What used to help humans survive famines—slowing down metabolism and storing fat—might now be causing Alzheimer’s because we’re always eating sugar and never getting a break.

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Evidence from Studies

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Could Alzheimer's disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism?

Narrative Review

2023 Mar

This study says that our bodies have an old survival trick that uses fructose (a type of sugar) to save energy when food is scarce—but if we eat too much sugar over a long time, this trick backfires and might cause Alzheimer’s. It matches the claim exactly.

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Source Study

Could Alzheimer's disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism?

Score: 1

DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.002

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