Did you know that in 2005, Scientist's discovered a THIRD type of diabetes? No? Neither did I.
In case you are new here, my Dad's mom had Alzheimer's and passed away due to complications a decade ago. My grandmother, who is still with us, suffers from an even more sinister dementia (I didn't think that was possible either, but first hand experience - it's horrific)
(Lewy Body Dementia does not get the same attention as Alzheimer's does, even though it is far more than just dementia. According to the National Institute on Aging, "Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. Lewy body dementia is one of the most common causes of dementia.
Visual hallucinations, or seeing things that are not present. Visual hallucinations occur in up to 80 percent of people with LBD, often early on. Nonvisual hallucinations, such as hearing or smelling things that are not present, are less common than visual ones but may also occur.
Unpredictable changes in concentration, attention, alertness, and wakefulness from day to day and sometimes throughout the day. Ideas may be disorganized, unclear, or illogical. These kinds of changes are common in LBD and may help distinguish it from Alzheimer's disease.
Severe loss of thinking abilities that interfere with daily activities. Unlike in Alzheimer's dementia, memory problems may not be evident at first but often arise as LBD progresses. Other changes related to thinking may include poor judgment, confusion about time and place, and difficulty with language and numbers."
What they fail to mention in this snippet is the Parkinson's symptoms, the anger and hitting, the biting, the infections, the lost ability to swallow, the choking, the sometimes very severe anger and acting out which puts caregivers and the affected family member in dangerous situations. The list really does go on. )
Back to Type 3 diabetes. Type 3 is referred to as the Alzheimer's diabetes because it occurs when neurons in the brain stop telling your body to make insulin - this task is essential for basic memory and learning. A high fat diet has proven to be a culprit in increasing the risk and symptoms of Type 3 diabetes. People who are affected by Type 3 carry the gene APOE4 and have a higher risk of insulin impairment. This particular protein binds to insulin receptors and ultimately damages them. “This study has furthered our understanding of the gene that’s the strongest genetic risk factor known for Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Bu, who adds that, ultimately, the finding may personalize treatment for patients. "
How can this have to do with how we live our lives and what foods we put into our body? Well it is proven that inflammation, while normal in our body, IS damaging at excessive levels. However, we will not feel the affects of the high levels of inflammation until YEARS later when our body finally has had enough damage done to cause symptoms (Ie. high inflammatory foods, foods our body does not recognize or digest, processed foods).
Those symptoms are then treated with prescription medications, SYMPTOMS... not the underlying cause.. aka inflammation. The inflammation will continue to stay at excessive levels and continue to damage the weak links of your body, whatever that may be. If it is the brain that is the weak link in our body (not the case for everyone...might be the heart, or kidneys, pancreas, etc. etc.)…. can we say that inflammation may be a factor in feeding these proteins that so commonly cause dementia and Alzheimer's? Are the years and years of excessive inflammation from eating poorly & exposing ourselves to oxidative stress (more on this in a future post) a leading cause in the damage done to the brain increasing the risk of these brain deteriorating diseases?
I don't know about you, but watching a family member's brain deteriorate for (going on 7 years now) is unbearable, and I will do everything I can to try and make it so my children do not have to go through this scenario with me.
Something for everyone to ponder...….
