Obesity and Alzheimer’s

NIH Image Gallery from Bethesda, Maryland, USA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the Alzheimer’s affected brain, abnormal levels of beta-amyloid protein clump together to form plaques (seen in brown) that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function. Abnormal collections of the protein accumulate and form tangles (seen in blue) within neurons, harming synaptic communication between nerve cells.

When it comes to the connection between obesity and Alzheimer’s, here’s what we know:

📌 We know that roughly one quarter of the cholesterol in our bodies resides in our brains.

📌 We know that as obesity numbers rise, so do the number of people with high cholesterol.

📌 We know that researchers have found that patients with high levels of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol in their blood tended to have more harmful tangles of protein (𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑎 𝑎𝑚𝑦𝑙𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠) inside their brains.

📌 We know that in the Alzheimer’s affected brain, abnormal levels of these beta amyloid placques collect between neurons and disrupt cell function.

This adds to the growing evidence that poor diet and cholesterol plays a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

One of the best ways to keep our brains healthy — both from stroke and Alzheimer’s — is to maintain a healthy weight.