It’s not a new idea that the majority of the food people eat here in the US is unhealthy; we are a nation of convenience. Fast food, ready to prepare meals, and boxed items are staples in many households, mine included. Because of the quality of food many of us eat, doctors are concerned with the rise of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, but it is new idea that your diet may also affect your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
If you are not familiar with Alzheimer’s, it is a neurological disorder characterized by memory loss and dementia, due to neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. While environmental and genetic factors are known to cause AD, recent studies have shown having type 2 diabetes is also a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s. While not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, lack of physical activity and weight seem to be contributing factors. The link between type 2 diabetes and AD is thought to come from the insulin resistance built up in the brain, characteristic of type 2 diabetes. This insulin resistance greatly affects the transportation and effects of insulin in the brain. Many of the problems characteristic of AD can be attributed to a lack of insulin, since insulin has a role in neurotransmitter release as well as learning and memory.
So if we know our diet can affect our chances of developing type 2 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes can affect our chances of developing Alzheimer’s, will you change your diet?
You may say yes now, but how many of us will actually go and start eating differently?
At what point do we say enough is enough, and actually make a change?
Its come to a point where we now have to choose between out favorite foods, and our cognitive abilities. Food or Thought, not food for thought.
I feel like there has to come a point where we finally say, “hey, this food is bad for me I probably shouldn’t eat it” but then actually listen to ourselves. So much of the time we eat what is poor for our health anyway.
This could potentially become a huge problem in our nation. Obesity is rising, type 2 diabetes is rising, so theoretically Alzheimer’s will begin to rise. In addition to the actually prevalence rising, the age of onset is decreasing. Potentially people in their thirty’s could start to develop Alzheimers! What does that mean for our health care system, our work force, and the overall health of our population? Well, I can tell you it wouldn’t mean good things.
We need to wake up and realize that our diet is having major effects on our living conditions. Essentially, our lifestyle is negatively affecting our lives.
If there is one thing that I have learned in our Neurochemistry class, it’s that there is a very fine line between too much and too little neurotransmitters, like dopamine and norepinephrine. And when our neurochemistry is out of balance some very bad things begin to happen. We should be doing everything we can to take care of our bodies, and keep these neurotransmitters in balance; this would help better ensure our neurological health and well-being.
Is this new information about a link to Alzheimer’s going to change your diet? I’ll be honest, it probably won’t change mine, and that is not something I am proud of.
Click here to view our public service announcement about this topic.
Food or Thought: not food for thought
