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May 03 2008
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Impaired Insulin Response Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

elderly, Alzheimer‘s diseaseImpaired insulin response appears to be involved in the development of Alzheimer‘s disease, according to a long-term population-based study.

Researchers analyzed data for more than 2,200 men who underwent glucose tolerance testing at the age of 50. After a follow-up at an average age of 32 years, 394 men developed dementia or mental impairments, including 102 with confirmed Alzheimer‘s disease and 57 with confirmed vascular dementia.

A low insulin response at the beginning of the study was associated with a 30 percent higher risk of Alzheimer‘s disease. Overall dementia and cognitive risks were associated with high fasting serum insulin, insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion, and glucose intolerance.

Dr. MercolaDr. Mercola's Comments:
Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly being called a third form of diabetes, and this study lends further support to this theory.

Along with your pancreas, your brain also produces insulin. Insulin and insulin receptors in your brain are crucial for learning and memory, and it’s known that these components are lower in people with Alzheimer’s disease. In your brain, insulin binds to an insulin receptor at a synapse, which triggers a mechanism that allows nerve cells to survive and memories to form.

However, researchers have found that a toxic protein in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients -- called ADDL -- removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, and renders those neurons insulin resistant.

It has been suggested that ADDLs accumulate at the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease and thereby block memory function.

There is even a test that measures ADDL in your spinal fluid that claims to detect Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages.

Of course, what you want is to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from occurring at all, and this is entirely possible.

You Can Prevent Alzheimer’s and Diabetes at the Same Time

That’s because three of the most important methods I recommend to prevent Alzheimer’s disease are identical to those recommended to prevent diabetes. How can this be? Because the single most important physical factor that is responsible for accelerating nearly every chronic disease known to man is to normalize your insulin and leptin levels.

And you can do this by:

1. Exercising. Exercise protects your brain just as it protects the rest of your body from diabetes.

2. Eating a nutritious diet that’s right for your nutritional type.

3. Getting plenty of high-quality omega-3 in your diet, such as by taking a krill oil supplement. A diet rich in omega-3 fats has been found to ward off both Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.

4. If you are having a hard time getting yourself to exercise or following the diet I recommend, then use the hypnosis program I recommend to stop cravings and increase your motivation to eat right and exercise more.

By 2050, it’s estimated that a full 10 million U.S. “baby boomers” will have come down with Alzheimer’s, which translates to 1 out of 8!

This is NOT supposed to be happening, as your brain is capable of remaining fully functional no matter what your age is. That is, as long as you take care of it. So in addition to the three important tips above, what else can you do to keep Alzheimer’s away?
  • Avoid and remove mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings are one of the major sources of mercury, however you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my Total Health Program, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
ONLY see a high-quality, biologically trained dentist who knows what they’re doing, or your health could get ruined.
  • Avoid aluminum, such as in antiperspirants, cookware, etc.
  • Avoid flu vaccinations as they contain both mercury and aluminum!
  • Eat wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content that are known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.
  • Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, such as traveling, learning to play an instrument or doing crossword puzzles, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease.

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Community Comments ( 20 )
Comment on this Article
  
  
Dr Rik
[ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on May 3, 2008 ]
8 Points        
   
 
Savvy User

There are many degenerative disorders. Type II diabletes, osteo arthritis, arterioscletosis, neurodegernerative (ie "old timers" disease)...

Not to be too simplistic, many problems, one cause.

a junk lifestyle will result in some kind of problem, genetics may decide what hits you first.

There are lots of specific solutions for specific problems. As people live longer, something is going to get you for sure, however...

one healthy lifestyle will prevent most of the problems that are now taken for granted.

There is an old Naturopathic bumper sticker philosophy...S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) for short life, long death; Natural Lifestyle for Long Life, Short Death

 [ Reply ]
  
  
bmc
[ Joined on 02/07 ] [ Posted on April 11, 2008 ]
5 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Insulin could very well be a factor. That would certainly be helpful to know. However, I think studies like these steer focus away from some  real culprits, processed foods with fake sugars, MSG and all the other crap, vaccines, environmental pollutants, lack of exercise, and possibly excessive television viewing. I think that way too often scientific studies (at least with health) are way to narrow. Researchers are looking for that magic bullet. With health it is usually multi factorial.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
DDS
[ Joined on 01/08 ]  [ Posted on May 3, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

I agree, in fact if you read the article sited above you will see it was incomplete in so far as details and controls.  And one study does not a reliable conclusion make.

  
  
dr.clark monahan
[ Joined on 06/07 ] [ Posted on May 3, 2008 ]
4 Points        
   
 
Novice User

There is not a city dump in the US that it is legal to discard old amalgam fillings.The dentist would go to jail if caught.

