Lots of sugar, less mind

New research claims that high blood sugar levels are critical to long-term **mental decline. ** Which means that having a lot of sugar running through our body harms the function of the mind. But what contributes to high blood sugar levels?

Some key contributors include:

• Stress - Stress triggers a rise in blood sugar to ensure energy is available for action. Stress is more than an uncomfortable feeling, it is a complete chemical change in the body. Adrenaline increases, more glucose is released from the liver, and cortisol levels increase. Making the body’s tissues less sensitive to insulin. The hormone that allows the regulation of blood sugar levels. So you have to relax.
• Sleep: Not sleeping well or getting enough sleep affects the body’s hormonal levels and the ability to regulate and metabolize glucose.
• Exercise: Too little or too much exercise can also alter the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels.
• Smoking: Smoking has been found to make the body more resistant to insulin’s important functions in regulating blood glucose.
• Food: Eating foods high in carbohydrates can contribute to high blood sugar levels. But this is the most obvious point. Anyway, it doesn’t hurt to point it out,

What does this mean for our cognitive function?

The decisions we make now can affect our mental health in the future. It’s scary that things like Alzheimer’s start years before patients show symptoms of memory loss, for example. It’s a good time to consider fitness and your eating habits holistically and how some of the things we do may be helping to raise your blood sugar levels. Truly take care of yourself, many of the problems that scare us about old age can be avoided if you moderate your habits.