Originally published February 5, 2024 Added Sugars and Neurodegeneration Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been called Diabetes Type 3 in the literature. While this is a misnomer because it fails to acknowledge all the other modifiable lifestyle factors and nonmodifiable environmental factors that influence the development and progression of AD, it does drive home the point about excessive added sugar consumption and the risk to neurological health. A 2022 U.S.-based study on women found an estimated increased AD risk by 1.3-1.4% for each 10-grams-per-day sugar intake (about 2.4 teaspoons). Keep in mind, the recommended maximum consumption of daily teaspoons of sugar for women is 6, and for men, 9. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons! How does sugar impact the brain? A diet high in added sugar promotes inflammation. This includes neuroinflammation which, as discussed, this leads to neuronal injury, and even death of brain cells. Neuroinflammation is implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD), AD, dementia, schizophrenia, MS and ALS A diet high in added sugar negatively impacts the microbiome. We will have a future Motivated Mondays on the microbiome’s connection to brain health. A diet high in added sugar damages blood vessels, including those in the brain, restricting blood flow. The blood brain barrier is a filter, composed of capillaries (small blood vessels) designed to protect the brain and central nervous system from pathogens and toxins. A diet high in added sugar reduces the integrity of the blood brain barrier. A diet high in added sugar promotes the development of amyloid in the brain. Amyloid prevents brain cells from communicating with one another. Type 2 diabetes, the type of diabetes affected by modifiable lifestyle factors, has been said to almost double one’s risk of AD and other forms of dementia. Prediabetes Thus, our first resolution is to remove added sugar from our diet. We aren’t going to ask you to go cold turkey out of the gate! Our plan is to look at a different meal each week and remove the added sugars. We begin with breakfast because it is the WORST offender in most folks’ diets. We hope this process will help you treat sugar as just that, a treat-and not an acceptable ingredient in every meal. To be clear, for our purposes this month, we are discussing added sugar. Sugars that occur naturally in food are generally OK for the average person (but there are exceptions). Nature wraps it up in a package of fiber, vitamins and minerals that makes it a wholesome option. On the other hand, added sugar is where the trouble begins. Outside of what you add from your sugar bowl, or what’s obvious in a cake, sugar is hidden in many foods such as bacon, ketchup, cold cuts, salad dressing and nut butters to name a few that surprise most folks. As a result, we must learn to read labels. Keep in mind, manufacturers have a litany of names of added sugars/sweeteners you may not be familiar with so vigilant label reading is imperative! Here are those hidden names. Most food manufacturers are now required to list the added sugars on the nutrition label. However, they didn’t make it easy for consumers to understand because they made it as a percentage of your total daily intake. Here is a peek at how the new labels appear. But who has the bandwidth to figure that out? Here is a simple formula to make it easy for you!
A few folks will be tempted to look for sugar-free (SF) substitutes as an option; heed our warning: DON’T! Sugar substitutes are, in most cases, worse for you than sugar! Why is that? It is established that artificial sweeteners:
No-Sugar-Added Breakfast Options So now you know the ceiling (not the goal, but the cap) on how much added sugar to consume in a day: women = 6 teaspoons, men = 9 teaspoons, as well as how to find and calculate sugar on a label. Geared up with all this information, what will you eat for your no-added-sugar breakfast this week? There is always a veggie omelet; plain oatmeal with banana and unsweetened peanut butter; smoothie made with protein (unsweetened yogurt or protein powder), greens and frozen fruit. And here are a few additional recipes to consider: For those accustomed to cereal in the morning
Salad for breakfast! Yes, protein, greens and fiber served right up! No time? Make-ahead this veggie-packed breakfast frittata or purchase one of these Grab-n-Go breakfasts: waffles or freeze-dried meals. PRO TIP: A few things will tame sugar cravings, like protein; greens; fiber; and plenty of fluids (with no added sugar, of course). CLICK HERE for a downloadable calendar to help you track your progress toward eliminating added sugar! We will see you next week when we take added sugar out of snacks! Feel free to email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected] with your individual questions.
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MICHELE MCCAMBRIDGE, MPH, MSMichele is the Senior VP of Membership Development at Concierge Choice Physicians. She is also a professional in the areas of nutrition, fitness and wellness. ArchivesCategories |