A link between junk food and dementia is discovered by scientists

Research suggests excessive consumption of junk food can increase people’s risk of Dementia..

11:07 04 September 2012

Eating a lot of junk food can not only enlarge your waistline, but it can also give you dementia according to recent studies.

 

New evidence shows that a bad diet, which contains plenty of junk food, can trigger Alzheimer’s by poisoning the brain. 

 

Animal studies also show that the hormone insulin is implicated, leading some to believe that Alzheimer’s could be another version of diabetes. 

 

Although the claim seems absurd to some, its confirmation could aid in the search for new treatments for Alzheimer’s, one of the most common forms of dementia that affects over 800,000 Britons. 

 

An unhealthy diet has previously been linked to dementia since it can cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, both of which interrupt the supply of blood to the brain.

 

The latest theory, however, narrows this down to fatty foods and sugary foods that also damage the brain by interrupting the supply of insulin. 

 

The New Scientist magazine supportsthese claims in its recent publishing,where they say a bad diet prevents the brain cells from responding properly to insulin. 

 

The hormone insulin is necessary in regulating brain chemicals that play a role in learning and memory.

 

It also creates and strengthens connections between brain cells, and is important for the maintenance of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the brain. 

 

It is understood that tests were carried where rats were given a chemical which prevented the brain from using insulin, and they showed symptoms similar to those that a person with Alzheimer’s usually suffers.