Eating chocolates and other types of sweets in excess can make people more forgetful, a new study suggests.
Researchers have found that maintaining low sugar levels in the blood is actually better for the brain. The study showed that people with too much sugar in their blood were more likely to experience memory problems, according to Daily Mail. These results were found after the researchers examined 141 people with an average of 63 in age who were never diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Those who took less sugar in their blood more likely scored better in memory tests compared to those who didn't.
The research published in the journal Neurology also found that people with high sugar levels in their blood were less able to recall a list of 15 words to 30 minutes after hearing them. Dr. Agnes Floel of Charite University Hospital in Berlin said, "these results suggest even for people within the normal range of blood sugar lowering 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", she added. The participants involved in the study were then tested along with their glucose levels in the blood. They also had brain scans to measure the size of their hippocampus. Dr. Claire 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", she added.
