Type 2 Diabetes - How Diabetes And Blood Sugar Levels Affect Your Memory!

It is true having Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can cause a shift in your clarity and level of thinking. But just how much of a difference it can make is directly determined by the amount of glucose or sugar in your entire system, and not just in your bloodstream.

To fully understand the connection between the two, you have to take a close look at the brain. The main fuel source for the brain comes from glucose. The brain's overall environment is controlled by cells of miniature blood vessels that form a barrier... the barrier serves an important dual purpose. It works to rid the brain of several different items from brain metabolism by-products as well as particles that are chemically charged, while keeping up with the movement of nutrients throughout the brain.

The brain needs a constant supply of sugar since there is very little storage space available to house it. The brain is unable to store glucose, so it depends on an uninterrupted supply of glucose from the blood. It is important to keep the brain fed with glucose since it is such a necessary part of normal brain function. It is also imperative the level of glucose in the brain remains constant since the glucose level dipping too low or rising too high, will result in memory problems for people with diabetes.

The sugar in your blood come from:


•your food, via your liver,
•the breakdown of glucose stored as glycogen in the liver (called glycogenolysis),
•protein and fat, converted in the liver to form glucose (called gluconeogenesis).

While the hormone insulin lowers your blood sugar level, there are a number of hormones in your body which can raise it. The defence against hypoglycemia is extremely important. Those symptoms associated with low blood sugar are caused by your brain's response to a lack of glucose as well as a direct response of the counter-regulatory hormones.

The reason glucose affects memory so radically is due to the fact it is constantly needed to be present in the bloodstream to act as fuel for neurotransmission. Neurotransmission is necessary for memory and learning, so if there are any gaps in your blood sugar supply it automatically affects one's learning ability, as well as your memory.

Although your brain can adapt to use other types of fuel, such as ketones, even slight "skips" in a regular glucose supply results in a reaction. If levels are allowed to drop, then the result is impaired concentration and a lapse in memory, or an inability to be able to focus attention on something. It may also surface as not being able to process information as quickly and efficiently as if blood sugar levels were optimal.

While we are already aware of the significance glucose or sugar plays in the physical aspects of your body, you can see how keeping a sharp mental focus is also vital. Without being keenly aware of what is transpiring, it would be rather difficult for you to know if your blood sugar is being properly monitored. This is why having a clear mental focus is so important, not only so you become aware there is an issue, but so you are also able to clearly communicate it to others. It also means if you are alone you would have the ability to take care of the matter yourself.