Is Fasting a Good Way to Stave Off Alzheimer’s?
Metabolic health and brain health are closely linked. Scientists are looking at whether fasting could protect us from neurodegeneration.
The longer you use a car, a cell phone, or any other tool, the more likely it is going to break down. Parts wear out, dashboards and screens crack, and batteries die. A similar process occurs in our body, as cells and organs accumulate damage over the course of a lifetime. Despite heavy usage, it is nothing short of remarkable that the brain is able to work so efficiently for so long. But around the age of 60, signs of aging and deterioration begin to appear.
What if we could turn back the clock on the brain and reduce cellular damage, wear and tear? In Alzheimer’s, glucose metabolism slows down, making it hard for brain cells to generate energy. This slowed metabolism is, in turn, also linked to a build-up of amyloid plaque — one of the key biomarkers of Alzheimer’s.
Excerpted from Being Patient
