Posted on 08/23/2023 7:27:56 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is disruption to the body's circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock. Nearly 80% of people with Alzheimer's experience these issues, including difficulty sleeping and worsening cognitive function at night. However, there are no existing treatments for Alzheimer's that target this aspect of the disease.
A study has shown in mice that it is possible to correct the circadian disruptions seen in Alzheimer's disease with time-restricted feeding, a type of intermittent fasting focused on limiting the daily eating window without limiting the amount of food consumed.
In the study, mice fed on a time-restricted schedule showed improvements in memory and reduced accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain.
"For many years, we assumed that the circadian disruptions seen in people with Alzheimer's are a result of neurodegeneration, but we're now learning it may be the other way around—circadian disruption may be one of the main drivers of Alzheimer's pathology," said Paula Desplats, Ph.D.
The researchers tested this strategy in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, feeding the mice on a time-restricted schedule. For humans, this would translate to about 14 hours of fasting each day.
Compared to control mice who were provided food at all hours, mice fed on the time-restricted schedule had better memory, were less hyperactive at night, followed a more regular sleep schedule and experienced fewer disruptions during sleep. The test mice also performed better on cognitive assessments than control mice.
The researchers also observed improvements in the mice on a molecular level. In mice fed on a restricted schedule, the researchers found that multiple genes associated with Alzheimer's and neuroinflammation were expressed differently. They also found that the feeding schedule helped reduce the amount of amyloid protein that accumulated in the brain.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Interesting.
Curious about the A1c history for dementia victims.
Intermittent fasting and stay off of the statins. If they cross the brain blood barrier, you will lose mental cognition.
Thanks for posting the article, it's interesting.
Observation is these older folks eat supper around 1700 and breakfast at 0700 or later.
They have met or exceeded the 14 hour “fast” on a normal bases and still get Old Timers as in my Dad’s example.
No Idea about blood sugar, but have have dropped about 15 pounds this summer.
I do 18 hours of fasting a day.
(14 hours of daily fasting)................followed by 10 hours of binge eating?...................
She’s a mink!
I’ve been doing this fast for about six months now. I’m down to my high school weight and now want to just put on more muscle. I love it.
Congrats!
We find it keeps our appetite lower and have little desire to eat, much of the time.
I believe it most comes down to normalizing blood sugar and insulin use.
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