Apr 30, 2013

Sugar and Dementia?

"Research found that when the path of insulin is blocked to rats' brains -- which mimics insulin resistance -- the rats start to show signs of Alzheimer's Disease.  The research team calls this type 3 diabetes for its 'brain-specific form of diabetes associated with Alzheimer's." Dr. Suzanne DeLaMonte, neuropathologist at Brown University

According to an article in the April/May issue of the Green American magazine, Americans consume 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, and that the recommended limits are 6 teaspoons for women and 9 for men.  According to this article, sugar is hidden in many items: A Big Mac contains 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, a can of Coca-Cola contains 8 teaspoons, 4 oz of orange juice contains 4 teaspoons, sports drinks can contain 7 or more teaspoons, an 8-oz flavored yogurt contains 8 1/2 teaspoons.  Sugar is in items that one would not even suspect.  At a grocery store recently I was trying to buy natural peanut butter.  Most had sugar.  After picking up jar after of jar, I finally found an Adam's brand that did not contain sugar.  With obesity, sugar diabetes and dementia on the rise in America, perhaps it behooves us to look at our relationship with sugar. 

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