“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” — William Butler Yeats

Monday. If you are enjoying a three-day weekend, great! Let’s hope the Sunday scaries don’t turn into Monday scaries. We decided not to take this Monday off because we didn’t want you to miss us too much. Moving on to some Taylor Swift news, the superstar’s upcoming Eras Tour concert film has pre-sold more than $100 million worth of tickets. Shocker—Taylor Swift fans really love Taylor Swift… and, apparently, football. Speaking of shockers, there might be a link between fructose and Alzheimer’s. Let’s dive in.

Fructose and Alzeheimer’s

Nowadays, it can be hard to imagine a time when food was scarce, and we had to go around foraging for something to eat. However, there was a time when this was true. Our earliest ancestors used to scrounge for food all the time, and when they did, their brains went into a special “low power” mode that helped them focus solely on the task at hand.

And now, researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus say this “low power” mode could be connected to Alzheimer’s disease. How? It turns out that this unique way our ancestors’ brains worked is connected to a type of sugar called fructose, which we now find everywhere, from soft drinks to candies.

The study dives deep into how early humans’ brains would produce fructose when food was scarce. This sugar played a handy role in limiting some brain functions, like memory, so the person could focus on searching for food. This ancient survival trick was a lifesaver back in the day, and, most importantly, it was reversible. But now, in a world where we are bombarded with fructose from every direction, this survival mechanism could be backfiring.

Let’s talk about why this matters. Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease that affects millions of people and is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Current treatments haven’t done enough to stop the disease, and with our changing diets moving more toward refined carbs and sweeteners., the situation is getting worse.

This latest research reinforces the idea that our eating habits might play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s. In particular, fructose seems to make our brain act like it’s always in this “low power” mode, focused on survival rather than functions like memory or reasoning.

How does this happen? When our body is in survival mode, fructose messes with how our cells use energy. It tells them to store the energy as fat instead of using it right away. This change leads to insulin resistance, increased fat storage, and inflammation. These are the hallmark signs of metabolic syndrome, a big red flag for diseases like Alzheimer’s.

So, what keeps our brains in this “low power” mode? Two things. First, we lost an enzyme millions of years ago due to a gene mutation, making us more sensitive to fructose. Great. Thanks a lot, evolution.

Second, our Western diet is packed with added sugars, salty foods, and alcohol, which all contribute to keeping our brains in this fructose-driven survival mode. Great, again.

Now, you might be thinking, what about fruits? They have fructose, too. The good news is that whole fruits don’t usually kickstart this ancient survival mechanism, perhaps because they have less fructose and more fiber than the processed foods we consume today.

And that’s not all. Researchers believe that being stuck in this fructose-induced survival mode can lead to the loss of neurons, leading to Alzheimer’s disease. More research is still needed to say for sure, but the early signs are pretty compelling. What we do know is that eating foods high in fructose could be making Alzheimer’s even more prevalent than it already is.

The key takeaway? This latest study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that our lifestyle choices, especially our diets, could be our greatest enemy or our best defense against Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline. We have a lot to think about in terms of how we can prevent or manage this devastating disease in the future, but the one thing we know for sure is that sugary drinks and processed foods aren’t doing us any favors.

Tonic Shots

1. So Easy, So Good

Baked chicken legs are an easy way to prep some protein for the week! Enjoy!

2. Stop Making The Same Boring Protein Shake

This blueberry-banana protein shake has it all and tastes great!

3. Indulge A Little

Cheesy cauliflower dippers? It’s a bit indulgent, but a great way to get some veggies that the kids will love.

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