[Research] Is Glucose Brain Food?

[Cint]

This article is interesting. It states that scientists are just beginning to uncover the brain's role in insulin/glucose as it relates to diabetes. Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!!
And to think that I allowed some brain surgeon cut on my hippocampus, only to make the seizures worse, depression and cause diabetes.


http://www.qualityhealth.com/diabete...ose-brain-food

By Kyle McClure
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board

Scientists are only beginning to uncover the brain’s role in normal insulin and glucose control as it relates to diabetes. Likewise, the cognitive deficits associated with the disease are just recently being understood. So what has been discovered so far? Research has revealed that diabetes is associated with impaired cognitive function and an increased risk for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. According to the Society for Neuroscience, brain cells, memory function, learning ability, and regulation of metabolic processes are all areas that are affected by glucose levels and diabetes. Let’s take a closer look:

The Science
When diabetes strikes and insulin's signal is ignored by the cells, the brain may not get the large amount of glucose energy it needs. Glucose is the quintessential brain food, and without a proper meal, the brain may lose cells and memory function. Studies are suggesting that insulin and related growth proteins in the brain are vital for cell survival--and both glucose and insulin appear to regulate many brain functions. The hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in learning and memory, is affected by the lack of glucose energy needed to facilitate these processes. The cognitive deficits that occur are only beginning to be understood by researchers.
In addition to the hippocampus, the hypothalamus (the area of the brain responsible for regulating metabolic processes and activities) also appears to be involved. Things like hunger, thirst, body temperature, energy, balance, body weight, and the sensitivity of the liver and muscles to insulin all seem to be affected.
The Society for Neuroscience studies are showing that chronic episodes of high or low levels of blood glucose directly impacts insulin's action in the brain, thus damaging brain cells and leading to cognitive impairments. So the key to safeguarding against damaging your brain follows the hallmark of diabetes treatment recommended by the American Diabetes Association: tight controls around blood glucose levels.

[hootie]

I keep coming back to this idea. My son regressed into autism at about 1.5 years old, started having absence seizures around age 10. My hubby was diagnosed with diabetes at the end of June (although I think he was probably diabetic for at least 4-6 months before being diagnosed).

My son seems to have more seizures with too much carbs in his diet and also gets wacky (crabby, irritable, uncooperative) if he needs to eat (low blood glucose?).

One more reason to make sure my hubby keeps tight reign on the glucose levels. I don't need him to have Alzheimer's down the road. I have enough issues to handle already!

I wonder if autism is also related to a brain/glucose issue (for some people).

[sandi]

I wish I knew where I read the info , but there is a Theory out there that the brain uses the glucose during a seizure differently and that the impending sleep that comes after is similar to hypogylcemia.
Thanks it's very interesting.