Free The Animal

It was last April when I pointed to a study suggesting that Alzheimer’s might be linked to the whole sugar-insulin deal. That is: refined carbs and sugar, again. I pointed to this post at The IF Life in last weekend’s roundup, but here it is again for reference. This adds an interesting twist, in identifying an inflammatory omega-6 fat, arachidonic acid, as a potential culprit. And all this leads to speculation and hypotheses, now, that Alzheimer’s is actually a kind of third type of diabetes. Now scientists at Northwestern University have discovered why brain insulin signaling — crucial for memory formation — would stop working in Alzheimer’s disease. They have shown that a toxic protein found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering those neurons insulin resistant. (The protein, known to attack memory-forming synapses, is called an ADDL for “amyloid ß-derived diffusible ligand.”) With other research showing that levels of brain insulin and its related receptors are lower in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, the Northwestern study sheds light on the emerging idea of Alzheimer’s being a “type 3″ diabetes. As Mike O’Donnell says: Insulin and inflammation do run hand in hand. So could…

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I’m way behind in my reading. This is from May, but definitely worth the read. Scott Kustes of Moder Forager, guest blogging at Mark’s Daily Apple. I now do all of my stir frys in coconut oil. It is by far the most pleasant fat I’ve ever worked with and cooked with. I even use it in non-cooked things, like a spoonful in a whey protein shake with vanilla and a couple of raw eggs, and heavy cream and ice in the blender. It offers a wonderful and light coconut flavor. It has a tremendously high smoke point, so it’s great for the wok on full blast. Here’s another: heat some up in a sauce pan and use it as a dip for grilled shrimp, just like you’d dip crab or lobster in drawn, clarified butter. Yummy.

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