In nature, the simple sugar fructose appears in fruits which ripen in autumn. Consumption of fructose does not result in satiety and causes an increase in thirst and hunger. The consumption of fructose stimulates foraging in animals. Specifically, the fructose survival pathway involves reducing energy expenditure for bodily processes at rest and devoting energy to only necessary activities, such as foraging.
The decrease in energy expenditure is achieved by reducing the sensitivity of tissues, such as muscles, to insulin, resulting in a lower intake and consumption of glucose. At the same time, excess energy is stored in the liver in the form of fat and glycogen.
These physical responses evolved to maximize the animal’s food consumption before the lean winter season.
Individual fruits only contain a relatively low quantity of fructose, and only 1–2% of ingested fructose reaches the brain. The fiber in whole fruits slows down absorption of fructose. Eating whole fruits is healthful since they contain a lot of water, fiber and a relatively low amount of fructose.
Fast forward from our hunter-gatherer evolutionary years to today.
The average American eats massive amounts of fructose, both synthesized from corn (high-fructose corn syrup) and in sucrose (table sugar, which is a dimer of fructose and glucose). Far more and for a longer period of time than humans evolved to process.
Studies have shown that a higher intake of high-fructose corn syrup or table sugar, high glycemic index foods, and salty foods are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Consistent with this, metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes that are associated with increased intake of these foods are also risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.
Previous studies have shown higher levels of fructose in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, especially before the loss of neurons during the early stages of the disease.
The linked article presents a hypothesis that the activation of this fructose survival pathway over a prolonged duration leads to the disruption of metabolism, replicating several features of metabolic syndromeTrusted Source.
These include insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure, body weight gain, and persistent low-level inflammation. In addition, the fructose survival pathway can also impair brain metabolism.
Brain metabolism is impaired in critical regions, such as the hippocampus, before the later characteristics of Alzheimer’s Disease, such as beta amyloid clumps, can be seen. The authors hypothesize that fructose in the brain can explain AD from beginning to end.
This is producing a perfect Macroeconomic storm.
The Standard American Diet (SAD) is loaded with sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. The average American adult, teenager, and child consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, or about 270 calories. The average 20-ounce bottle of sugar-sweetened soda, lemonade, or iced tea contains about 65 grams of added sugar, often from high-fructose corn syrup. That’s the equivalent of 16 teaspoons of table sugar.
Yesterday, @Goofyhoofy posted an article that had maps showing medical debt and Medicaid coverage by state. It’s no surprise that medical debts are highest where states do not provide Medicaid coverage to many people. Many of these states also coincide with the highest obesity rates in the U.S. and therefore the worst health outcomes.
Put these factors together.
Obesity is caused by a high-sugar obesogenic diet that has been linked with a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is most prevalent in the same states that have lower Medicaid coverage which is needed to care for the poor people who are most likely to be obese and to be lacking personal savings to pay for nursing home care.
This will be a perfect storm of rising burdens and unmet needs. This involves millions of people so the scale is Macroeconomic.
As individuals, we should avoid processed foods that contain sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Our minds depend on our diets.
Wendy