Feeling forgetful? Here’s one possible reason: Higher blood sugar is associated with memory problems—even in people without diabetes, according to a new German study.
MRI scans of people with normal blood sugar levels showed that the hippocampus area of the brain—which plays an important role in memory—was smaller in those on the higher end of the scale. Folks with elevated readings also remembered fewer words on a memory test.
While glucose can affect the brain in a number of ways, it likely damages memory by causing mini-strokes and coagulations, or small blood clots that can go unnoticed, says Michael J. Schneck, M.D., of Loyola University Medical Center.
Control your levels by working out at least 20 to 30 minutes a day. It takes a only a few days of missed workouts (and bad eating) to worsen insulin resistance, says Barry Braun, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
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