Sharp as a (Dull) Tack

There are often no symptoms associated with diabetes – a disease that nearly 10 percent of the country is diagnosed with and even more that remain undiagnosed. But when there are symptoms, a physical slow down is one of them.

The muscles ache, there’s a consistent feeling of sluggishness. And despite this general lack of energy and itinerancy – even though you may feel like you’ve just run a marathon – one still tends to eat and drink a lot. These are two other classic symptoms of diabetes.

As the body’s lackluster energy point toward empty, brain function points toward empty as well, according to a new study released from the University of Alberta.

The researchers studied approximately 480 adult men and women, the overwhelming majority of whom were healthy (41 of them were diagnosed with type II diabetes) and between the ages of 53 and 90. When putting the volunteers through a battery of mental exercise tasks that included memorization, critical thinking and problem solving, the people with type II diabetes performed much worse than those who were healthy. Their sub-par performance was particularly evident in their “executive functioning,” which is an umbrella term used for the speed in which people respond to problems, how thoughtfulness their answers are to questions and how the brain responds able to new information. On these “executive functioning” tasks, healthy adults performed much better than those with type II diabetes. Full details of the study are published in the journal Neuropsychology.

This study involved people who were diagnosed with type II diabetes – a disease that in large measure is entirely avoidable and preventable (I say “large measure” because several studies suggest type II diabetes is genetic). As this study’s researchers attest, the number one way to avoid diabetes is through exercise.

Of course the other preventive measure to take in avoiding diabetes is improving one’s diet. Once diagnosed with diabetes, one MUST control their blood sugar levels to prevent spiking. But blood sugar levels should be held in check no matter what. As such, keep aware of the things you’re eating by limiting sugar intake and reading nutrition facts labels, with particular attention to sodium levels (foods lacking in sugar are sometimes high in sodium and vice versa).

The old refrain of “diet and exercise” seems like a broken record, I know, but diabetes diagnoses remain high, which tells me people haven’t heard the same old song and dance often enough. Keep your brain alive and active by really committing to that diet and exercise program– it could very well prevent a lifetime sentence of diabetes and all that comes with it, including cognitive decline.