Drop That Burger Before It Drops You

Do you want to tempt fate? Do you want to roll out the red carpet for Alzheimer's disease to enter your life and not leave? I didn't think so. But if you continue a daily diet that includes hefty amounts of fats, sugars, and cholesterol, you're doing just that.

Susanne Akterin, a researcher at Sweden's Karolinska Institute's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, ran a study in which mice were fed junk food for nine months.

Reuters news service reported:

"Alzheimer's disease is incurable and is the most common form of dementia among older people. It affects the regions of the brain involving thought, memory and language.

While the most advanced drugs have focused on removing clumps of beta amyloid protein that forms plaques in the brain, researchers are also now looking at therapies to address the toxic tangles caused by an abnormal build-up of the protein tau.

In her research, Akterin focused on a gene variant called apoE4, found in 15 to 20 percent of people and which is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's. The gene is involved in the transport of cholesterol.

She studied mice genetically engineered to mimic the effect of the variant gene in humans, and which were fed a diet rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol for nine months -- meals representing the nutritional content of fast food."

At the conclusion of the study, Akterin reported:

""On examining the brains of these mice, we found a chemical change not unlike that found in the Alzheimer brain. We now suspect that a high intake of fat and cholesterol in combination with genetic factors ... can adversely affect several brain substances, which can be a contributory factor in the development of Alzheimer's."
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In the past, we could blame McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, et cetera for providing only items that were bad for us. No longer. The so-called 'fast food' industry now at least gives us the option to choose salads instead of greasy burgers and fries. We have a choice.

Let's heed the warnings about the bad fast foods and their connection to Alzheimer's disease. I know it's not easy. I love a juicy burger and fries every now and then myself. But I've started substituting the occasional salad and slice of whole grain bread once or twice a week. We all can do it if we try. Consumption of food that's bad for our health is cumulative in its effects. So is the consumption of healthy foods. Moderation in all things.

Ask your doctor for a blood test to determine your cholesterol levels. Knowledge is power. Give it a try.