- Researchers have largely focused on the accumulation of abnormal aggregates of the beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain as causal factors in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but treatments targeting these protein aggregates have shown limited success.
- Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease show several metabolic changes in the brain, including lower glucose (sugar) metabolism and depletion of energy stores in cells, before the appearance of these protein aggregates.
- A recent review suggests that high levels of fructose, particularly those derived from added sugars, such as sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, could alter brain metabolism and cause degeneration of brain regions associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Further studies are needed to establish the link between fructose and Alzheimer’s disease, and evidence supporting this hypothesis could lead to the development of strategies for the treatment or prevention of this neurodegenerative condition.
The formation of abnormal aggregates of the beta-amyloid and tau proteins are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. However, treatments targeting these abnormal protein aggregates have shown limited success.
Instead, some researchers have proposed that alterations in brain metabolism that appear prior to these protein aggregates may be responsible for the development of Alzheimer’s.
Studies have shown that high levels of intake of fructose or foods that lead to the production of fructose in the body can lead to metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and elevated blood pressure.
A recent review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that fructose may also reduce metabolism in brain regions involved in higher cognitive functions, such as reasoning, impulse control, and memory.
A prolonged decline in metabolism in these brain regions may cause the degeneration of these regions and lead to the cognitive decline observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Study author, Dr. Richard…
Read the full article here