New research shows insulin resistance, or what I call diabesity (from eating too many carbs and sugar and not enough fat), is one of the major factors that starts the brain-damage cascade, which robs the memory of over half the people in their 80s, leading to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
But don’t think too much insulin affects only older folks’ memories. It doesn’t just suddenly occur once you’re older. Dementia actually begins when you’re younger and takes decades to develop and worsen. Here’s the bad news/good news. Eating sugar and refined carbs can cause pre-dementia and dementia. But cutting out the sugar and refined carbs and adding lots of fat can prevent, and even reverse, pre-dementia and early dementia.
Last year I sat down with Max Lugavere and talk about type 3 diabetes. Max is the director of an upcoming documentary titled BREAD HEAD, the first-ever film to explore the impact of diet and lifestyle on brain health. He's become a prominent voice in health after just a short time since launching his Kickstarter for the film, which drew support from thousands of people around the globe. He has hosted content for WebMD, Vice, and Yahoo Health and is a recurring "core expert" on The Dr. Oz Show.
In this conversation from last year’s Fat Summit we covered the following topics:
- Effects of a high sugar and processed carb diet on the brain
- The best foods for optimal brain health
- The one household appliance you should not use
For more information about Type 3 Diabetes, check out this blog. And be sure to tweet me your questions @MarkHymanMd, and maybe next week I’ll feature you on my House Call series.
