Alzheimer’s = Type 3 Diabetes

Statistics are grim. 10 percent of 65-year-olds, 25 percent of 75-year-olds, and 50 percent of

85-year-olds will develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. And the fastest growing segment of our population is the 85-year-olds.  Researchers predict Alzheimer’s will affect 106 million people by 2050. It’s now the seventh leading cause of death.

Scientists now call Alzheimer’s disease “Type 3 diabetes.” What’s the link between Alzheimer’s and diabetes? Well, new research shows insulin resistance, or what I call diabesity (from eating too many carbs and sugar and not enough fat) is one of the major factors that starts the brain-damage cascade, which robs the memory of over half the people in their 80s, leading to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

But don’t think too much insulin affects only older folks’ memories. It doesn’t just suddenly occur once you’re older. Dementia actually begins when you’re younger and takes decades to develop and worsen.

The good news is you can reverse dementia and cognitive decline. To do that, you must control your insulin and balance your blood sugar levels, which will allow you to overcome diabesity and balance your mood, help your focus, help boost your energy level, and prevent all of the age-related brain diseases including Alzheimer’s.

9 Steps to Reverse Memory Loss

From that perspective, these 9 strategies help many of my patients reverse or prevent dementia.

1. Balance your blood sugar with a whole-foods, low-glycemic diet. You can achieve this by taking out the bad stuff (refined carbs, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, dairy, and inflammatory, omega-6 rich oils such as vegetable and seed oils) and putting in the good stuff (healthy fats like avocados, walnuts, almonds and cashews, grass-fed meats, pastured chicken and eggs, olive and coconut oil).
2. Eat healthy fats that make your brain happy. These include omega 3 fats in wild fatty fish, as well as coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, avocados, whole eggs, nuts, and seeds.
3. Exercise daily. Even a 30-minute walk can help. More active readers might want to incorporate high-intensity interval training or weight lifting. Studies show physical activity can prevent and even slow down the progression of cognitive decline and brain diseases like dementia.
4. Supplement wisely. At the very least, take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, an omega 3 fat supplement, extra B6, B12, and folate, as well as vitamin D3. And, a good probiotic will enhance thebrain-gut relationship. You can find all of these and other supplementsin my store.
5. Check your thyroid and sex hormone levels. If they are out of balance, you will want to treat them.
6. Detox from mercury or other heavy metals, if you have high levels, by doing a medically supervised detox program.
7. Control stress levels. Chronic stress takes a toll on your body and brain. Relaxation isn’t a luxury if you want to prevent or reverse dementia. Whether that involves deep breathing, meditation, or yoga, find something that helps you calm down. Many patients find myUltraCalm CD helps them relax and reduce stress and anxiety. 
8. Get 8 hours of sleep every night. Studies show poor sleep becomesa risk factor for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Aim for at least 8 hours of quality sleep every night. You can get 19 of my top sleep tips here.

This is just a start, but these eight strategies go a long way by giving your brain a chance to heal, recover, and experience fewer memory problems.

Even if you aren’t suffering from cognitive decline, you should take these steps because they can help you prevent the aging of your brain and help you achieve lifelong health.

Be sure to look out for my new book, Eat Fat, Get Thin, where I describe how to prevent and even reverse memory loss using food as medicine. I’ll show you how more of the right fats can boost your brain function and can even help treat dementia.

http://drhyman.com/blog/2016/02/12/why-alzheimers-is-now-considered-type-3-diabetes/