Eating sweets can make you forgetful -Study

BAD news if you've got a sweet tooth - eating too many
sweets could make you forgetful.
Researchers have found that maintaining low sugar levels in
the blood is good for the brain.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, showed
people with too much sugar in their blood were more likely
to have memory problems.
Researchers looked at 141 people with an average age of 63
who did not have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Those with less sugar in their blood were more likely to
score well on memory tests.
The researchers found that people with high levels of sugar
in their blood were less able to recall a list of 15 words 30
minutes after hearing them.
An increase of about seven mmol/mol of a long-term
marker of glucose control called HbA1c went along with
remembering two fewer words.
Dr Agnes Floel, of Charite University Hospital in Berlin,
said: 'These results suggest even for people within the
normal range of blood sugar lowering their blood sugar
levels could be a promising strategy for preventing memory
problems and cognitive decline as they age.
'Strategies such as lowering calorie intake and increasing
physical activity should be tested.'
Volunteers who were overweight, who drank more than
three-and-a-half servings of alcohol per day and who had
memory and thinking problems were ruled out before the
study started.
The participants' memory skills were then tested along with
their blood glucose levels.
Participants also had brain scans to measure the size of their
hippocampus.
Dr Clare Walton, research communications manager for the
Alzheimer's Society, said: 'We already know that type 2
diabetes is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease,
but this new study suggests that higher blood sugar levels
may also be linked to poor memory in people without
diabetes.
'The research suggests that regulating blood sugar levels
might be a way to improve people's memory, even if they
don't have diabetes.
'However, before people without diabetes consider changing
their diets or taking medication, more research is needed to
test this theory. One in three people over 65 will develop
dementia so investing in research like this is vital.'
Source: DailyMail