9. Weight Gain is a Factor

Although a major study has found extremely overweight adults were between two to three times as likely to develop some form of dementia later on in life, there is some skepticism about whether or not being overweight can lead to dementia. We do know that a correlation between obesity and unhealthy eating does exist; with sugar being a major player in weight gain.

Insulin, produced by the pancreas, is created to help store sugar. Over time, the body builds up immunity to insulin, which has two negative effects. First, the pancreas creates even more insulin, hampering  energy giving glucose from reaching the brain, causing a bit of a starvation effect. Second, insulin is used in the brain to help store long term memories. As the brain develops immunity to insulin, it’s easy to see how this could create conditions ripe for Alzheimer’s.