Individuals who are overweight are carrying a heavier burden—a diet that contributes to obesity may also make you susceptible to Alzheimer’s with age. Researchers from Brock University in Ontario, Canada, studied the effects of an obesity-inducing diet on factors such as insulin signalling (how the body uses sugar) and markers of inflammation and cellular stress, all associated with Alzheimer’s. As part of their study on mice, one group was fed a diet high on fat and sugar and the other a normal diet. After 13 weeks, researchers compared the mice that ate the obesity-inducing diet to a younger set of mice. They found that the older mice had markers of inflammation, insulin resistance and cellular stress in areas of the brain associated with long-term memory and Alzheimer’s. Brain centres responsible for complex cognitive tasks and emotional and behavioural functions showed insulin resistance. The findings were published in journal Physiological Reports.

Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
November 2018