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By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance
* Mounting research suggests Alzheimers disease is intricately connected to insulin resistance; even mild
elevation of blood sugar is associated with an elevated risk for dementia
* Diabetics have double the risk of developing Alzheimers disease. Heart disease also elevates your risk, as
all three conditions are rooted in insulin resistance
* Three new studies looking at exercise and Alzheimers show that not only can exercise reduce your risk of
the disease, it appears to be an important part of treatment as well
As of 2013, 5.2 million Americans had been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, a severe
form of dementia,1 and Alzheimers diagnoses are projected to triple by 2050.2,3
Over half a million Americans die from the disease each year, making it the third leading
cause of death in the US, right behind heart disease and cancer.4,5
Considering theres no known cure and few if any effective treatments, its really important to
pay attention to prevention if you want to avoid becoming an Alzheimers statistic.
The good news is that your lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and sleep can have a
significant impact on your risk.
As noted by Dr. Richard Lipton6 of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where they study
healthy aging, lifestyle changes look more promising than the drug studies so far.
youll end up getting inverted ratios of carbs and fats, not to mention both are typically
inferior due to processing and adulteration.
The connection between sugar and Alzheimers was first broached in 2005, when the disease
was tentatively dubbed "type 3 diabetes. At that time researchers discovered that your brain
produces insulin necessary for the survival of your brain cells.
A toxic protein called ADDL removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, thereby rendering
those neurons insulin resistant, and as ADDLs accumulate, your memory begins to
deteriorate.
Previous research has also shown diabetics have a doubled risk of developing Alzheimers
disease.
Now, researchers are again warning that Alzheimers appears to be intricately linked to insulin
resistance. In one recent study,7 the researchers used brain scans to assess 150 middle-aged
people who were at risk of Alzheimers but showed no signs of it at the outset of the study.
As reported by The Huffington Post:8
Brain scans revealed that greater insulin resistance was linked to less sugar in key
parts of the brain, often affected by Alzheimer's.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body use sugar from the foods you eat, and either
converts it into energy or stores it away. Insulin resistance is when your body's response
to a regular level of the hormone is reduced, creating a need for more insulin.
If you dont have as much fuel, youre not going to be as adept at remembering
something or doing something, the study's lead author Auriel Willette...
This is important with Alzheimers disease, because over the course of the disease
there is a progressive decrease in the amount of blood sugar used in certain brain
regions. Those regions end up using less and less.
When this happens, the study's authors believe, certain parts of the brain can't carry out
complex processes, like forming memories.
alcohol use, diabetes, high fasting blood sugar levels, and obesity. 10
These kinds of findings dovetail with the conclusions reached by neurologist Dr. David
Perlmutter, author of the two books: Grain Brain, and Brain Maker.
From his research, Dr. Perlmutter has concluded that Alzheimers disease is primarily
predicated on lifestyle choices and, in a nutshell, anything that promotes insulin resistance
will ultimately also raise your risk of Alzheimers.
A number of studies have linked poor sleep or lack of sleep to an increased risk of Alzheimers
disease. One reason for this is because your brains waste removal system only operates during deep
sleep.17,18 This waste-removal system has been dubbed the glymphatic system.19,20,21,22,23 By
pumping cerebral spinal fluid through your brains tissues, the glymphatic system flushes the waste
(including the harmful proteins amyloid-beta) from your brain back into your bodys circulatory
system, from where it is then eliminated.
However, in order for it to do this work effectively, you have to enter deep sleep for a long enough
time. During sleep, the glymphatic system becomes 10 times more active than during wakefulness.
Your brain cells also shrink by about 60 percent, allowing for greater efficiency of waste removal.
During the day, the constant brain activity causes your brain cells to swell in size until they take up
just over 85 percent of your brains volume,24 thereby disallowing effective waste removal.
