Can Diabetes Affect The Brain

     The adult brain is one of the largest organs of the body; it reaches full size in our later teen years.  Brain cells are a very specialized type of cell.  The brain is the primary center for regulating and coordinating all bodily activities, but its main function is communication.  The brain receives and interrupts signals sent to it from all parts of the body, internal and external.  The brain is made up of living tissue.   Tissue is a group, or collection, of like cells that act together in the performance of a particular function.  Scientists now believes that diabetes can alter function and structure associated with diabetic complications such as the brain and bone.  The brain has what is known as gray matter - gray matter is usually equated with higher functions such as sensation and perception; it does the thinking, computing and decision making.  White matter makes up about half the brain by volume and serves as the communication network.  Patients with diabetes have have been found to have changes in brain structure that appear to develop over time.  Diabetics often experience conditions that present risks for subsequent cognitive dysfunction.  The brain uses a large percent of oxygen breathed, sugar, and blood pumped from the heart.  When there is no oxygen or blood flowing through the body systems, the brain and the whole body (all cells) will die.  I personally believe we  are not only tissue but we also have a soul and spirit.  Read the scriptural section to understand why I believe this.
In order to survive, our brain needs glucose (sugar), vitamins, minerals, and other essential chemicals to function properly.  The brain and red blood cells depend almost entirely upon sugar as their main source of energy.  Protein and fat are important in the diet, but carbohydrates are the quickest source of energy for the brain.  Protein and fat are counted in the diet as they relate to how many calories you are allowed to consume each day.  It takes several hours for protein and fat to break whereas carbohydrates (simple and complex) brake down into sugar quickly.  Your brain needs approximately 130 grams of carbohydrates every day, but not all at once, for optimal function.
You can use the Internet search engine to learn how to count carbs, or you can buy my book at www.Amazon.Com ... to look for the book go to the book section and type in "Diabetes One Step At a Time"".  If you do not want to count carbs that closely you can try to develop a ration between your glucose meter reading and the medication you are taking.  My ration is 1 to 40 ... meaning it takes 1 unit of insulin to lower the meter reading by 40.  If you do not know how to work up a ratio ask your diabetes care team to help you.
As food enters the mouth, stomach and intestines the brain determines how much insulin is needed and tells the pancreas to release it into the blood stream to allow for the sugar you just consumed.  In a diabetic the brain might tell the pancreas to release the insulin but the pancreas may not be able to release any, or enough, because of the diabetes.  The brain apparently does not know or allow for the fact the body has diabetes.  Diabetics have to help their bodies achieve a balance between insulin and sugar levels.
The brain is the organ most sensitive to blood sugar levels.  When you have low blood sugar, it changes the way the brain functions.  When the brain needs sugar, it needs it very quickly.  When the brain doesn't get enough sugar, many symptoms of hypoglycemia appear.  Hypoglycemia is when there is not enough sugar in the system for the body to function; it can lead to death if not treated.
When our sugar runs high for a long period of time, as in hyperglycemia, it can affect your memory, as well as lead to many complications of diabetes.  As a diabetic, what and when you eat can affect intelligence and your mood.  Hyperglycemia can slow down brain function and reduce cognition (the process of knowing perception, memory, and judgement).  The verbal ability is impaired, as is the ability to perform simple tasks.  These issues are usually resolved when proper blood sugar is restored.  Over time both impaired memory and loss of cognition function plus hardening of the arteries can cause a stroke and/or destroy brain function.  Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia will keep the brain from doing its job and functioning the way it should.
Diabetes is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.  Excessive blood levels of insulin may damage the brain in ways that can make a person more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease disease as well as depression and memory loss.
Many of these problems and/or complications can be slowed down or stopped if the diabetes is properly controlled.  It is extremely important for you to monitor your blood sugar, take proper medication, have an appropriate diet, and exercise regularly.