Carb overload linked to dementia
New findings from researchers show eating foods high in carbohydrates and sugar could lead to memory loss, dementia and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, explored the link between mild memory loss and dementia among 937 aged 70 to 89 years.
New findings from researchers show eating foods high in carbohydrates and sugar could lead to memory loss, dementia and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, explored the link between mild memory loss and dementia among 937 aged 70 to 89 years who had no memory deficits at the start of the study.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of three years, finding that 200 people developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia that they linked to high intake of carbohydrates and sugar in the diet.
One of the reasons eating a high carb diet could lead to dementia is because the macronutrients affect how glucose and insulin act in the brain, according to researchers.
Dr Rosebud Roberts, an epidemiologist at Mayo Clinic, wrote in a press release: “Some people have described mild cognitive impairment as having diabetes in the brain because the sugar affects your brain in a way that is not good if you have too much of it, so with carbohydrate, we think that’s what could be happening.”
Researchers also found eating a high fat, high protein diet seems to decrease the risk of memory loss with ageing, but added it was important to control glucose levels in the brain to keep memory intact as we grow older.
Dr Roberts said it was about optimal balance. “We think it’s important that dietary intake of fats, carbohydrate, and protein is balanced because each of these macronutrients has a specific role in the body,” he said.
