Research now shows that dementia is now referred to as type 3 diabetes. This is because there is a link between sugar, carbohydrate intake, and the inflammatory process that causes dementia, as well as other serious debilitating diseases. Billions of dollars have been spent researching drugs that can prevent dementia with poor results. In fact, some dementia drugs make dementia worse. Over time, sugar has been added to our food sources, leading to an increase in dementia and cardiovascular disease. Not only is sugar itself the problem, but certain types of carbohydrates are bad too. I’ll talk about how it all works.
First of all, the brain and the intestines are connected. I’ve already written about it and talked about leaky gut. Now there is a term called leaky brain. When the gut reacts to inflammatory foods, especially sugar, it becomes leaky and allows certain things to get into the bloodstream. These can go to the brain (and heart, but that’s another article). As a practitioner of functional medicine, I have worked with patients to reduce their inflammation and sugar intake. The problem arises when people think they only need to eat sugar to achieve this. Simple carbohydrates found in so many of our store-bought foods are also a culprit. Salad dressings and other condiments, breads, cereals like oats and rice are just a few.
Since 1965, the sugar industry paid to show that Harvard research showed that saturated fat, not sugar, caused cardiovascular disease. This encouraged the government to allow higher amounts of sugar to be included in otherwise unsweetened foods. There are documents to support this claim. I’ll cover this in more detail in another article on sugar and cardiovascular disease.
I don’t eat sugar so I’m fine.
This is where it gets difficult. It’s not just sugar as we know it that can lead to complications in dementia. Simple carbohydrates and other carbohydrates can do it too. The food pyramid designed by the FDA in 1992 became an icon. In functional medicine today we find that the pyramid is upside down. Eating so many carbohydrates, low in fiber and so low in fats, including saturated fats, is bad for our mental, gut, and cardiovascular health. It is recommended that you eat six to eleven servings of bread a day. That’s not a good recommendation. Your source of carbohydrates should come from fiber-related plant sources. Yams, cruciferous vegetables, and healthy fats reduce inflammation and blood sugar. In fact, your A1C levels are far more important to your brain health than originally thought. It’s no longer just about type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It can now show your propensity for dementia.
Another culprit is bacteria. Unhealthy bacteria in the intestines depend on sugar. C. Diff is one of them. There is evidence that these bad bacteria can find their way to the brain without the gut symptoms we are all familiar with. They live on sugar and foods that are processed as sugar by the body. You don’t have to eat cakes and cookies to consume sugar. Fruit, milk and some vegetables are also processed as sugar. Potatoes are a complex carbohydrate, but once broken down, they can flood your blood with sugar. The carbohydrates that are processed as sugar include bread, pasta, potatoes, some vegetables, fruit, sugar, yogurt, and milk. When consuming dairy products, try to get full-fat dairy products. The fat in the dairy is necessary for good brain function and more. When we consume things that are processed as sugar, the bacteria live on it. Healthy fats are not good for these bad bacteria to grow. Are carbohydrates. I wrote an article about healthy fats. So visit the Sonoran News website to read my article on healthy fats.
In summary, healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado oil, MCT oil, the right extra virgin olive oil, macadamia nut oil, fish oil and ghee are just a few. Please do not buy low-fat products as they are loaded with sugar, chemicals and do not contain healthy oils for the body and brain.
If you would like free advice on your eating habits to prevent dementia and other diseases, please call my office to make an appointment.
If you have any questions about my articles, please send me an email to:
DrLeisa@CaringPainRelief.com
Leisa-Marie Grgula, DC
chiropractor
Accurate medical wellness center
18261 N Pima Rd.Suite 115
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
602-493-2228
