A doctor has warned about six everyday foods that could hike your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and suggests it might be wise to cut back on them.
Dr. Richard Johnson, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver with expertise in metabolic health, initially raised concerns about fructose, a simple sugar found in fruits, honey, and root vegetables, and its association with metabolic diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Healthline notes that fructose, when paired with glucose, forms table sugar or sucrose. The brain’s production of fructose was linked to inflammation and Alzheimer’s in a studyled by Dr. Johnson and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Now, Dr. Johnson has identified another category of food that may increase the risk of the disease, singling out six widely consumed items, reports Surrey Live.
Speaking to the Primal Podcast, Dr. Johnson said: “The bottom line is sugar and carbs; you know, like pancakes, bread, rice, potatoes, cereal and chips (crisps). If you could cut those back.”
He also commented on dietary habits, noting: “Now, we live in a society where 50 per cent of our diet is carbs and so there’s actually evidence that low-carb diets…the Mediterranean diet has some carbs, (a) fair amount of bread but otherwise, it’s pretty good. It’s low in sugar.”
Furthermore, he commented: “A low-carb diet, an Atkins diet or a keto diet, they’ve already been reported to improve Alzheimer’s.”
In 2012, astudyby Mayo Clinic found that people aged 70 or more who consumed food high in carbs had almost four times the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.
The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, also suggested that the risk increases with diets rich in sugar, with high protein and fat consumption, relative to carbs, less likely to result in this outcome.
The NHS, meanwhile, champions carbs, identifying starchy staples such as potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and cereals as our go-to source.
It also said that starchy foods should make up just over a third of the food we consume and advised people to eat starchy foods each day as part of a balanced diet, suggesting that it’s safe to eat these foods in moderation.
Rosebud Roberts, M. B., Ch. B., of the Mayo Clinic, and leading the charge on the study, underscored the significance of including carbs in a well-rounded diet.
Commenting on the matter, Dr. Roberts highlighted: “We think it’s important that you eat a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, because each of these nutrients has an important role in the body.”
The NHS says eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. High consumption has also been linked to Alzheimer’s risk, as it is thought to lead to inflammation, which has been linked to a number of conditions, including Alzheimer’s.
A 2022 study involving 37,689 participants found a correlation between high sugar consumption and an increased risk for women. In another 2022 study, it was revealed that the connection between high cholesterol, Alzheimer’s, and elevated blood sugar could begin as early as age 35.
For more information on maintaining a balanced diet, head over to the NHS website here.