Balance Your Blood Sugar, Enhance Your Brain Power

by VRP Staff

Maybe you’re always losing your glasses… or forgetting where you parked your car, again. These so-called “senior moments” can make frustrating business out of daily life—but while your flagging memory is likely an inevitable consequence of aging, emerging research shows that your blood sugar may also have an effect.¹

Because your brain is so dependent on a steady supply of glucose to function properly, it’s easy to see how changes in blood sugar levels—which can affect your brain’s vascular integrity—can impact many aspects of cognitive health.² In fact, research shows that it’s critical to maintain both balanced glucose levels and healthy receptivity to insulin (the hormone that allows your cells to use sugar as energy) because they have direct links to cognitive function—from promoting healthy memory capacity, to supporting normal structure, to maintaining balanced protein levels in the brain.^3-15

Fortunately, nature offers an abundance of powerful compounds that are scientifically supported to enhance insulin receptivity—botanicals that, when paired with proper diet and exercise, can make all the difference in maintaining balanced blood sugar and peak brain function.

Among the most well-known of these is cinnamon, which helps your body to use insulin and can help with healthy post-meal blood sugar levels.^16-17 Similarly, bitter melon also contains a number of compounds that support balanced blood sugar levels—as does goat’s rue, which research shows can positively impact your cells’ insulin receptivity.^18-21 Finally, the trace mineral vanadium—included with all of the above botanicals in VRP’s daily formula GluControl™—has both insulin-supportive and glucose-balancing effects, making it a helpful nutrient for healthy blood sugar metabolism.²²

Still, promoting insulin efficiency is only half the battle when it comes to keeping your cognitive health in tip-top shape. If you really want to maximize your brain health, you should also stock up on a variety of nutrients designed to “clear out the cobwebs” by removing protein deposits. Curcumin, for example, offers a powerful form of natural defense. This antioxidant-rich, curry-derived compound mops up free radicals and balances inflammatory responses, while slowing the build-up of unhealthy peptides in the brain—offering key support for both cardiovascular and cognitive health.^23-26

Animal studies show that the green tea compound EGCG also has strong neuroprotective properties—while the “sunshine” vitamin D3 has been revealed as an effective form of support (especially in combination with curcumin) for people hoping to achieve optimal cognitive function.^27-28 Research indicates that a form of vitamin B3, called nicotinamide, may also help to balance protein levels in the brain—important for maintaining a resilient memory and helping other measures of cognitive health.²⁹

Finally, balanced inflammatory responses and abundant blood flow to your brain are essential for a clear memory and a sharp mind at any age—which is why a proteolytic enzyme like serrapeptase should also be a part of your healthy brain regimen. Trials show that serrapeptase supports strong, unobstructed circulation while keeping your body’s basic inflammation control mechanisms in balance, both safely and effectively.³⁰

You’ll find all of these nutrients—including a uniquely bioavailable form of optimized curcumin—in DejaVida™, a new all-natural formula for daily brain health support, available now from Vitamin Research Products®.

Research:

1. Haratz S, Tanne D. Diabetes, hyperglycemia and the management of cerebrovascular disease. Curr Opin Neurol. 2010 Nov 30.

2. Mafrici A, Proietti R. G Ital Cardiol (Rome). Atherothrombosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an overview of pathophysiology. 2010 Jun;11(6):467-77.

3. Quinn TJ, Dawson J, Walters MR. Sugar and Stroke: Cerebrovascular Disease and Blood Glucose Control. Cardiovasc Ther. 2010 May 13.

4. Sekita A, Kiyohara Y. Lifestyle-related diseases as risk factors for dementia. Brain Nerve. 2010 Jul;62(7):709-17.

5. Rönnemaa E, Zethelius B, Sundelöf J, et al. Impaired insulin secretion increases the risk of Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2008 Sep 30;71(14):1065-71.

6. Wessels AM, Scheltens P, Barkhof F, Heine RJ. Hyperglycaemia as a determinant of cognitive decline in patients with type 1 diabetes. Eur J Pharmacol. 2008 May 6;585(1):88-96.

7. Luchsinger JA. Adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease: an epidemiological perspective. Eur J Pharmacol. 2008 May 6;585(1):119-29.

8. Luchsinger JA. Diabetes, related conditions, and dementia. J Neurol Sci. 2010 Dec 15;299(1-2):35-8.

9. S Roriz-Filho J, Sá-Roriz TM, Rosset I, et al. (Pre)diabetes, brain aging, and cognition. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2009 May;1792(5):432-43.

