Alzheimers as another form of diabetes?

Food for thought from the latest edition of the New Scientist:

"It is well known that bad diets can trigger obesity and diabetes. There is growing evidence that they trigger Alzheimer's disease too, and some researchers now see it as just another form of diabetes" - New Scientist

"Until recently, the hormone (insulin) was typecast as a regulator of blood sugar, giving the cue for muscles, liver and fat cells to extract sugar from the blood and either use it for energy or store it as fat. We now know that it is a master multitasker: it helps neurons, particularly in the hippocampus and frontal lobe, take up glucose for energy, and it also regulates neurotransmitters, like acetylcholine, which are crucial for memory and learning. What's more, it encourages plasticity - the process through which neurons change shape, make new connections and strengthen others. And it is important for the function and growth of blood vessels, which supply the brain with oxygen and glucose." - New Scientist

I'm still snacking on cakes etc as a way to bulk up a bit, but will soon go completely "clean". It's increasingly difficult to see any upside from consuming sweet stuffs and other pure carbs, beyond an initial sugar rush that leaves you wanting more shortly after. Having gone for long periods without on previous occassions, I know this is easily doable. The hurdle is just the initial adaptation period.