Comments on: Treating ‘Type 3 Diabetes’ Of The Brain With Insulin And Drugs–Have Researchers Gone Completely Crazy?

By: Josef Brandenburg

Josef Brandenburg — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:16:06 +0000

Fascinating that one of the big factors is insulin resistance in the brain.

Dr. McCleary may have a point about getting insulin into the brain if insulin resistance their manifests as decreasing transport accross the blood-brain barrier. At that point is it possible to improve insulin sensitivty and/or get more into the brain without drugs?

By: Ted Hutchinson

Ted Hutchinson — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:17:34 +0000

http://www.drmccleary.com/2009/02/09/LoCarbAndTheBrain.aspx
Dr Larry McCleary has a blog on this research.
You will note he places the emphasis on
“there are other ways to enhance brain insulin signaling, which include calorie and carbohydrate restriction. These interventions were studied in mice who were placed on low calorie/low carb diets. ”
and
” modification of lifestyle factors such as nutrition may prove crucial to Alzheimer’s disease management.”

Right, Ted, I asked Dr. McCleary to respond to this. I look forward to sharing my podcast interview with him this Thursday. Check it out!

–Jimmy

By: Tom Bunnell

Tom Bunnell — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:48:29 +0000

If we were telling people about the adverse effects of Amphetamine or Methamphetamine or Speed or Cocaine they would readily agree. — Unfortunately they are unable to equate the stimulant drug, sugar and starch and hybrid carbohydrates with this same effect!

By: Cora Salvino

Cora Salvino — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:03:23 +0000

I agree with the people who say that this study actually supports low carb for Alzheimer’s prevention. This is a tissue culture study. They were just trying to prove that insulin prevents the changes associated with Alzheimer’s. This really says nothing about treatment since neither insulin nor diabetes drugs would cross the blood-brain barrier. The best way to prevent the problem would be maintaining sensitivity in the insulin receptors in the brain. The best way to do that is with a low carb diet.

No doubt that it does if we put two and two together for people. But with headlines blaring “Insulin and drugs best treatment for Alzheimer’s disease,” the first thing that crosses people’s minds isn’t livin’ la vida low-carb sadly. This is exactly what happens to Type 2 diabetics, too, so we should not be surprised. That’s why we must continue to educate people about low-carb and why it will best manage their health.

–Jimmy

By: RandoMan

RandoMan — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:38:02 +0000

Jimmy, I think it is very easy to see that this study actually bolsters the case for low-carb diet.

Just reading the following Reuter’s excerpt:

“In Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas isn’t making insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, your tissues are insensitive to insulin because of problems in the insulin receptor. Type 3 is where that insulin receptor problem is localized in the brain,” Klein said in a telephone interview.

“The effect was amplified when they added the drug rosiglitazone, which increases insulin sensitivity.”

So I think the study got the cause-and-effect right (the less sensitive to insulin the more age-related Alzheimer risk). It is only in the remedy the study got it completely wrong since flooding with more insulin will only decrease insulin sensitivity further in the long term. (Of course these people are always short term and in addition have drugs to sell.)

And the REMEDY is the most important part, RandoMan. It does no good to identify a problem if the best solution for treating it is all but ignored.

–Jimmy

By: Dan (aka Renegadediabetic)

Dan (aka Renegadediabetic) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:27:58 +0000

Stupid. $$$$$$ trumps science again.