Sugar in blood can shrink your brain

medical research
Doctors ought to think again about what is a normal blood-sugar level.
Researchers in Australia have found that even those now considered
normal are at greater risk of the brain shrinkage thatcomes with
type-2 diabetes and is evident in dementia patients.
"We found that even within the normal range, and in people without
diabetes, higher sugar levels were associated with greater shrinking
of the hippocampus," said Nicolas Cherbuin, head of the brain lab at
the Australian National University in Canberra.
"If these findings are replicated in other cohorts,norms for blood
sugar levels and diabetes may need to be re-examined." Over four years
Cherbuin studied 249 people aged 60-64 whose blood sugar was in the
normal range of 4-6.1 millimoles per litre.
He found that those in the top of the range were more likely to have
loss of brain volume in the hippocampus and the amygdala than those in
the lower blood-glucose range. The hippocampus and the amygdala are
important to memory and cognitive skills.
Type-2 diabetes is often put down to poor lifestyle choices and the
same goesfor high blood sugar. To ward off brain shrinkage, eat well
and get fit — and try and avoid the stressful things in life.
"Lack of exercise and chronic stress also affect blood sugar levels
and a healthy lifestyle should include regular exercise and avoiding
chronic stress," Cherbuin said.