What Sugar is Doing To Our Body And Brain
Sometimes we can be very aware of what is happening in our body at a hormonal level. Picture driving happily along in your car listening to music.
Suddenly you see another car swerve into your lane, threatening to hit you head on. You feel a sudden rush of adrenaline. Your heart rate quickens and you’re on high alert, which is very different from how you were two seconds prior, enjoying your music and calm thoughts.
This sudden rush of adrenaline allows you to react immediately. You swerve away from the oncoming car. Now, safely past the maniac driver your breathing is shallow and jagged and your heart is pounding out of your chest. Whew. That was close!
That is an example of how our body responds to outside stimuli and reacts in a way that we can physically detect. We know what is happening inside our body because of the glaringly obvious external symptoms.
But there are also processes that happen in our body every day that we are totally unaware of. When we eat something, for example, our internal systems respond dramatically with little to no outward symptoms.
Let’s look at what happens every time we eat!
When a metabolically healthy person eats a carbohydrate (or a protein/fat at a lesser level,) it increases the sugar in the blood, (also known as glucose.) As glucose levels rise, the pancreas produces a hormone called insulin. Insulin moves the glucose into the cells where it’s used for energy.
After the excess glucose is cleared from the blood, the pancreas is signaled to stop producing insulin. Insulin levels go back down, and all is well. It’s a really beautiful process! But it’s a delicate system and can become dysregulated quickly.
When we have chronically elevated blood sugar levels, for example when we eat a diet high in carbs and sugar, the pancreas has to pump out more and more insulin to manage the glucose in the blood. Eventually the cells stop responding to insulin, they literally stop absorbing the blood sugar and they become resistant to insulin’s signal.
This is called Insulin resistance. When glucose stays high in the bloodstream because it’s not being absorbed by the cells it creates a dangerous level of glucose in the blood which can lead to a host of other serious issues if left unchecked.
Unlike the adrenaline rush on the road that causes a physical, outward reaction, insulin resistance happens under the surface and it’s possible to not feel the symptoms of insulin resistance until it has dangerously progressed into even more serious health conditions.
Insulin resistance can lead to cancer, dementia, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, PCOS, weight-gain, and the list goes on.
A recent study performed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that 40% of young American adults have insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors. That is a staggering number, and it’s continuing to rise.
The good news is, insulin resistance can be reversed. By eating food that keeps our blood sugar low and stable we are able to help our body become insulin sensitive again.
In his book, The Blood Sugar Solution, Dr. Mark Hyman says: “Insulin resistance is the single most important phenomenon that leads to rapid and premature aging and all its resultant diseases, including heart disease, stroke, dementia and cancer.”
PCOS
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a heartbreaking condition that is driven by insulin resistance. This condition affects as many as five million women in the United States, (an estimated 5-10% of women childbearing age,) and is the leading cause of infertility in women. It can cause unwanted facial hair, weight gain, thinning hair, missed or heavy periods and enlarged ovaries with cysts. It is also a reliable indicator of further health problems down the road, as more than half of women with PCOS will develop Type 2 Diabetes by age 40.
Insulin resistance is becoming widely accepted as being the leading cause of PCOS. The Cleveland Clinic, which is a group of Board Certified and Fellowship Trained Experts says, “Insulin resistance is one of the root physiological imbalances in most, if not all, cases of PCOS.
If you or someone you love is already suffering from PCOS, do not despair. PCOS is not a genetic issue that can’t be avoided, or a diagnosis of cancer that can’t be cured by sheer willpower; it is a devastating condition that is significantly impacted by lifestyle.
Dr. Jason Fung specializes in helping people achieve metabolic health and reverse type 2 diabetes, along with other conditions. His hope-inspiring work in the area of PCOS is ground breaking. You can check out a video he did on the topic on youtube. Dr. Nadia Pateguana & Dr. Jason Fung - 'Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
I have never dealt with PCOS personally, but this issue is close to my heart because I have a daughter who I want to thrive in life. Women are being affected at younger and younger ages by this devastating condition and I want to do whatever is in my power to help her avoid it.
