Blood sugar levels that are too high or too low can be bad for the brain. Why that’s so and what you can do to protect your brain.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Your brain needs a lot of power to run — so much that it uses 20% of your body’s whole energy supply.
Its main energy source is sugar – or glucose – from food.
But if glucose levels in your blood are too high, it can lead to diabetes …. and harm the brain.
High blood sugar damages small arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood that feeds your brain.
With too little blood, brain cells can die.
This may lead to a decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning… and eventually to a type of dementia known as vascular dementia.
Having diabetes can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease as well.
People who don’t have diabetes, but whose blood glucose levels are above normal—a category known as pre-diabetes—are also more likely to develop cognitive problems.
Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, which can happen accidentally to people on diabetes medication, may be bad for your brain, too.
Symptoms include dizziness, shakiness, weakness, and confusion.
Severely low blood sugar can lead to seizures, loss of consciousness, or coma.
To protect your brain, keep your blood sugar in the normal range by maintaining a healthy weight…getting regular exercise…and eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, fiber, nuts, and fish, and low in refined carbohydrates like white bread and sweets.
If you’re prescribed medication for diabetes, take it as directed.
By controlling your blood sugar, you’ll help keep your brain… and the rest of your body… healthy.