obviously organic reasons for Alzheimer's but what if a reduction in it (like Type 2 diabeters) is so simple like changing our diets? Or is it that we'd rather take a magic pill? I'm off to make salmon with sauteed veggies for dinner...FRESH food, not processed...except for that slicing and dicing action...CHeers!

[Wifezilla]

And I just got done eating turkey and mixed veggies sauteed in butter and covered in cream sauce. That or a pill...hummmm... BURP!

[KarenJ]

Hi, Wifezsilla! There are obviously organic reasons for Alzheimer's but what if a reduction in it (like Type 2 diabeters) is so simple like changing our diets? Or is it that we'd rather take a magic pill?

I've just finished McCleary's book (website posted above by Nancy LC), and I'm pretty convinced that the studies showing how people improve when eating a ketogenic diet are a lot more telling than we think they are.
Give an Alzheimer's patient ketones and the person improves.
Give a Type II diabetic a ketogenic diet and the person improves.
Give a MS patient a ketogenic diet and the person improves.

... :idea: !

[Wifezilla]

Tell a dietician or your average doctor about ketones, and they will confuse it with ketoacidosis and freak out.

:::sigh:::

[rightnow]

Got this from his blog, in one of the posts:

One version of the diet was enhanced by the provision of MCT oil (medium chain triglyceride) which is rapidly converted to ketones in the body.

Does anybody know, are there any foods high in medium-chain triglycerides?

[LessLiz]

The major component of coconut oil is medium-chain triglycerides.

[KarenJ]

Got this from his blog, in one of the posts:



Does anybody know, are there any foods high in medium-chain triglycerides?

Milk fat, Palm oil, & Coconut oil are food sources of MCT. McCleary's ketogenic "cocktail" contains MCT oil, among other things. It would have been a nice perk to mention food sources of MCT in his book.

Tell a dietician or your average doctor about ketones, and they will confuse it with ketoacidosis and freak out.

Yes they will. Tragic.

[LessLiz]

Tell a dietician or your average doctor about ketones, and they will confuse it with ketoacidosis and freak out.I have been lucky. The way I found LC was asking my doctor if *anything* gave me a shot at successfully losing weight and he told me there was solid science behind Atkins and strongly recommended it. Now that I think about it, that was *really* unusual because in addition to be in internal medicine he is a board certified cardiologist and they usual turn purple when you mention LC.

Of course, I moved and finding anyone who doesn't flip out over LC, ketones or Atkins is not so easy.