Your Brain on Blood Sugar
There’s nothing magical about it, learning, memory, and all other cog-
nitive functions have an undeniable relationship with stable blood
sugar. Whether you’re healthy or not, blood-sugar irregularities can
hit you at any time, adversely affecting brain function.
While the body utilizes both fat and sugar for energy, the brain is
primarily dependent upon sugar. If the level of blood sugar rises too
much, or falls too low, the brain has an immediate reduced capacity.
This means you don’t remember as well, don’t respond as well to
external stimuli, and can’t learn as easily. Reductions in overall men-
tal performance can follow. From early in life a child’s poor learning
can be a problem. As adults we joke about “brain damage.” In older
adults cognitive dysfunction such as Alzheimer’s disease is on the
rise. Creativity, in both children and adults, is another mental process
that can be compromised when blood sugar is not balanced.
As I have discussed in detail throughout this book, blood sugar is
controlled by a number of factors, especially food, nutrition, exercise
and stress. Here’s a quick review:
- High-glycemic carbohydrates, especially sugar and
processed flour products, can reduce and impair brain
function due to the effects of insulin. The application of
this fact is simple: Don’t go to work or send your kids to
school after a breakfast of high-glycemic cereal or other
sweets. Most adults know not to drink and drive, but
many still go to work, operate vehicles or embark on
other activities that require optimal brain function with-
out the right fuel. - Blood sugar can be controlled exceptionally well by
snacking on healthy items. By eating five or six meals
daily you can help stabilize blood sugar, allowing the
brain to do its job properly. - Stress can wreak havoc on blood sugar and reduce brain
function (stress is discussed in more detail in Chapter 31). - Physical activity can help improve brain function in
many ways. Aerobic exercise can help improve blood-
244 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH