Type 3 Diabetes (AKA Alzheimer's Disease) is not new, it's just a new discovery by researchers. Alzheimer’s and Diabetes have now been linked together in some research studies. It seems the pancreas is not the only organ in our body which needs insulin, the brain and memory also benefits from it. This has become the newest complication related to diabetes and high blood sugar. Some people are dubbing this disease "type 3" and research may be supporting this.
Understanding exactly how these two diseases are linked isn’t completely understood. One theory is that diabetes may cause blood sugar to accumulate in the brain which may be the cause of the damage to brain cells. High blood sugar can cause inflammation in the body which may also contribute to damaged brain cells and the development of Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.
Some scientific studies are showing that insulin and insulin receptors are very important to learning and memory functions in the brain. If a toxic protein builds up on
nerve cells
these cells become insulin resistant causing a person to have a lower response time to incoming information, resulting in memory loss.
Does this mean that everyone with diabetes will get Alzheimer's Disease or have memory problems? Although, there is an increased risk for anyone with diabetes, knowing this and understanding it will help you control your diabetes and can keep you from being a statistic. Some of the key factors of prevention are getting the proper nutrition or
supplements
into your body,
eating healthy
and regular exercise.