 [ Reply ]
  
  
Patrick McGean
[ Joined on 12/06 ] [ Posted on May 3, 2008 ]
3 Points        
   
 
Novice User

We are what we eat.  Rudy Tanzi received a Noble Prize for discovering that Alzheimer's is a build up of amyloid plaque at the blood brain barrier.  He examined the histo pathological slides of people with all forms of dementia.  Dr Alzheimer described 50 year old women who were lost in their own minds in 1906.  These were German women and we can only assume that their diet was fed with chemical fertilizers first made from coal tar in 1860.

These crackled forms of fertilizers had the sulfur of the coal tar vaporized just as todays crude oil based fertilizers are also devoid of sulfur.  Following Pauling's reference to mineral deficiency could  this lack of sulfur in our diets could be responsible for the build up of amyloid plaque at the blood brain barrier?  Our research of sulfur has demonstrated the cessation of oral meds for type II diabetes.  Could sulfur be necessary for insulin production?  What we feel important in the discussion of dementia whether vascular or the buildup of amyloid plaque at the blood brain barrier is the the time line of what we have done to our food supply esp. regarding the minerals available in the soils they are grown.  We only have had only one Study member who has regained her memory after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's for 11 years.  She is the only person in our Study who had been diagnosed with this form of dementia.  Is sulfur a compliment of all of Dr Mercola's suggestions?

Our suggestion would be to add organic sulfur to ones diet and see whether the symptoms are addressed.

We would encourage anyone interested to contact the our Study at organicsulfur@sisna.com  The time line

for the increase in Alzheimer's and the "we are what eat" factor deserves to be investigated.

 [ Reply ]
  
  
HealthCoachSandraG
[ Joined on 03/08 ] [ Posted on April 11, 2008 ]
3 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User
Insulin related problems are typically brought on my a poor diet - high sugar, fake sugar, High-fructose corn syrup etc...  The spike of sugar in the blood induces an insulin response because the body needs homeostasis (esp in the blood).  Too much insulin swimming around in the body can induce insulin resistance and or the pancreas can fatigue (reponsible for the release of insulin) and produce too little etc etc...

I hate to see an AD med that acts on insulin, instead of just helping people change their diet.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
green1
[ Joined on 01/08 ]  [ Posted on May 4, 2008]
1 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Insulin related problems are typically brought on by poor diet, but not always. I have one family member who has severe diabetes and Alzheimer's. She ate an almost perfect diet, exersised and is still thin. She just had too many pregnancies. She got gestational diabeties every time. This increases risk for full fledged diabeties. I also know several diabetics who were born with faulty pancreases. And there is my father that had a botched surgery that eventually led to the loss of most of his pancres.

  
  
trainerboy
[ Joined on 03/07 ] [ Posted on May 5, 2008 ]
2 Points        
   
 
Novice User

I've read much on the role inflammation has in all of the conditions mentioned in this thread. According to many immunologists, our immune systems are under a constant assault much greater than they were designed to handle. The number of toxins in our enviroment overwhelm our immune systems to the point of temporary or sometimes permanent collapse. All of the chemical and some organic compounds we're exposed to can be pathogenic to our bodies. The constant barrage against our immune systems make it impossible sometimes for it to fight so many battles at once, allowing degenerative conditions to gain a foothold. Immune support and health are paramount in keeping these conditions at bay. Once again, it goes back to lifestyle.

 [ Reply ]
  
  
Enoch S
[ Joined on 02/08 ] [ Posted on May 3, 2008 ]
2 Points        
   
 
Novice User

It was interesting to read about the toxin ADDL in the brain of Alzheimer's patients. One area not addressed is the flow of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain which brings nutrients in and toxins out.

There are two sets of pumps, one in the brain and the other in the sacrum area which moves the fluid around.  In the elderly, these pumps do not work to full capacity, thereby not removing toxins completely, leading to the situation mentioned. There are therapies which can address this situation, one of which is Spinal Touch. Also, there is a procedure in which a stent is introduced into the brain, thereby increasing the flow.  I feel that this should be researched more.

 [ Reply ]
  
  
mmc88121
[ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on April 10, 2008 ]
2 Points        
   
 
Moderator User
My older sister has just been diagnosed with insulin resistance, so I thought she might find this email interesting. So if you don't watch what you eat, or get exercise you might end up with Alzheimer's dementia.

Mary
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
DDS
[ Joined on 01/08 ]  [ Posted on May 3, 2008]
6 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

The operative word is 'might'.  Be careful what you claim is true.

