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The connection between sugar and Alzheimer’s can not be disputed.

The New Scientist Magazine, September 3, 2012 issue explains the sugar-Alzheimer’s link as the condition by which our muscle, fat, and liver cells stop responding to insulin.

The cells no longer metabolize glucose properly thereby leading to insulin resistance or pre-diabetes.

This, then causes the pancreas to produce excess amounts of insulin even as excess glucose builds up in the blood causing insulin spikes which overwhelm the brain.

Insulin also regulates neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, which are crucial for memory and learning and is also important for the function and growth of blood vessels, which supply oxygen and glucose to the brain.

There’s also research tying brain dysfunction directly to excess sugar consumption. In a 2012 study, UCLA scientists fed rats a heavy ration of fructose (which makes up roughly a half of both table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup) and noted both insulin resistance and impaired brain function within six weeks. Interestingly, they found both insulin function and brain performance to improve in the sugar-fed rats when they were also fed omega-3 fatty acids. In other words, another quirk of the American diet, deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids, seems to make us more vulnerable to the onslaught of sweets.

Another facet of our diets, lots of cheap added fats, may also trigger insulin problems and brain dysfunction. New Scientist flags yet another recent study, this one from University of Washington researchers, finding that rats fed a high-fat diet for a year lost their ability to regulate insulin, developed diabetes, and showed signs of brain deterioration.

Government subsidies of corn and sugar have made these commodities incredibly inexpensive for the food industry which puts sweeteners in almost everything we eat.

This, at the same time Alzheimer’s costs $200 billion a year in health care alone.

The U.S. government has declared a mandate to find a cure for Alzheimer’s by 2025.

Cheap sugar comes at a very high price, indeed.

Coconut oil is credited with a great deal of health benefits which range from promoting weight loss to fighting bacteria, fungus and viruses, however it is the promise of a treatment for Alzheimer’s and dementia that has made the news.

Find ways to get nature’s superfood into your diet for all of the many health benefits offered by coconut oil.

When it comes to our bodies we all know that the good fats are best.

But what about our brains?

The results published online May 18 in the journal Annals of Neurology has shown that the cognitive function of older women who ate monounsaturated fats was better than those who ate saturated and trans fats.

Compared with those women who ate the lowest amounts of saturated fats, women in the highest saturated-fat category showed worse overall cognition and memory over the four years of testing. Women who ate the most mono-unsaturated fats, which can be found in olive oil, had better patterns of cognitive scores over time. Trans fats weren’t associated with changes in cognition over time, the researchers reported.

With diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia on the rise, the benefits could be greater that simply better memories and improved cognition.

Preventive measures to stem the increase of debilitating brain illness could benefit millions.

Forgetfulness is a part of everyone’s life, but when should you worry that it may be the symptom of something worse?

Here are 5 signs that your forgetfulness may be a sign of something more serious.

Your memory problems frighten you.

You’ve changed how you work or play because of memory problems.

Friends or family point out mistakes and/or express concern.

You notice friends or family starting to cover for you.

You find it hard to make choices.

“For many people with early dementia, the nature of the memory problems frighten them or cause a strong emotional reaction,” Robbins says. The fear tends to stem from knowing in your gut that something’s “just not right.”

Other examples: You’re uneasy because you can’t explain how your car keys wound up in the refrigerator — and it’s the second or third time you’ve found them in an odd spot. Or you’re driving down the road and suddenly have no idea where you are or where you’re heading — and a few moments later, you realize you’re on the same old road to work.

Talk to your physician about your concerns and help him/her to create a baseline of your mental health to monitor any changes or reason for concern.

The good news is that there are ways to prevent dementia.

Improving lifestyle choices including diet and exercise can help your brain function improve and stave off illness.

Unlike other structures in the brain, the hippocampus can increase in size in adults. Studies show moderate exercise, mental stimulation, meditation, and treatment for cardiovascular disease, clinical depression and obstructive sleep apnea all increase the size of the hippocampus.

Everyday you have a chance to improve your health with every choice you make.