Your diet affects the nutritional break-down products carried in your bloodstream. Glucose is a form of sugar used by your body to fuel your cells. It comes from dietary carbohydrates. Brain cells cannot store glucose, so they need a constant supply from the blood. Too much refined dietary sugar releases insulin and causes your body to store glucose, thus depriving your brain of energy. Glucose-lowering diets become a healthy option for diabetics and those with high blood sugar.
Glucose
Natural complex dietary carbohydrates contain long chains of sugar molecules, which break down slowly into glucose. Simple carbohydrates in processed and refined foods have short sugar molecules. The short sugars break apart quickly. Such a quick breakdown signals your pancreas to release insulin and store excess sugar, a problem for diabetics. Eating low glycemic index foods can assist in lowering blood glucose levels.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index classifies a carbohydrate according to its potential to quickly raise your blood glucose. Glucose has the highest index at 100. Foods with a low glycemic index gradually release glucose into your blood, thus minimizing glucose spikes. In a study by David Jenkins as reported in 2008 in "Time" magazine, a low-glycemic diet in diabetics resulted in lowering their levels of blood glucose and increasing their good cholesterol, or HDL.
Glycemic Load
All dietary factors need to be considered in a diet based on the glycemic index. The index does not account for calories or portion size, or whether foods are cooked or raw. Raw fruits and vegetables release their sugars in your body at a much slower rate than cooked forms of these foods. The glycemic load may be more reliable for regulating blood glucose. The glycemic load of a food is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate in grams provided by a food and dividing the total by 100.
Diabetics
Since diabetics cannot make enough insulin or cannot properly use what their body makes, diet is important to their blood glucose regulation. If diabetics don't keep their blood glucose under control, they can become hyperglycemic. High levels of blood glucose can be dangerous for your body. Diets to lower or maintain normal blood glucose levels may involve counting carbohydrates, exchanging serving groups or following the glycemic index. A dietitian can help you formulate a proper diet for your condition.
Considerations
Repeatedly overloading your system with quick-release glucose may cause your body to become resistant to insulin, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is rising dramatically in children. Also, when simple carbohydrates cause spikes in blood glucose and glucose storage begins, your brain will not have enough circulating glucose to function properly. Thus, your learning ability and memory become affected.
References
- The Franklin Institute; Nourish-Carbohydrates Fuel Your Brain; 2004
- Mayo Clinic; Glycemic Index Diet--A Helpful Tool for Diabetes; March 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute; Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load; Jane Higdon; 2005
- "TIME;" Study Boosts Low-Glycemic Diet; Alice Park; December 2008
- Endocrineweb; Hyperglycemia--When Your Blood Glucose Level Goes Too High; Amy Hess-Fischl, Susan Spinasanta; October 2010
- Mayo Clinic; Diabetes Diet--Create Your Healthy--Eating Plan; September 2010
