Added sugars and Alzheimer’s disease

In the “Parks and Recreation” episode “Sweetums,” everyone at the office decides to try a health bar called Nutriyum. Moments later, the folks discover it’s nothing but a block of solid sugar, and eating it stokes such a rush of mad energy that they all end up having a rave in the office.

Sugar doesn’t actually give you that mythical high, but it can do something far worse to your brain and neural networks. A new study in the journal Scientific Reports offers evidence that chronically elevated blood sugar damages a specific protein in your body called MIF, and that impedes its function.

When undamaged, MIF is a key immunoregulator and also is involved in insulin regulation. But, say the researchers, when damaged by chronic exposure to elevated blood sugar levels, glucose-modified and oxidized MIF may cause big problems: It’s linked to oxidative stress and impaired immune response that can lead to the cognitive decline observed in dementia and the development of amyloid tangles that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

So you can now add the peril of Alzheimer’s to the increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease that’s associated with eating added sugars, added syrups and stripped carbohydrates. That’s why, although the American Heart Association recommends that you limit added sugar intake to six teaspoons a day for women and nine for men, we say aim for none!

The natural sugars in whole grains and five to nine servings daily of veggies and fruits supply what you need for optimal health and a sweet treat!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune in to “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.