10. Qiu WQ, Folstein MF. Insulin, insulin-degrading enzyme and amyloid-beta peptide in Alzheimer’s disease: review and hypothesis. Neurobiol Aging. 2006 Feb;27(2):190-8.

11. Farris W, Mansourian S, Chang Y, et al. Insulin-degrading enzyme regulates the levels of insulin, amyloid beta-protein, and the beta-amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Apr 1;100(7):4162-7.

12. Xu WL, von Strauss E, Qiu CX, et al. Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease: a population-based cohort study. Diabetologia. 2009 Jun;52(6):1031-9.

13. van Elderen SG, de Roos A, de Craen AJ, et al. Progression of brain atrophy and cognitive decline in diabetes mellitus: a 3-year follow-up. Neurology. 2010 Sep 14;75(11):997-1002.

14. van Harten B, Oosterman J, Muslimovic D, et al. Cognitive impairment and MRI correlates in the elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Age Ageing. 2007 Mar;36(2):164-70.

15. Matsuzaki T, Sasaki K, Tanizaki Y, et al. Neurology. Insulin resistance is associated with the pathology of Alzheimer disease: the Hisayama study. 2010 Aug 31;75(9):764-70.

16. Gruenwald J, Freder J, Armbruester N. Cinnamon and health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2010 Oct;50(9):822-34.

17. Kirkham S, Akilen R, Sharma S, Tsiami A. The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2009 Dec;11(12):1100-13.

18. Krawinkel MB, Keding GB. Bitter gourd (Momordica Charantia): A dietary approach to hyperglycemia. Nutr Rev. 2006 Jul;64(7 Pt 1):331-7.

19. Virdi J, Sivakami S, Shahani S, Antihyperglycemic effects of three extracts from Momordica charantia. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Sep;88(1):107-11.

20. Chang CH, Tsao CW, Huang SY, Cheng JT. Activation of imidazoline I(2B) receptors by guanidine to increase glucose uptake in skeletal muscle of rats. Neurosci Lett. 2009 Dec 25;467(2):147-9.

21. Palit P, Furman BL, Gray AI. Novel weight-reducing activity of Galega officinalis in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999 Nov;51(11):1313-9.

22. Beliaeva NF, Gorodetskiĭ VK, Tochilkin AI, et al. Vanadium compounds--a new class of therapeutic agents for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Vopr Med Khim. 2000 Jul-Aug;46(4):344-60.

23. Kulkarni SK, Dhir A. An overview of curcumin in neurological disorders. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2010 Mar;72(2):149-54.

24. Zhang C, Browne A, Child D, Tanzi RE. Curcumin decreases amyloid-beta peptide levels by attenuating the maturation of amyloid-beta precursor protein. J Biol Chem. 2010 Sep 10;285(37):28472-80. Epub 2010 Jul 9.

25. Ringman JM, Frautschy SA, Cole GM, et al. A potential role of the curry spice curcumin in Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2005 Apr;2(2):131-6.

26. Wongcharoen W, Phrommintikul A. The protective role of curcumin in cardiovascular diseases. Int J Cardiol. 2009 Apr 3;133(2):145-51.

27. Lee JW, Lee YK, Ban JO, Ha TY, Yun YP, Han SB, Oh KW, Hong JT.Green tea (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits beta-amyloid-induced cognitive dysfunction through modification of secretase activity via inhibition of ERK and NF-kappaB pathways in mice. J Nutr. 2009 Oct;139(10):1987-93. Epub 2009 Aug 5.

28. Fiala M. Re-balancing of inflammation and abeta immunity as a therapeutic for Alzheimer’s disease-view from the bedside. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2010 Apr;9(2):192-6.

29. Green KN, Steffan JS, Martinez-Coria H, Sun X, Schreiber SS, Thompson LM, LaFerla FM Nicotinamide Restores Cognition in Alzheimer’s Disease Transgenic Mice via a Mechanism Involving Sirtuin Inhibition and Selective Reduction of Thr231-Phosphotau. Journal of Neuroscience. 2008;28(45):11500-11510.

30. Viswanatha Swamy AH, Patil PA. Effect of some clinically used proteolytic enzymes on inflammation in rats. Indian JPharm Sci. 2008 Jan;70(1):114-7.