Control Blood Sugar to Preserve Memory
We've known for awhile that cognitive decline is associated with diabetes -- Alzeheimer's disease has even been called a "third form of diabetes". Now, more recent research is showing us more about how blood sugar is impacting age-associated memory loss, even in people without diabetes. This study, published in the December 2008 Annals of Neurology, showed a clear relationship between blood glucose levels and reduced blood flow and activity in a part of the brain important in learning and memory. Dr. Scott Small, one of the investigators on the project, has been quoted in the New York Times as saying "If we conclude this is underlying normal age-related cognitive decline, then it affects all of us" and in Health Day as saying "This would suggest that anything to improve regulation of blood glucose would potentially be a way to ameliorate age-related memory decline". He then goes on to talk about the value of exercise in regulating blood glucose, and that exercise has been shown to protect cognitive function.
One of the statements made in the article is that rising blood glucose is a "normal part of aging". Certainly, we know that as we age a greater percentage of us are insulin resistant, prediabetic, and diabetic. We also know that you don't have to be diabetic to have some of the unfortunate consequences of high blood glucose. In fact, the blood glucose cut-off for pre-diabetes was determined because this is the point where some people start showing some of the complications of diabetes.
Of course, we also know that a diet lower in carbohydrate is a very effective way to regulate blood glucose. This only makes sense, because blood glucose rises in response to carbohydrate in the diet. Again and again, people on our low-carb forum and in blog comments describe how they were able to achieve normal blood glucose levels through low-carb eating.
Source:
Wu, Willioan, et al. "The brain in the age of old: The hippocampal formation is targeted differentially by diseases of late life." Annals of Neurology 64.6 (2008): 698 - 706.
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What a great and insightful blog post. I have battled type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years with success thanks to a low-carb lifestyle.
I also have PCOS & Hashimoto’s so am one of those lucky folks that must virtually live in a state of benign dietary ketosis on less than 40 carbs per day.
High blood sugars (and low) are truly detrimental to our bodies so I just wanted to add to your blog that benign dietary ketosis (resulting in ketones fueling the brain) is not the same thing as ketones from hyperglycemia. I am not suggesting everyone can benefit safely from following a severely carb-restricted diet (I have my doctor’s blessing, by the way), but that carbs are the main culprits that drive up blood sugars and should be watched.
The ADA lowered its threshold for fasting blood glucose and post prandial glucose levels as well for both pre-diabetes and for diabetics. I am glad that more and more health professionals are recognizing the importance of taking early steps to prevent onset of type 2.
Thanks for the new study link. I work in the diabetes industry and had not seen this new study!
Lahle