Rovner, Chemical & Engineering News, Alzheimer's Scary Link To Diabetes
ALZHEIMER’S SCARY LINK TO DIABETES
The mechanisms linking the two are as follows:
1. Insulin resistante: insulin promotes the growth and survival of neurons; expression of the genes for insulin and its receptor, as well as an associated hormone known as insulin-like growth factor and its receptor, declines in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Binding of specific ligands to a neuron’s synapses draws insulin receptors from the cell’s membrane into its center, where the receptors can’t be accessed by insulin. If this process goes far enough, the neurons become less responsive to insulin.
2. Glycation of neurons: Through a process known as glycation, the excess glucose binds to proteins in the blood and impairs their normal function, Diabetics also produce a considerable amount of methylglyoxal, a metabolic by-product of glucose that’s even better than the sugar at glycating proteins to form “advanced glycation end products” (AGEs).
-yeah, maybe you’re right…there’s probably no good reason for you to be concerned with controlling your blood sugar levels and maintaing a diet that promotes a minimal insulin spike post-prandially.
I'm a med student, researcher, and athlete. This blog is an attempt to focus the curiosity and intrigue that I've encountered in my pursuit of happiness for myself, my planet, and society through food, sport, adventure, and love. I am the change I wish to see in the world, and I implore you to be the same.
