Cut Sugar for Your Brain
Reported January 05, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Diabetics aren’t the only ones who need to monitor their blood sugar. New research shows maintaining blood sugar levels could stave off cognitive decline as you age.
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers found decreasing activity in the dentate gyrus — a part of the brain responsible for making new memories — correlated with levels of blood glucose. Other measures that change as we age, including insulin levels, body mass index and cholesterol, were also analyzed, but blood glucose was the only factor linked to decline in the part of the brain called the hippocampus. The findings also suggest taking measures to control blood glucose levels, like dietary changes, regular exercise or medication, could help prevent normal cognitive decline associated with aging.
“While more research is needed into the complex interaction of late-life disease and how it may affect the hippocampus, this new study is part of an ongoing effort to identify specific areas where interventions might preserve cognitive health,” Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Aging’s Division of Neuroscience, was quoted as saying.
SOURCE: Annals of Neurology, 2008