Text / Lin Hairou
Blood sugar is not as low as possible. Hypoglycemia can seriously affect health, and studies have shown that frequent hypoglycemia and blood sugar fluctuations can increase the risk of dementia. It has also been found clinically that most diabetic patients pay too much attention to the control of high blood sugar, but tend to ignore the risks caused by low blood sugar to the body.
Hideaki Kaneto, a professor at Kawasaki Medical University in Japan, said that chronic hyperglycemia and repeated hypoglycemia are closely related to dementia.
Frequent hypoglycemia and high blood sugar fluctuations can increase the risk of dementia. (Shutterstock)Hypoglycemia is an acute complication of diabetes, which usually occurs suddenly. If people fast for too long, it will lead to hypoglycemia and symptoms such as dizziness. Life, must not be ignored.
Hypoglycemia common in diabetics
Hypoglycemia usually means that when the blood sugar concentration is lower than 70 mg/dL, the body will produce symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, dizziness, blurred vision, and cold sweats; for some people, although the blood sugar concentration is not lower than 70 mg/dL, the blood sugar Symptoms of hypoglycemia may also occur with rapid decline from high concentrations.
Hypoglycemia is very common in diabetic patients, which is due to the large fluctuations in blood sugar levels, poor absorption and regulation of blood sugar, resulting in the body’s inability to effectively maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Once symptoms of hypoglycemia occur, add sugary foods such as candy and fruit juice as soon as possible, and avoid adding chocolate, because chocolate contains high-fat ingredients, which will delay the body’s absorption of sugar. If after supplementing with sugar, the blood sugar level has not risen and the symptoms have not improved, be sure to seek medical attention immediately.
Low blood sugar increases risk of dementia
Glucose is one of the main sources of energy for the brain. Most of the glucose produced by the human body is transported, supplied, and stored in the brain by the blood every day. If the blood sugar is too low, the brain will lack glucose, which will seriously affect brain activity and cause Unresponsive, severe coma, and even lead to some brain cell necrosis.
Huang Weifu, chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology at Chi Mei Hospital, said that long-term repeated hypoglycemia in diabetic patients not only tends to lack nutrients in the brain, but also increases the risk of dementia and cardiovascular diseases.
People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing dementia than the general population, and low blood sugar can lead to brain and neurological damage, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that people with severe hypoglycemia were twice as likely to develop dementia as those without hypoglycemia.
When a diabetic patient has symptoms of hypoglycemia, it can lead to coma, hypothermia, or even life-threatening, so it must not be ignored. (Shutterstock)“Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Parkinsonism” (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Parkinsonism) also published a wise and humane article, which discussed that dementia is one of the complications of diabetes, and repeated hypoglycemia can easily lead to dementia symptoms, and fluctuations in blood sugar levels can also increase the risk of dementia.
Minimize blood sugar fluctuations
Wise and thoughtful, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia has nothing to do with fasting blood sugar fluctuations, but is significantly related to postprandial blood sugar fluctuations, so diabetics should carefully control blood sugar, and at the same time pay attention to reducing blood sugar as much as possible fluctuations.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) once published an article on the effect of diet on blood sugar values. The author was American endocrinologist David S. Ludwig (David S. Ludwig).
In his article, he reviewed how the glycemic index (Glycemic Index, GI) affects human physiological functions, and clearly clarified the importance of the glycemic index for the prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
The glycemic index measures how quickly a particular food raises blood sugar. For diabetics, referring to the glycemic index of foods will be of great help in controlling blood sugar, because controlling blood sugar levels in a relatively stable and healthy range can reduce the risk of dementia.
High and low glycemic foods
High-glycemic foods refer to glycemic index ≥ 70, which have a high impact on blood sugar; low-glycemic foods refer to glycemic index < 55; common high-glycemic and low-glycemic foods are listed here for reference.
Common high-glycemic foods
Baked Potato (GI 111), Corn Flakes (GI 93), White Rice (GI 89), Pretzels (GI 83), Instant Oatmeal (GI 83), French Fries (GI 75) , white bread (GI value 71), etc., have a greater impact on blood sugar, so eat as little as possible.
List common high-glycemic and low-glycemic foods for reference. (Shutterstock)Common low-glycemic foods
Oatmeal (GI 55), pasta (thin GI 46, wide GI 32), apples (GI 39), carrots (GI 35), skimmed milk (GI 32), black beans (GI Value 30), barley (GI value 28), grapefruit (GI value 25), peanuts (GI value 7) and green vegetables, etc., have a small effect on blood sugar. ◇
