Alzheimer's disease is becoming more and more common. But so far, nobody has discovered what leads up to it. That is until now. In an article entitled, "Alzheimer's Is Type-3 Diabetes - Evidence Reviewed," the authors summarize the accumulating evidence that Alzheimer's disease is caused by a combination of the same factors that cause diabetes: excessive sugar and carbohydrate intake, weight gain, hormonal deficiencies, decreased fitness, decreased mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and sleep disorders. Here's why they are calling Alzheimer's "type-3 diabetes."
First, they point out that the decreased function of brain tissue in Alzheimer's is very similar to the decreased function seen in diabetes. This includes particular biochemical abnormalities, impaired energy metabolism, decreased mitochondrial function, chronic oxidative stress, and DNA damage. They then state that, "Currently, there is a rapid growth in the literature pointing toward insulin deficiency and insulin resistance as mediators of Alzheimer's-type neurodegeneration [nerve damage]." And then they discuss four different pieces of evidence indicating that the same factors that cause type-2 diabetes also cause Alzheimer's.
One, type-2 diabetes causes brain insulin resistance. This means that over time the brain cells, which normally depend on sugar for energy production, become unable to use the sugar. This leads to oxidative stress. And the combination leads to cognitive impairment.
Two, the majority of the early and progressive molecular, biochemical, and cellular signs of damage in the brain cells of patients with Alzheimer's have been shown to be caused by marked disturbances in brain insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling mechanisms. These are the same kinds of disturbances we see in early type-2 diabetes.
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Three, scientists have already performed experiments in which they exposed the brains of mice to the drug streptozotocin. This drug causes extensive insulin resistance and diabetes in the brain cells. And when they do this, they find that these mice show many of the classic features of Alzheimer's. These include cognitive impairment and disturbances in the brain chemical acetylcholine.
Four, when the scientists then treat the mice with drugs currently used to treat diabetes, their cognitive impairment and their acetylcholine imbalance improves.
Listen to the words of the researchers, when the evidence is all added up, "We conclude that the term 'type-3 diabetes' accurately reflects the fact that Alzheimer's disease represents a form of diabetes that selectively involves the brain and has molecular and biochemical features that overlap with both type-1 diabetes mellitus and type-2 diabetes."
You probably already know that type-2 diabetes is now an epidemic in the United States. And this epidemic is leading to another epidemic, that of Alzheimer's. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), the death rate from Alzheimer's has increase 55% in only the last 15 years! And the estimates are that this increase will persist at this same rate or even worse. And the current information indicates that one of the best ways to insure that you are not in that statistic is to do all of the things that prevent type-2 diabetes, and do them now.
So, whether or not you have diabetes or have a family history of diabetes, please get a copy of my book The Type-2 Diabetes Breakthrough, and follow all of the recommendations. In that way you are close to guaranteed that you will not only never be diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, but you will also never have to worry about Alzheimer's.
Yours for better health,
Frank Shallenberger, MD
de la Monte SM, Wands JR. Alzheimer's Disease Is Type 3 Diabetes-Evidence Reviewed J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2008 Nov; 2(6): 1101-1113.