Its not so surprising then that, as noted in the featured CNN video, poor sleep appears to
drive the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain. In short, people who sleep poorly tend to
have higher amounts of amyloid plaques in their brain, which in turn are associated with
worse performance on memory tests. As such, poor sleep may actually be an early indicator
sign of amyloid buildup, which could be causing very subtle brain changes long before
disease develops.
So just how much sleep do you need for optimal health? Based on a review of 300 studies
assessing sleep and health outcomes, the latest sleep guidelines state that adults aged 18 to 64
need 7 to 9 hours, and seniors over the age of 65 need 7 to 8 hours each night.
School-age children need 10 to 13 hours, and teens, who tend to be among the most sleep
deprived, need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Considering the ramifications of sleeping
poorly over decades, it would be wise to address your childrens sleeping habits early on, and
to teach them the value of getting enough quality sleep on a regular and consistent basis.
number of ingredients harmful to your brain, including refined sugar, processed fructose,
grains (particularly gluten), genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, and pesticides like
glyphosate (an herbicide thought to be worse than DDT, and DDT has already been linked to
the development of Alzheimers).
Ideally, youll want to keep your added sugar levels to a minimum and your total fructose
below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams per day if you already have insulin/leptin
resistance or any related disorders. Opting for organic produce will help you avoid synthetic
pesticides and herbicides.
Its even more important to choose organic grass-fed meats and animal products, as animals
raised in confined animal operations (CAFOs) are routinely fed GE grains contaminated with
pesticides, along with a variety of drugs. Some researchers have even suggested Alzheimers
may be a slow-acting form of mad cow disease, acquired by eating contaminated meats; and
mad cow disease originated in the CAFO system, which forces herbivores to eat animal
parts...
Replace refined carbohydrates with healthy fats. Your brain does not need carbs and
sugars; healthy fats such as saturated animal fats and animal-based omega-3 are FAR more
critical for optimal brain function. Healthy fats to add to your diet include:
Butter made
Organic
from raw,
Avocados
Raw dairy
pastured egg
grass-fed
yolks
organic milk
Coconuts and coconut oil
Raw nuts, such as
Grass-fed
(coconut oil actually
Unheated
pecans and
meats or
shows promise as an
organic nut
macadamia, which are
pasture raised
effective Alzheimer's
oils
low in protein and
poultry
treatment in and of itself)
high in healthy fats
Avoid all trans fats or hydrogenated fats that have been modified in such a way
to extend their longevity on the grocery store shelf. This includes margarine,
vegetable oils, and various butter-like spreads.
Avoid gluten and casein (primarily wheat and pasteurized dairy, but not dairy fat, such as
butter). Research shows that your blood-brain barrier is negatively affected by gluten. Gluten
also makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream
where they sensitize your immune system and promote inflammation and autoimmunity, both
of which play a role in the development of Alzheimers.
Optimize your gut flora by avoiding processed foods (sugar, GE ingredients, pesticides,
and various food additives all discourage healthy bacteria in your gut), antibiotics and
antibacterial products, fluoridated and chlorinated water, and by regularly eating traditionally
fermented and cultured foods, along with a high-quality probiotic if needed. Dr. David
Perlmutter explores the compelling connection between the microbiome and brain health in
his book, Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain for Life,
connecting it to a number of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's.
Intermittently fast
Improve your
magnesium levels
Optimize your
vitamin D levels with
sensible sun
exposure
Ketones are mobilized when you replace carbs with coconut oil
and other healthy fats. Intermittent fasting is a powerful tool to
jumpstart your body into remembering how to burn fat and
repair the insulin/leptin resistance that is a primary contributing
factor for Alzheimers.
Preliminary research strongly suggests a decrease in Alzheimer
symptoms with increased levels of magnesium in the brain.
Unfortunately most magnesium supplements do not pass the
blood brain levels, but a new one, magnesium threonate, appears
to and holds some promise for the future for treating this
condition and may be superior to other forms.
Vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and
we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. Avoid
supplements like folic acid, which is the inferior synthetic
version of folate.
Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of
your immune system to combat inflammation that is also
associated with Alzheimer's. If you are unable, for whatever
reason, to get enough sensible sun exposure, make sure to take
daily supplemental vitamin D to make your blood level at least
40 to 50 ng/ml. This is typically about 8,000 units of vitamin D
for most adults.
Dental amalgam fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by
weight, are one of the major sources of heavy metal toxicity,
however you should be healthy prior to having them removed.
Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my
optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox
protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your
amalgams removed.
Sources of aluminum include antiperspirants, non-stick
cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc. For tips on how to detox
aluminum, please see my article, First Case Study to Show
Direct Link between Alzheimers and Aluminum Toxicity.
There is some suggestion that certain mineral waters high in
silicic acid may help your body eliminate aluminum.
Most flu vaccines contain both mercury and aluminum.
Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system
neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of
dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers,
antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications
to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers.
How Sugar Harms Your Brain Health and Drives Alzheimers Epidemic
Infected Factory Farmed Meat May Be Another Causative Factor for Alzheimer's Disease
Available in English
Historia en Breve
* La reciente investigacin sugiere que la enfermedad de Alzheimer esta intrincadamente conectada con la
resistencia a la insulina; incluso la menor elevacin de azcar en la sangre est relacionada con un riesgo
elevado a la demencia
* Las personas con diabetes tienen un doble riesgo de desarrollar enfermedad de Alzheimer. Las
enfermedades cardiacas tambin elevan el riesgo, ya que las tres condiciones estn arraigadas en la
resistencia a la insulina
* Tres estudios nuevos que se enfocaron en el ejercicio y el Alzheimer mostraron que el ejercicio no slo
puede reducir el riesgo de la enfermedad, tambin parece ser una parte importante del tratamiento
Entender esto puede hacer que su vida sea mucho ms fcil. No es necesario
memorizar lo que puede y no hacer con cada enfermedad que trata de evitar;
todo lo que tiene que hacer es cambiar a un modo de pensar enfocado en
optimizar la salud. Posteriormente, la prevencin de enfermedades se convierte
en un "efecto secundario". Mi Plan de Nutricin puede preparar el camino hacia
esta direccin. En resumen, los siguientes cuatro instrucciones alimentarias son
clave para prevenir el Alzheimer:
Coma ALIEMTOS REALES, de preferencia orgnicos. Evite los alimentos
procesados de todo tipo, ya que contienen una serie de ingredientes dainos para
el cerebro, incluyendo el azcar refinada, fructosa procesada, granos
(particularmente gluten) transgnicos (GM), ingredientes y pesticidas como el
glifosato (herbicida que se piensa que es peor que el DDT, y el DDT ya se ha
relacionado con el desarrollo de la enfermedad de Alzheimer).
Si ya tiene resistencia a la insulina/leptina u otro trastorno relacionado, lo ideal
sera que mantuviera los niveles de azcar aadido a un mnimo y su fructosa
total por debajo de los 25 gramos por da, o tan bajos como 15 gramos por da.
Optar por productos orgnicos le ayudar a evitar los pesticidas y herbicidas
sintticos.
Incluso es ms importante elegir carnes de animales alimentado con pastura y
productos de origen animal, ya que los animales criados en las operaciones
concentradas de alimentacin de animales (CAFO) son rutinariamente
alimentados con granos transgnicos contaminados con pesticidas, adems de
una variedad de medicamentos.
Algunos investigadores incluso han sugerido que la enfermedad de Alzheimer
puede ser una forma de accin lenta de la enfermedad de las vacas locas,
adquirida por el consumo de carnes contaminadas; y la enfermedad de las vacas
locas se origina en el sistema CAFO, que obliga a los herbvoros a comer partes
de los animales...
