Too much sugar can make you senile

Many people say they have sweet tooth, and that it’s
one reason they crave sugary stuff such as soft drinks,
cakes, biscuits, packaged foods such as so-called fruit
juices, etc.
Yet, a new study warns that people who eat diets high
in sweet stuff could be at greater risk of developing
Alzheimer’s disease.
Simply put, Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental
deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due
to generalised degeneration of the brain. It is the
commonest cause of premature senility.
Researchers from the University of Bath in England
have found that excess glucose causes damage to a
particular enzyme that’s involved in the inflammation
response to the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
While this confirms previous research showing that
those with diabetes have an increased risk of
developing Alzheimer’s, these researchers have now
established that those who consume a lot of sugar but
do not have diabetes are at an increased risk, too.
The scientists studied brain samples from people with
and without Alzheimer’s disease, and found that in the
early stages of Alzheimer’s, an enzyme called
macrophage migration inhibitory (MIF) factor can be
damaged by glycation, which happens with a higher
consumption of sugar.
Glycation is a natural process in which the sugar in
your bloodstream attaches to proteins, forming harmful
new molecules called advanced glycation end products
(AGEs). The researchers found that as the disease
develops, the glycation of these enzymes increases.
This shows that the enzyme, which should help to
protect us from developing Alzheimer’s, is negatively
affected by consuming too much sugar.
Lead researcher, Prof. Jean van de Elsen, explains,
“Normally, MIF would be part of the immune response
to the build-up of abnormal proteins in the brain, and
we think that because sugar damage reduces some
MIF functions and completely inhibits others, this
could be a tipping point that allows Alzheimer’s to
develop.”
What this all means? Doctors have more information
that could help them to predict and protect us from the
development of Alzheimer’s.
It also means we have yet another reason to cut down
on sugar. So, put down those biscuits and throw away
that half-consumed soft drink!


SOURCE...PUNCH