  
  
Sarasmiles
[ Joined on 06/06 ] [ Posted on May 5, 2008 ]
1 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User

Cell phones, cordless phones, wi-fi, and cell phone towers are contributing to this syndrom.  And, I just read about the suspicion that mad cow disease may be related to increase in Alzheimer’s cases.  Here's the link:  organicconsumers.org/madcow.cfm.  And, then there's chemtrails.  When will it end?

 [ Reply ]
  
  
HealingMindN
[ Joined on 05/07 ] [ Posted on May 3, 2008 ]
1 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User

A 3 May article in the NY Times entitled, "Exercise Your Brain, or Else You’ll ... Uh ..." seems to address these increasing cases of Alzheimer’s.  Upon further reading, this article is specifically addressed to "baby boomers" (I've never understood that term) as being generally absent-minded due to "distractability."

Does this mean "baby boomers" are easily subject to discursive thinking, therefore, lack focus?

In a small paragraph, this article article mentions supplements coenzyme Q10, ginseng like they are a passing brain health fad (no mention of antioxidants in general); it also mentions how marketers are cashing in on the brain fog bandwagon with their "neural software," so it more or less meets two requirements as described by Dr. M.

There are two points in this article that deserve dishonorable mention:

1)Dr. Gene Cohen, director of the Center for Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University says that although he understands the fear of Alzheimer’s, many people are unduly anxious about it.

“The bottom line question to ask is, Is your forgetfulness fundamentally interfering with how you function?” said Dr. Cohen. “If it doesn’t fundamentally mess up your work or social life, it’s among the normal variants.”

Does this mean that Dr. Cohen considers impaired insulin response a "normal variant?" Is this why certain people are so hard-headed about their forgetfulness?  Because mainstream press says it's "normal?"

2) "By 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, 11 million to 16 million Americans will have the disease."

That sounds more like a threat than a prediction.  Are they smiling and happy when they say this?  Will the next administration also predict an increase in death metal and satanism?

 [ Reply ]
  
  
krupulfinch
[ Joined on 01/08 ] [ Posted on May 5, 2008 ]
       
   
 
Novice User

I think this is relative

video.google.com/videoplay

 [ Reply ]
  
  
Magnolia
[ Joined on 06/06 ] [ Posted on May 3, 2008 ]
       
   
 
Savvy User

I have a question for any healthcare professional Vital Voters. I had the glucose tolerance test over 25 years ago, as diabetes runs in my family. Upon drinking the nasty concoction, I immediately went into some kind of seizure/spasm of all my muscles that lasted about two hours. I was completely incapacited during that time and was put on a stretcher in a corner, all balled up in the fetal position.

My doctor was not concerned and after he reviewed the results, would only tell me that everything was normal and that the sugar seemed to stay in my bloodstream a little longer than usual rather than being filtered out by my kidneys.

I have never felt reassured by this diagnosis, but given the body's response to the sugar (which I could have predicted, as I have always been overstimulated by both sugar and caffeine) I am unwilling to have that test run again.

Does anyone have any thoughts about this?

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
BJ203
[ Joined on 04/08 ]  [ Posted on May 3, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

1. Although the glucose tolerance test has been the gold standard for the diagnosis of type II diabetes for many years, fasting serum insulin and serum leptin levels provide far more valuable information.

2. The reaction you described to the original test might not have been due to the glucose content, but rather a food chemical sensitivity to a food dye or preservative in the cordial solution.

Mercola
  
Maurine1
[ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on May 3, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

That was some response! Twenty-two years ago I was scheduled for a glucose tolerance test (I had some symptoms of possible diabetes and tested high at my family doctor's office) but when I went to start it they said my blood sugar was already high so they didn't bother. I manage my type 2 diabetes quite well, but one night last December I got careless, had cereal and sweet munchies and didn't test before going to bed. Suddenly in bed my left ear felt numb to the touch and the numbness progressed down my neck to my left arm. I woke my husband, saying I thought I could be having a stroke (I could still move my arm, however). In the ambulance my blood sugar was tested when I revealed I was diabetic, and it was 502! My lightbulb clicked and I realized the very high glucose level was probably responsible. I have weird nerve responses to LOW blood sugar and to MSG. Nothing else was found to be wrong in all the tests. They gave me an insulin drip, getting it down to 124, and in the car on the way home I in fact had a low blood sugar attack (which I hate). At my age (69) it is said to be better not to try to keep blood sugars very low.  

Mercola
  
trainerboy
[ Joined on 03/07 ]  [ Posted on May 5, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Hello Magnolia. It sounds to me that you may have experienced a Vasal/Vagus response. The Vagus nerve supplie