One of the things you absolutely have to do when you are working with a patient who has cognitive decline is assess insulin resistance. It must be managed and reversed if you’re going to have any success at improving their cognitive function and lowering their risk for developing further dementia or neurodegenerative patterns.
Dr Datis Kharrazian
Yep, that is correct and precisely why Alzheimer’s is also called ‘Type 3 diabetes’ a lot.
Here’s why:
- Researchers are increasingly referring to Alzheimer’s as type 3 diabetes due to the impact of insulin resistance, diabetes and chronically high blood sugar on the brain.
- Insulin surges and high blood sugar disrupt cellular function in the brain, causing mitochondria to fail. This impairs the brain’s ability to use glucose for energy.
- Chronic insulin surges from high blood sugar also activate the brain’s immune cells, or microglia, leading to ongoing neuroinflammation.
- This impacts the vascular system in the brain, promoting oxidative stress and the development of advanced glycation end products.
- The end result for the patient is accelerated neurodegeneration , symptoms of cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.
Worth knowing, huh?
For more info on neuroinflammation and cognitive decline, see here. For tests to check your blood sugar and insulin status – properly – see here. And for the blood-sugar balancing diet, go here. Just doing the diet will make a HUGE difference both if you have symptoms already and to prevent problems in the future. Add in some NI help (see the factsheet linked to above) and you have a great start!