Did you know that 70% of people with type II diabetes are later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s? That is a ridiculous percentage to be coincidental, but what could these two diseases possibly have in common? Well, recent studies have linked both diabetes and Alzheimer’s to unhealthy diets high in fats and sugar. These unbalanced diets can then lead to detrimental factors such as insulin resistance, the degradation of your blood-brain barrier, and inflammation. Let’s take a closer look at how your diet can affect these three ailments.
Insulin Resistance:
Insulin is a natural hormone produced in the body when blood glucose levels are too high. It signals for the uptake and storage of glucose from the bloodstream to cells on the brain, liver, muscles etc. It is a very important biological function that can be disrupted if too many gangliosides (specifically GM3) have been incorporated into one’s diet. Glycosides are modified lipids that are found inside cell membranes and play an important role in cell signaling and communication. Unfortunately, if there becomes an abundance of GM3s in the membrane, they can disrupt insulin signaling by separating insulin receptors from their secondary proteins. This halts the signaling cascade and prevents the cell from intaking excess glucose resulting in insulin resistance. Excess GM3s also play a crucial role in the feedback production of amyloid beta (Ab) peptides. Once GM3 is degraded into GD3, it signals for more Ab peptides to be produced into the extracellular matrix (ECM). Therefore if there is a continuous integration of new GM3 into our membranes, the concentration of GD3s will rise leading to an increase of Ab peptides in the ECM. This can then lead to aggregation of these peptides which results in Ab plaque formation which is a classic trademark of Alzheimer’s.
Blood Brain Barrier and Chronic inflammation:
Another important factor in both Diabetes and Alzheimer’s is chronic inflammation that causes irreversible cell damage over time. The million dollar question is what causes the inflammation? Some research has pointed to clues within the gut-brain-axis which is a model showing how the gut can affect brain function. Simply the gut-brain-axis states that toxins, molecules, or anything else we digest can more easily get into our bloodstream if our gut’s microbiota is out of whack. This then can lead to extreme problems if our blood brain barrier (bbb) is damaged letting dangerous chemicals enter into our brains and cause inflammation. Microbiota imbalance can be caused by numerous factors including genetics and our daily diet. A diet high in fat, sugar, and sodium can also lead to fat accumulation which has also been shown to degrade our bbb. Without the protective covering of astrocytes around our blood vessels, which make up the bbb, the foreign molecules are free to wreak havoc on our brains. The inflammation response then hyper-activates the processing of Ab Proteins placing a higher concentration of Ab peptides in the ECM. With a higher concentration of Ab peptides, comes plaque formation and eventual neuronal death causing impairment in brain function and Alzheimer’s.
Besides the accumulation of plaques, Ab peptides trigger the production of cytokines which are the signaling molecules for inflammation creating a vicious cycle. If we could one day stop the cycle of inflammation in the brain before serious damage has occurred then we could theoretically treat Alzheimer’s. Other interesting fields of study could include bbb repair, fixing the gut microbiota in Alzheimer’s patients, and the degradation of excess Ab peptides.
However, for now, the biggest preventative strategy for Alzheimer’s and type II diabetes is a healthy lifestyle and diet. What we put into our body’s today will come back to affect our quality of life in the future.
dementia cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Unfortunately, the cause of AD is still not greatly understood despite years of research. This is mainly because of the multiple factors that contribute to AD. With other diseases, researchers have found one to two causations for that disease. But AD has so many possible causations that there is no set cure. Symptoms for AD include difficulty in remembering events, in finding commonly used words, in multiple-step tasks as well as signs of depression, agitation, and apathy. 
Diabetes. However, in contrast to Alzheimer’s Disease, people with Type 2 Diabetes can manage their disease well by exercise, a healthy diet, and insulin therapy and medication.
Although we have all learned about Alzheimer’s Disease in our courses, many of us also have personal connections to the neurodegenerative disease. According to the 2018 facts and figures released by the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.7 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer’s Disease. The number of deaths related to Alzheimer’s Disease has increased by 123% from 2000-2015. The association notes that every 65 seconds, another individual develops Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States. Cases of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, are responsible for the death of 1 in 3 senior Americans–this is more than Breast Cancer or Prostate 
When discussing Alzheimer’s Disease and many other neurodegenerative diseases, it remains important to note the vital interaction between genetic and environmental factors resulting in the development of disease. With the prevalence of genetic testing in today’s society, specifically through companies like 23andMe, people can know in approximately 6-8 weeks if they possess some of the genes associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. Without proper consideration or education, members of society may be mislead to think that they are destined to develop the disease. That may not be the case. It is more likely that even if an individual possesses the gene associated with a disease, environmental factors play a large role in whether or not that gene is transcribed or “turned on.” Research has shown that paying attention to the environmental risk factors above, and changing lifestyles to match, may reduce a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.
