The Effects of Diabetes on the Brain
Table of Contents
Over 37 million Americans have diabetes. In addition to that, 1 in 5 people have diabetes and don’t realize it. Those are startling statistics to say the least!
You’ve likely read how diabetes can lead to kidney damage, heart disease, nerve damage, and strokes. Perhaps you have beed affected by the ravages of this disease or have a family member or friend who has. If so, you have probably done a lot of research about it and received a great deal of advice as to how to manage your condition.
Among all the information on diabetes out there, you don’t often hear about one thing - how much diabetes can affect your brain. It can cause brain fog, anxiety, and mood shifts. It also affects your cognitive abilities and puts you at higher risk for developing long-term complications like Alzheimer’s disease.
So keep reading, as in this guide, you’ll learn how diabetes affects your brain and what steps you can take to improve your brain health. Why? So that you can function at your best!
Effects of High Blood Glucose on the Brain
When you have consistently high glucose levels (hyperglycaemia), it causes damage to the blood vessels in your brain over time. Your brain is connected by networks, nerves, and blood vessels. Once high blood sugar levels damage these small blood vessels, this connectivity is disrupted.
In time, brain cells begin to die, and you sustain brain damage from diabetes, referred to as brain atrophy. As you can imagine, this can cause many problems. Some problems associated with the brain atrophy linked to diabetes include issues with brain fog, memory, thinking, and concentration. Moreover, it can eventually lead to vascular dementia and increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (now referred to as “Type 3 Diabetes”).
Also, high blood sugar increases the serotonin in your brain. Usually, serotonin positively affects your brain cells and brain function. However, too much of it has the opposite effect and can lead to problems such as:
Brain cell damage
Nerve damage
Inflammation in the brain
Brain fog
High blood sugar over time damages blood vessels in the brain that carry oxygen-rich blood. When your brain receives too little blood, brain cells can die. This is called brain atrophy and can cause problems with memory and thinking and eventually can lead to vascular dementia. CDC
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Effects of Low Blood Glucose on the Brain
Taking diabetes medications or insulin regularly, increases your chances of developing low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia). Compared to the effects of high blood sugar on the brain, low blood sugar has more immediate and noticeable effects on your brain.
Low blood sugar impacts your brain by causing brain fog, poor coordination, headaches, and fatigue. Because your brain cells can’t function properly due to the lack of sugar, you’ll also find it difficult to concentrate on everyday tasks.
Severe low blood sugar can even lead to fainting, convulsions, seizures, and even a coma.
Although low blood sugar is dangerous, it doesn’t have the same types of lasting effects on your brain as having high blood sugar does. Even so, low blood sugar levels affect your moods and how you function, especially if you don’t recognize its effects on your brain as a symptom.
Brain Fog and Diabetes
In many cases, brain fog goes unnoticed. Typically, it is passed off as simply being tired or having trouble concentrating. This is because the brain fog associated with diabetes affects some people mildly, while other people experience an array of symptoms, including:
Fatigue
Dizziness
Confusion
Irritability
Memory loss
Trouble problem solving
Trouble concentrating
Feeling like you’re moving in slow motion
Difficulty finding the right words during conversations
Managing Brain Fog and Diabetes
Your first course of action in managing brain fog is to ensure you’re getting the proper treatment for diabetes. You’ll need to ensure your blood sugar is within your target range and avoid blood sugar fluctuations as much as possible.
It’s also a good idea to track your blood sugars in a journal daily so you can see trends and pinpoint what time of day you notice your blood sugar fluctuating the most.
Make sure you take your diabetes medications as prescribed, and don’t skip any doses. You also need to check your blood sugar frequently throughout the day. If you still notice frequent fluctuations in your blood sugar, make an appointment to see your doctor.
Make Dietary Changes
The food you eat plays a huge role in how you feel and what your blood sugar levels are like. This is why it’s essential to address your diet with your healthcare provider to see what changes you need to make.
You’ll need to take a good look at the foods you’re eating and how your relationship with food affects your diabetes and overall health. An excellent way to do this is to enlist the help of a holistic nutritionist to get you on the right track.
You can enroll in sessions with a nutrition coach to get a customized nutrition program with recipes, lifestyle strategies, and ongoing support to help you make lasting changes.
“Don’t kid yourself by thinking you “eat well.” After all, for most people, the diagnosis of adult-onset diabetes doesn’t come about in the first place if you’ve been eating the right foods!”
Holistic Therapies for Managing Stress
Chronic stress causes inflammation throughout your body and makes managing your blood sugar levels much more challenging. Managing stress and anxiety is key to levelling out your blood sugars and reducing brain fog symptoms.
A good approach to try is neuronutrition. Neuronutrition is a natural way to improve mental wellness by feeding your brain the nutrients it needs to function at its optimal levels. Neuronutrition can reduce your brain fog through specific changes you can make to your nutrition. Some of these changes include:
Adding the right dietary supplements
Making lifestyle changes
Removing foods that affect your brain function from your diet
Eating foods with nutrients that directly support your brain function
Meditation and Exercise
It’s also important to recognize negative thinking patterns and identify thought processes you have that get in the way of forming healthier new habits. Daily mediation is a fantastic way to calm your mind and get more mindful of your thoughts and feelings.
You’ll also want to start incorporating exercise into your daily routine. You can start by walking for just 30 minutes a day and consider joining a walking or hiking group in your community to form a support system. If you feel you can’t manage 30 minutes, even just 15 minutes of exercise will improve your blood sugar levels and increase your alertness.
Improve Your Brain Health and Transform Your Life Today
Remember, brain effects from diabetes don’t have to run your life. You have options. There’s no time like the present to take control of your life and improve your brain health.
Contact Kelly Aiello to book a consultation to transform your life, eliminate brain fog, and improve your nutrition. Kelly Aiello is a registered holistic nutritionist, nutritional coach, and brain health specialist.
Consider inquiring about or enrolling in the neuronutrition program or a personalized transformational program. If you are not quite ready for this, Kelly also offers a program designed to jumpstart your health and teaches breath work techniques to improve emotional resilience.
Whichever program you choose, you’re well on your way to improving your overall health and well-being!
[Medical Disclaimer]
Please consult with your doctor(s) before starting any new mental or physical health improvement program. The advice I offer is not intended to replace that of your medical practitioner. I am not a medical professional, nor am I qualified to diagnose, cure treat, or prevent disease. The advice I provide on this website is intended for a broad and diverse audience, and as such, deals with general lifestyle concepts, not specific healthcare advice. This material disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the advice expressed herein.