Reemplace los carbohidratos refinados con grasas saludables. Su cerebro no
necesita carbohidratos y azcares; las grasas saludables como las grasas
saturadas omega-3 de origen animal son mucho ms importantes para la funcin
ptima del cerebro. Las grasas saludables que puede incluir en su alimentacin
incluyen:
Mantequilla
Yemas de
hecha de
huevo de
leche
orgnico
orgnica sin
Lcteos
Aguacates
de
procesar de
crudos
gallinas
animales
de
alimentados
pastoreo
con pastura
Cocos y
Aceites de
Nueces
Carnes de
aceite de
nueces
crudas, como
res o
coco (el
orgnicas
las pecanas y
pollo de
aceite de
sin proceso
macadamia,
animales
coco parece
de
que son
alimentad
prometedor
bajas en
como un
protenas y
os con
tratamiento
calefaccin
altas en
pastura
efectivo para
grasas
el Alzheimer)
saludables
Evite todas las grasas trans o grasas hidrogenadas que hayan sido modificadas de
tal manera que alarguen su longevidad, incluyendo margarinas, aceites vegetales
y mantequilla untable.
Evite el gluten y la casena (principalmente el trigo y productos lcteos
pasteurizados, pero no la grasa de los productos lcteos, como la mantequilla).
Las investigaciones demuestran que su barrera hematoenceflica, se ve afectada
de forma negativa por el gluten.
El gluten tambin hace a su intestino ms permeable, lo que permite que las
protenas entren en su torrente sanguneo, debilitando su sistema inmunolgico y
promoviendo la inflamacin y la autoinmunidad, ambos desempean un papel
muy importante en el desarrollo del Alzheimer.
Optimice su flora intestinal, al evitar los alimentos procesados, (azcar,
ingredientes transgnicos, pesticidas y varios aditivos alimentarios, afectan sus
bacterias saludables) antibiticos y productos antibacteriales, agua fluorada o
clorada y al comer regularmente alimentos tradicionalmente fermentados junto
con un suplemento probitico de alta calidad y de alta calidad en caso de ser
necesario.
El Dr. David Perlmutter explora la convincente conexin entre el microbioma y
la salud del cerebro en su libro Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to
Heal and Protect Your Brain for Life, que lo relaciona a un numero de
enfermedades neurolgicas incluyendo el Alzheimer.
Ayuno
Intermitente
Mejore sus
niveles de
magnesio
Lleve una
alimentacin
rica en folato
Optimice sus
niveles de
vitamina D
por medio de
la exposicin
al sol
Evite o
elimine el
mercurio de
su cuerpo
Evite el
aluminio de su
cuerpo
Evite las
vacunas
contra la gripe
Evite los
anticolinrgic
os y los
medicamentos
de estatinas
Desafe a su
mente todos
los das
Fuentes y Referencias
1 Alzheimers Association 2013 Alzheimers Disease Facts and Figures (PDF)
2 CNN June 8, 2015
3 Nature 2014: 20; 415-418
4 Neurology March 5, 2014 [Epub ahead of print]
5 Time Magazine March 5, 2014
6 Journal Gazette August 3, 2015
7 JAMA Neurology July 27, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.0613v
8 Huffington Post July 29, 2015
9 Medicinenet.com March 31, 2014
10 Web MD July 28, 2015
11 NEJM August 8, 2013; 369:540-548
12 13 Medical News Today July 24, 2015
14 15 Journal of Neuroscience, April 27, 2005: 25(17); 4217-4221
16 PNAS February 11, 2011: 108(7); 30173022
17 University of Rochester Medical Center August 15, 2012
18 Science 18 October 2013: 342(6156); 373-377
19 University of Rochester Medical Center, October 17, 2013
20 Time October 17, 2013
21 Kurzweill.com October 18, 2013
22 Science News October 17, 2013
23 Medical News Today October 18, 2013
24 Time September 11, 2014
25 Mercola.com Dr. David Perlmutter interview April 27, 2014
Le Puede Interesar
El Aceite de Coco: Cuatro Cucharadas de Este Alimento para el Cerebro Podra Prevenir el Alzheimer
La falta de sueo podra causar dao cerebral y acelerar la aparicin de Alzheimer, segn dos nuevos estudios