Parents take heed! A new study from Sweden offers more compelling reasons why it is important to engage your children in a low GI diet and lifestyle to stabilize blood sugar levels.
Controlling blood sugar early on may help cognitive function and prevent type 2 diabetes according to a Swedish study reported in the medical journal Diabetes Care.
Researchers in Sweden found that impaired cognitive function at age 11 may be associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Scientists already knew that type 2 diabetes is associated with decreased cognitive function in adults, particularly among elderly people. But what comes first, diabetes or impaired cognitive ability and what is the cause?
A team of scientists led by Dr. Gunilla M. Olsson, of Uppsala University, Sweden, analyzed the general ability and reading comprehension at age 11 years of some 9000 members of a 1958 UK birth cohort in relation to a subsequent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The subjects who developed diabetes by age 42 had significantly lower assessment scores at age 11, the investigators found.
The results of this study give rise to several explanations. "It is possible that cognitive deficits present in childhood influence lifestyle factors that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes," according to Olsson. Another possibility is that poorly controlled blood glucose levels "may influence both cognitive development and the risk of type 2 diabetes."
These finding reinforce what we already know as responsible parents - it is important to keep your child’s blood sugar in the normal range. This does not mean cutting out all foods that are high in sugar, carbohydrates or high GI fruit and vegetables. A good rule of thumb is to offer your children, nutrient-dense foods that help to keep blood sugar levels stable and avoid carb-containing foods that are digested too quickly, spike blood sugar and deliver empty calories.
Low Glycemic Index (GI) and Low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial: dieting; weight loss; obesity; diabetes; balancing blood sugar; sustained energy; sport nutrition; mental performance; acne; eye health; macular degeneration; heart disease and forms of cancer. See also Low GI Diet, Low GI Recipes, Low GI Food, Low GI Eating. Copyright 2008, Saul Katz
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