How’s your memory? How high is your blood sugar? Can these two things possibly be related?

According to an online article of the journal Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, “Even for people who don’t have diabetes or high blood sugar, those with higher blood sugar levels are more likely to have memory problems.”

Martha Grout, MD, MD(H), founder of the Arizona Center of Advanced Medicine in Scottsdale, explains that “A 2008 Columbia University study showed that rising blood sugar levels, a common occurrence with aging, affect a part of the brain critical to making new memories.”

So what is this connection between the aging brain and sugar anyway?

A part of the brain called the hippocampus is an important part of memory and people with higher blood sugar levels have smaller volumes of their hippocampus.  The researchers at Columbia University found that a rise in blood glucose levels in the brain was the only factor closely tied to decreasing activity in the memory critical part of the hippocampus.

What can we do about this?  Exercise!  (and eat less sugar of course)

Exercise helps to lower blood sugar because the muscles use up the glucose! People who exercise more, are physically active, have less cognitive decline generally.

Could this be related to insulin resistance?  

If you have developed insulin resistance, your body and brain will use sugar less effectively (cells are resistant to accepting the glucose) and there will be more circulating glucose in your brain.  Take away message: eat more vegetables and healthy fats. Work with your iRNPA to learn more about how you can reverse this insulin resistance and reduce your blood sugar levels in your brain.

Want to learn more?  Follow the links above to learn how you can maintain a better memory as you age.