Memory

Is there anything I can do to protect my memory
as I get older?

    A study from New York University shows that middle-aged
and elderly people with high blood sugar levels have a smaller
hippocampus, the region of the brain that regulates a person’s
ability to remember facts and events.  If the findings can be
confirmed by other future studies, healthy lifestyle changes
could help many people protect themselves from becoming senile.  
    High blood sugar levels damage every tissue in your
body.  Diabetics are at high risk for loss of memory because
diabetes damages blood vessels that supply the brain, heart and
other organs.  These people may suffer loss of memory long before
they are diagnosed as having diabetes (Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, February 2003).  Dr. Antonio Convit studied
30 non-diabetic middle-aged and elderly people. He measured how
they performed on several memory tests, and how quickly they
metabolized blood sugar after a meal.  Using MRI scans, he measured
the size of a part of the brain called the  hippocampus. He found
that those who had blood sugar levels rise higher after meals had
worse memory performance and a smaller hippocampus. 
    The damage to the hippocampus can be reversed when high
blood sugar levels are brought to normal.  While we await further
studies, protect your memory with a lifestyle that will help you
avoid diabetes: control your weight, limit refined carbohydrates
(foods made with flour, white rice or milled corn, and all added
sugars), and get plenty of exercise.
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