From: unk...@googlegroups.com   
      
   How Food Cravings Change with Dementia   
   November 3, 2014   
   Alzheimer's Stages/ Dementia   
      
   Alissa Sauer   
      
      
      
      
   Many people with dementia experience sudden changes in appetite preferences   
   and an increase in unhealthy cravings. As the disease progresses, taste buds   
   diminish, insulin in the brain can drop and some people experience intense   
   cravings for high-calorie    
   foods. How Food Cravings Change with Dementia   
   Learn more about how to manage these cravings to help keep your loved one   
   healthy.   
      
   Appetite Changes As A Result of Dementia   
   As most caregivers know, many people who have dementia experience sudden   
   changes in appetite which can lead to appetite loss, weight loss or increased   
   cravings of sugary foods and weight gain. Often people with dementia don't   
   taste food and experience    
   flavor like they once did, which can change appetite preferences. Because   
   taste buds are diminished as people age, people with dementia opt for heavy   
   foods or foods with a lot of flavor, like sugary sweets.   
      
   Some researchers also believe that there is a link between type 2 diabetes and   
   Alzheimer's, even going so far as to call Alzheimer's a third type of   
   diabetes. Researchers have found that the brain actually produces insulin,   
   just like the pancreas. The    
   amount of insulin produced in the brain drops as Alzheimer's progresses, which   
   leads to brain cell death, especially in the parts of the brain responsible   
   for memory.   
      
   Further linking sugary cravings and dementia, recent studies have shown that   
   when dementia attacks the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, unhealthy cravings   
   increase. That part of the brain is responsible for self-restraint in our   
   diet. Thus, when a person    
   has dementia and that particular cortex is hijacked, they often experience   
   preferences for high calorie foods.   
   Managing and Addressing Cravings   
      
   Whether your loved one is craving sugar and experiencing weight gain or you   
   are having trouble getting him or her to eat at all, there are few basic   
   guidelines to ensure proper nutrition.   
      
   1. Eat in a quiet and calm room with limited distractions so that your loved   
   one can focus on eating.   
   2. Eat meals together which can increase the likelihood that your loved one   
   will eat the healthy meal provided.   
   3. Pack in protein. Even if your loved one cannot chew meat well, try eggs,   
   milk-based pudding, or even protein powder.   
   4. Cut food into small pieces to make eating easier if your loved one can no   
   longer use utensils.   
   5. Puree vegetables and add them to a shake if your loved one will not eat   
   vegetables on their own.   
   6. Strengthen the prefrontal cortex responsible for dietary self-restraint by   
   avoiding alcohol, getting adequate sleep, and exercising.   
   7. At the end of life, allow them to indulge. Registered Dietician, Jillian   
   Ball of Ball & Associates Nutrition Counseling says:   
   "Food is one of the last things people can enjoy when they're sick."   
   She cautions that if they still have a long life ahead of them to watch their   
   sugar intake and monitor blood sugar if they have diabetes.   
      
      
   Related Articles:   
   Why Alzheimer's Might Be Type 2 Diabetes   
   Is Alzheimer's the Newest Form of Diabetes?   
   6 Health Ailments that Accompany Alzheimer's    
      
      
      
   http://www.alzheimers.net/11-3-14-dementia-food-cravings   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)