Skip to main content RSS Info Close Search Facebook Twitter
Location
Category
Providers / Vacancies
Feedback

Too much sugar may increase Alzheimer’s risk

Excessive drinking of sugary beverages like soda may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research conducted on mice.

Although the exact mechanisms aren’t known, obesity and diabetes are both associated with higher incidences of Alzheimer’s. Dr Ling Li, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her colleagues tested whether high sugar consumption in an otherwise normal diet would affect Alzheimer’s progression.

They used a genetic mouse model that develops Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in adulthood, and over a 25 week period supplemented the regular, balanced diet of half the animals with 10% sugar water. Afterwards, they compared the metabolism, memory skills and brain composition of the regular and sugar-fed mice.

The sugar-fed mice gained about 17% more weight than controls, had higher cholesterol levels, and developed insulin resistance. These mice also had worse learning and memory retention and their brains contained more than twice as many amyloid plaque deposits, an anatomical hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

Although the researchers cannot be certain if the increased mental impairment resulted specifically from the higher sugar intake or higher calories in general, these results highlight the potential risk of sugary beverages.

They note that the human equivalent of the mouse diet would be roughly five cans of soda per day, although since mice have a higher rate of metabolism, it may actually take less sugar intake in humans.

Share this article

Read next

Subscribe

Subscribe to our Talking Aged Care newsletter to get our latest articles, delivered straight to your inbox
  1. Eighty years after getting married, this couple lives together...
  2. Who says your age should limit your dreams?
  3. Data from a recently released report highlights a concerning...
  4. With an ageing and growing population, data from the...
  5. Approximately 411,000 Australians are estimated to be living...
  6. How could you benefit from attending university as an older...

Recent articles

  1. The new initiative brings older Aussies together to see the...
  2. A collaboration between Dementia Australia and VistaPrint...
  3. How can you look after yourself during the expected heatwaves...
  4. How is an interactive app being used in aged care settings to...
  5. How could the upcoming strengthening of super standards save...
  6. Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett, a Western Australian volunteer,...
  7. Why is an illegal website targeting older Australians?
  8. Eighty years after getting married, this couple lives together...
  9. How does heart health impact your risk of dementia?
  10. Instead of going to the hospital, could older Australians...
  11. Recent data indicates changes in the current COVID-19...
  12. One aged care provider is launching a mini-series of free...
  1. {{ result.posted_at | timeago }}

Sorry, no results were found
Perhaps you misspelled your search query, or need to try using broader search terms.
Please type a topic to search
Some frequently searched topics are "dementia", "elderly" etc
Close