Food For Thought: Preston Chiropractor Discusses Risky Diets For Brain Degeneration

In a study of healthy people, half ate a high fat, high sugar diet and half ate a low saturated fat and sugar diet. After four weeks, those on the unhealthy diet had higher insulin levels and significantly higher beta amyloid levels (linked with Alzheimer’s) and the healthy group reduced both. Eating less sugar and unhealthy fats and increasing healthy fats and exercise should help. Studies show that it seems  they are bad for your brain because they keep insulin levels high.

The brain needs a steady level of energy in the form of glucose to stay healthy. It doesn’t work as well if blood sugar levels fluctuate too much.

Animal experiments have found disrupting the brain’s response to insulin can result in behavioural and brain changes characteristic of Alzheimer’s. Some people now even call it type 3 diabetes.

Some animal experiments have shown drinking water drinked with fructose syrup caused learning and memory problems after 6 weeks. They also found abnormal insulin responses. However animals that also consumed omega-3 fatty acids seemd to be immune.

Other aspects of diet may be important – it seems there is less cognitive decline associated with people who eat the Mediterranean diet.

Alcohol (unfortunately) disrupts the insulin receptors in the brain. Obesity is also a big risk for both diabets and dementia.

Exercise appears to help reduce insulin resistance and also regular physical activity has been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 40%.

If you’d like to know more about looking after your brain, please contact the clinic for more information or book an appointment with one of our Doctor’s of Chiropractic, Louis Westerbeek.

From the Preston Chiropractor Team
Getting You Back in Action & Enjoying Your Life Again
Serving the people of Preston and surrounding areas including Southport and Lytham St Annes