NAFLD
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a condition previously only seen in adults, and it is becoming more and more common among children. NAFLD occurs when there is an excess of sugar in the blood, and the pancreas releases insulin at a faster and faster rate to try to clear the harmful excessive glucose out of the blood. Insulin moves whatever glucose cannot be absorbed by the cells into the liver where it is stored as glycogen. In the past, our ancestors would deplete glycogen stores in the liver by the inevitable fasting that would take place in their unpredictable food environment. This doesn’t happen today with our overabundance of food. As a result, our liver’s glycogen stores are full to overflowing with no sign of a famine on the horizon.
Pre-Diabetes
Another stop on the insulin resistance road is Pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is when your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as “diabetes.” In time, as cells get more and more resistant to insulin, blood sugar levels increase and the pancreas has to work even harder to make even more insulin to try to get the cells to respond. This leaves blood sugar levels unchecked, ultimately leading to diagnosis of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
We may assume that pre-diabetes isn’t a problem until it becomes full-blown diabetes, (that “pre” seems to take some of the scary out of it,) but in reality it is a deadly disease carrying with it America’s biggest killers: Heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia, and more. Today, more than 1-3 Americans have pre-diabetes and 80% of these people are unaware of it.
Cognitive Issues
As I’m sure you know, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s is increasing dramatically. It affects over six million Americans today and there is no cure for it or even any meaningful treatments. My Grandfather had Alzheimer’s late in his life and it was devastating to watch him slowly fade away. Having a family history of Alzheimer’s makes me want to do whatever is in my power to avoid the same fate.
Studies suggest that high blood sugar could be a major factor in brain disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s development. People who have diabetes are twice as likely to suffer with Alzheiner’s late in life and chronically high blood sugar levels, (that leads to insulin resistance,) may be a huge factor in Alzheimer’s risk. The connection between AD and high blood sugar is so strong that in recent years the term “type 3 diabetes”or (T3D) has been used to refer to Alzheimer's.
This is an excerpt from the book Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter. What we are beginning to understand is that at the root of “type 3” diabetes is the phenomenon in which neurons in the brain become resistant to insulin, which is essential for basic tasks, including memory and learning. We also think that insulin resistance, as it is related to Alzheimer’s disease, may spark the formation of these infamous plaques that are present in diseased brains. These plaques are the buildup of an odd protein that essentially hijacks the brain and take the place of normal brain cells. Some researchers believe that insulin deficiency is central to the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease - brain cells can’t get their insulin because they are resistant to it! It’s all more telling to note that obese people are at a much greater risk of impaired brain function, and that those with diabetes are at least twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
We don’t know enough about Alzheimer’s and how to prevent it, but we do know the value of staying metabolically healthy and physically active when it comes to brain health. Not being addicted to sugar is a huge part of that. If I continued down the path of sugar addiction I could be running, not walking, to serious brain health issues. I’m sure that in fifty years we will have much more information than we do now on how to avoid (and hopefully even cure!) Alzheimer’s. In the meantime, with the knowledge I have available to me, I will do my best to keep my brain and body healthy and help my family do the same.
If you already have any of these high-blood sugar related conditions, do not despair! You can take charge of your health today. Please read my blog post: Find Out What’s Happening Under The Surface.
Where do you want to be a year from now? What do you want to have accomplished when you are standing here in 365 days? Do you want to be free from sugar addiction? Fifteen pounds thinner? Have lab results and numbers that reflect health and vibrancy?
There is something one of my college professors said that will always stick with me. He said, “A year will pass by no matter what, so why not do that thing you want to do now? Either you will be standing here a year from now having completed that thing, or you will be standing here a year from now, one year older, not having completed it. The choice is yours, but a year will pass by either way.”
That is a powerful thought, and an empowering one. Time will pass no matter what! It motivates me to fulfill my purpose now (today!) and not push it off as the years inevitably fly by.
I’m rooting for you!
Sarah Grace
