To Your Health
October, 2012 (Vol. 06, Issue 10) |
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Cut Carbs to Cut Your Risk of Cognitive Decline?
By Editorial Staff
With all the talk about the health consequences (obesity, diabetes, etc.) of eating a diet too high in carbohydrates, particularly the processed, nutrient-lean types, let's not forget that the brain doesn't handle it too well, either.
According to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic and published in the
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, older adults who consume too many carbs risk suffering cognitive decline at higher rates than their same-aged peers who eat a more balanced diet lower in carbs and higher in protein and fat.
According to study findings, older adults (ages 70-89 at the start of the study) who reported the highest carbohydrate intake were 1.9 times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those with the lowest carbohydrate intake; those with the highest carbohydrate (sugar) intake were 1.5 times more likely to develop impairment. By comparison, subjects who consumed the highest levels of fat were 42 percent less likely to develop cognitive impairment, while subjects who consumed the most protein were 21 percent less likely to develop impairment.
The moral to the story, as lead researcher Rosebud Roberts put it in a press release reporting the study results, is that "a high carbohydrate intake could be bad for you because carbohydrates impact your glucose and insulin metabolism ... sugar fuels the brain – so moderate intake is good. However, high levels of sugar [carbohydrate] may actually prevent the brain from using the sugar — similar to what we see with Type 2 diabetes."
To learn more about the importance of a balanced diet and what you can do to ensure you and your family eat healthy every day, talk to your doctor of chiropractic. For more information on ways to reduce your risk of developing cognitive decline as you age, click here.
