The brain normally uses glucose for energy. It can also use ketones as they body goes into starvation mode, but glucose is certainly preferred.
To keep the brain healthy, it is important to keep your blood glucose at a healthy level. Diabetes has now been shown to also have a detrimental effects on the brain, in addition to the long list of other problems associated with chronic increases in blood sugar.
The brain can also develop its own kind of diabetes that we now call Type III diabetes. Type III diabetes is now being used synonymously with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Here’s a basic overview: insulin helps move blood sugar, or glucose, into the body’s cells. In Type I diabetes, the body doesn’t produce enough insulin. In Type II diabetes, the cells become resistant to insulin, so that even if there is enough insulin, it doesn’t get to the cells, and instead builds up in the blood. We can detect that with a blood test and also in a urine test when it gets elevated enough. Type III diabetes is similar, but it is characterized by insulin resistance of the brain itself.
Insulin is made almost exclusively in the pancreas. It can cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) with the help of transporter molecules. Once in the brain, insulin works a little different than it does in the rest of the body. Here in the brain, insulin helps to maintain the cells that make up the blood brain barrier. The insulin transporter is itself affected by insulin levels and affected by too much glucose or insulin in the blood. As your glucose begins to rise, insulin tends to follow (except in the case of Type I diabetes). This relationship between insulin and the BBB ultimately leads to the breakdown of the blood brain barrier.
Is there a link between diabetes and brain activity? Studies have shown that diabetics are two times more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s symptoms. A connection has been shown between insulin in the brain and both Parkinson’s and Huntingdon’s as well. One of the genes linked to insulin production in the brain is in the middle of the gene associated with Parkinson’s.
It appears that abnormalities in insulin regulation are part of the production of the protein plaques associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients.
In light of these findings, it is prudent to pay a little more attention to blood sugar levels and balance. You will need to do basic blood tests to check your fasting blood sugar as well as HbA1C. HbA1C is the glucose associated with red blood cells so this becomes an average of the last 3 months or so. LDH and CO2 levels help us learn something about your blood sugar controls.
If your blood sugar is climbing, you can almost always bring this back under control with diet and exercise. Yes, this means learning to eat less of some of your favorite foods. You will have to decide if feeling good is worth changing some eating habits.
Exercise doesn’t have to be extreme. A few minutes a day of walking can have a great benefit.
We have many excellent products that will help with blood sugar regulation. Anything that helps overall blood sugar regulation will also help brain insulin.
Many Apex Energetics products are specifically formulated to balance blood sugar. Most notable are: Glysen, Protoglysen, Adaptocrine, Proglyco-SP and Adrenastim. Which product or products will work best for you will depend on many factors. We prefer to use a combination of blood work that includes glucose, LDH and CO2 as well as a symptom profile.
We often use Glysen and Protoglysen together to help manage blood sugar that is too high or for insulin resistance. Adaptocrine is good for either blood glucose being too high or too low. Hypoglycemics do well with Proglyco-SP, Adrenastim and Adaptocrine.
For more information, come visit our website, or call us with your questions at 877-465-0844.
