The Link Between Sugar And Dementia
From time to time, your sweet tooth cravings may pop up. However, did you know that a steady diet of sugary foods and drinks could lead to memory loss?
The Link Between Sugar And Dementia
From time to time, your sweet tooth cravings may pop up. However, did you know that a steady diet of sugary foods and drinks could lead to memory loss?
Let’s see what research tells us about the link between sugar and dementia.
The Study
Researchers from China conducted a study using the UK Biobank’s data. They followed 158,000 mostly middle-aged adults from England, Scotland and Wales with an average age of 56 (their age ranges were between 37 to 73).
The reason this age range was chosen was because most people in their 50s have yet to display symptoms of dementia
The researchers compiled the dietary habits of these participants for over a decade.
What They Discovered
The researchers found that participants who frequently had sugar in their diet were found to be at 43% higher risk of developing dementia compared to their peers.
In a separate study, researchers who studied aging adults in the Chicago, Illinois area and corroborated the findings, concluding that a high sugar intake was linked to increased dementia risk in older adults, regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic background.
How Does Sugar Lead To Dementia?
The link between sugar to dementia isn’t a straight path. The reason why those with a higher sugar intake are at a higher dementia risk boils down to the environment sugar creates in our bodies.
Sugar causes inflammation, high blood sugar, insulin resistance. These are the first steps in creating an internal environment which leads to a whole host of problems such as high-blood pressure and diabetes.
What Food Types Were The Main Culprits?
Researchers from the Chicago study broke it down to 2 main sugar types: fructose and sucrose.
Fructose (fruit sugar) is found in:
Sweetened drinks
Snacks
Fruits
Honey
Sucrose (Table sugar) is found in:
Candy
Packaged juices
Sweetened cereals
Wait, Does This Mean Fruits Are Bad?
Based on the findings, you might assume that fruits can be the link to dementia. However, it is only with high-risk individuals that these are true.
Fruits contain vitamins, fiber and minerals that are essential for the human body to function. The reason why they are a better alternative to store-bought desserts is because their sugars are natural and unprocessed.
As with everything, moderation is key.
Source:
EatingWell: This Habit May Raise Dementia Risk by 43%, New Study Says
NIH: Dietary Sugar Intake Associated with a Higher Risk of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
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