09-12-2012, 02:13 AM
The increased incidence of Alzheimer's in Type II diabetics is certainly worth exploring more completely. Whether it's a causal link or a more casual association, there's something there that has to be explained more completely.
What we really know about insulin as a hormone is actually very little. It's way too early to say that Alzheimer's is on the Diabetes spectrum, but it makes for sensational news - and certainly helps a few scientific grants along.
Increased inflammation at the cellular level is recognized as a factor in the development of Alzheimer's symptoms. So, explaining how that inflammation occurs and determining where it comes from - what causes it to occur - will really help the research.
The initial findings about a possible connection between food and brain function supports the need to moderate your diet - particularly when it comes to sweet and fatty foods. Unfortunately, those are exactly the kinds of foods that we seem somewhat hard-wired to seek out. (see http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-02...ience.html )
Wish that it was easier to avoid these foods. It's just not. And while some kinds of sweets are easy to say "no" to, others simply aren't.
What we really know about insulin as a hormone is actually very little. It's way too early to say that Alzheimer's is on the Diabetes spectrum, but it makes for sensational news - and certainly helps a few scientific grants along.
Increased inflammation at the cellular level is recognized as a factor in the development of Alzheimer's symptoms. So, explaining how that inflammation occurs and determining where it comes from - what causes it to occur - will really help the research.
The initial findings about a possible connection between food and brain function supports the need to moderate your diet - particularly when it comes to sweet and fatty foods. Unfortunately, those are exactly the kinds of foods that we seem somewhat hard-wired to seek out. (see http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-02...ience.html )
Wish that it was easier to avoid these foods. It's just not. And while some kinds of sweets are easy to say "no" to, others simply aren't.