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Alzheimer's Could Be a Third Form of Diabetes
Atzanteol writes "Insulin, it turns out, may be as important for the mind as it is for the body. Research in the last few years has raised the possibility that Alzheimer's memory loss could be due to a novel third form of diabetes. Scientists at Northwestern University have discovered why brain insulin signaling — crucial for memory formation — would stop working in Alzheimer's disease."
Currently, there are a number of trials of therapies that target amyloid ß proteins. Some are on the verge of phase III testing approval by the FDA. We may soon be looking at the end of Alzheimer's as a life destroying disease.
"To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "
Technically, wouldn't Alzheimer's be the Fourth type of Diabetes.
Type 1, Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (alias "Juvenile Diabetes")
Type 2, Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (alias "adult-onset diabetes")
(Type 3) Gestational Diabetes
(Type 4, implied by TFA) Alzheimer's
As a side note, this comment was posted by a Type 1 diabetic.
Navicula hydraulica plena anguilarum est. Omnes castelli tuus nostri sunt. Ed elli avea del cul fatto trombetta.
The previous comments, that smoking causes a 'differential mortality' that biassed the early studies are basically right. The current consensus, based on prospective studies that do not suffer from these problems is that smoking slightly raises your risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Smoking is also a major risk factor for stroke and other vascular disease, that lead to 'multi-infarct' or 'vascular' dementia, which accounts for just as many dementia cases as AD. So to help avoid dementia, give up smoking.
I'm actively trying to avoid the stuff for some time now, but wow: it's almost everywhere! Even in some yogurts..
;D
Minimized sugar intake in general as well.. and I'm haven't had a cup of coffee since May... and I'm still productive as a programmer.
After the initial, small withdrawal symptoms I'm feeling lot better too. My focus is sharper and I'm feeling more creative too.
The warning are for people who react bad on phenylalanine, the reason most people react weird on sugarfree stuff are probably do to the sugar alcohols thought which makes your stomach and guts act weird =P (I can't understand why that shit is use, something like 240 kcal/100g compared to 420 of sugar but it's less sweet so it probably have around the same sweetness/kcal. Sure it's better for your teeths but who cares.)
I doubt aspartame affect it, it doesn't raise insulin levels, acesulfame-k does if I remember right and they both come together. But it still doesn't do it close to what real carbs would do.
Fructose metabolism skips one step in the body somehow so that's not good for it atleast, so all that high fructose corn syrup you americans have in your soft drinks won't help. Sure there are some fructose in fruits aswell (together with regular saccarose and glucose) but atleast then you get other good stuff aswell with it. So I don't suggest not eating fruit because some of the sugars aren't that great, but why eat the sugar alone?
Has anyone noticed that the "larding of America" started in the early 1980's? That's right around the time that high-fructose corn syrup was introduced into soft drinks. Since about 1985, nearly all non-diet soft drinks marketed in the US contain HFCS as their sweetener, because of quotas and tariffs on sugar. In addition, it's found in a wide variety of baked goods and other processed foods.
Because of the influence and greed of the industrial farming lobby (ADM and friends), and despite numerous studies that show that HFCS is harmful, Americans continue to be subjected to this stuff in most of what they eat and drink.
It makes me sick. Literally.
Ask your doctor if getting up off your ass is right for you! -- Bill Maher