Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: separating fact from fiction

From diabetesaustralia.com.au

You may have heard that diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease are linked. This connection can sound concerning, especially if you are living with diabetes. But understanding what the research shows can help separate facts from myths, and help you focus on what supports long‑term health. Credentialled Diabetes Educator and Registered Nurse, Carolien Koreneff, explains.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that affects the brain. It causes problems with memory, thinking, language, and daily activities. These changes usually develop slowly and become more noticeable over time.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It is not a normal part of ageing, although increasing age is a major risk factor.

How is diabetes linked with Alzheimer’s disease?

Research has consistently shown that people living with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with people who do not have diabetes. One of the main reasons is insulin resistance.

Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose (sugar) move from the bloodstream into the body’s cells so it can be used for energy. This includes brain cells.

In type 2 diabetes, the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, this is more commonly referred to as insulin resistance. Research suggests that similar insulin resistance can also occur in the brain.

When brain cells do not respond well to insulin:

• Less glucose can enter brain cells
• Brain cells may struggle to get the energy they need
• Over time, this can affect memory, reasoning, and judgement
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What is “type 3 diabetes”?

You may see Alzheimer’s disease described as “type 3 diabetes”. This term is sometimes used in research to describe insulin resistance in the brain and its possible role in Alzheimer’s disease.

It is important to be clear that:

• “Type 3 diabetes” is not an official medical diagnosis
• It is not recognised as a form of diabetes
• The term is used mainly in research settings, not in clinical care

Diabetes Australia cautions against using this term outside of research because it can be confusing and misleading for people living with diabetes.

Does having diabetes mean you will get Alzheimer’s disease?

No. Having diabetes does not mean you will develop Alzheimer’s disease.

While studies suggest that people with type 2 diabetes have a 50–65% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, many people with diabetes never develop dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease also occurs in people who do not have diabetes. The risk is influenced by many factors, including:

• Age
• Genetics
• Cardiovascular health
• Physical activity levels
• Education and lifelong learning

Diabetes is just one risk factor among many, not a direct cause.

Why glucose management matters for brain health

The brain is a very energy‑dependent organ. Even though it makes up only around 2% of body weight, it uses about 20% of the body’s glucose supply to support thinking, memory, attention, and decision‑making.

Very high or very low blood glucose levels can affect brain function in the short term, leading to:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Slower thinking
• Confusion or fatigue

Over many years, long‑term high glucose can also damage blood vessels, including those supplying the brain, which may increase the risk of cognitive decline.

What supports brain health for people with diabetes?

The encouraging news is that many actions that support diabetes management also support brain health.

Physical activity

Regular physical activity:

• Improves insulin sensitivity throughout the body and brain
• Increases blood flow to the brain
• Supports the formation and maintenance of brain connections

Research suggests regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 50% and may slow progression when cognitive changes are already present.

Glucose management

Keeping glucose levels within your individual target range, as much as possible, helps protect blood vessels, nerves and brain function.

Targets should always be personalised and discussed with your health care team.

Heart and vascular health

High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and smoking all increase the risk of both diabetes complications and dementia. Managing these factors supports both heart and brain health.

Mental and social engagement

Staying socially connected and mentally active through learning, conversation, hobbies, and problem‑solving helps build brain resilience and supports cognitive health.

A supportive message

Hearing about a link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease can be worrying. It is important to remember:

• Diabetes is manageable
• Risk is not fixed
• Lifestyle and medical care make a real difference

If you notice changes in memory or thinking, or if you are concerned about brain health, speak with your GP, diabetes educator, or health care team. Early conversations can lead to reassurance, support, and practical strategies.

Key take‑home points

• Alzheimer’s disease is linked to insulin resistance in the brain, not just ageing
• “Type 3 diabetes” is a research term, not a diagnosis
• Diabetes increases risk but does not make Alzheimer’s disease inevitable
• Physical activity, glucose management, and cardiovascular health support brain health

https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/blog/diabetes-and-alzheimers-disease/  

UK: Tens of thousands of cancer patients to benefit from one-minute NHS jab

From news.sky.com

Patients had to spend long periods on a drip to get a crucial drug into their system. But treatment time can be cut by up to 90% using the injection 

The NHS is introducing a one-minute jab that could help tens of thousands of cancer patients.

Around 14,000 people in England start using pembrolizumab (Keytruda) via a drip each year, and most are now expected to move to the immunotherapy injection to treat more than a dozen types of the disease.

Until now, patients have had to spend long periods on drips to get the drug into their system.

But the time needed for treatment can be cut by up to 90% using the new injectable form.

The jab works by telling the body's immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells.

And it is powerful against several types of the disease, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical cancer.

A nurse preparing a new one-minute injection at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire. Pic: PA

The treatment is given every three weeks as a one-minute injection or every six weeks as a two-minute injection, depending on what type that people have.

Health officials have said the innovation "will help free up vital appointments for NHS teams to treat more people and continue to bring down waiting times".

Pembrolizumab, made by MSD, works by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses, releasing the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells.

At the moment, hospital pharmacy teams need to carefully prepare the drug in intravenous bags under sterile conditions, which can be time-consuming for NHS staff.

The ready-to-use injection reduces the amount of time that workers spend on preparing treatment by 44%, MSD analysis suggests.

                      The immunotherapy injection is being rolled out on the NHS. Pic: PA

One of the first patients to receive the new injection on the NHS was 89-year-old Shirley Xerxes, from St Albans in Hertfordshire.

Ms Xerxes, who was treated for bowel cancer at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, part of East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, said: "Having the injection has been great and the nurse was so good, so kind."

"I just had it in my tummy. But it's not as quick as a COVID jab. It takes a couple of minutes."

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: "This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients."

He added that "it's fantastic that this new rapid jab can now take just a minute to deliver - meaning patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair".

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the "rollout will offer quicker, more convenient care, saving patients time and helping them in their recovery with less time in hospital".

https://news.sky.com/story/tens-of-thousands-of-cancer-patients-to-benefit-from-one-minute-nhs-jab-13539698

Why Your Brain “Dreams” Even When You’re Awake

From neurosciencenews.com 

Summary: We usually think of wakefulness and sleep as two separate worlds, but new research proves the boundary is an illusion. Using an experimental setup inspired by Thomas Edison, researchers analysed 92 participants drifting into sleep and found that “dreaming” isn’t exclusive to the night.

By identifying four distinct mental states, including a “bizarre” dream state, the team discovered that these experiences occur across all levels of alertness. Whether you’re fully awake or in light sleep, your brain can flip into a “dream narrative” at any moment, suggesting that the content of our thoughts is independent of our state of vigilance.

Key Facts

• The Edison Technique: Following the legend of Thomas Edison, participants held a bottle that would drop as they drifted off, waking them at the precise threshold of sleep to report their immediate “hypnagogic” thoughts.
• The Four Mental States: An unbiased AI algorithm identified four distinct clusters of thought:
  • C1: Fleeting, isolated recollections.
  • C2: High connection to the external environment (street sounds, room temperature).
  • C3: The “Dream State”, bizarre, vivid, and spontaneous (e.g., “aliens” or “ants on crossword puzzles”).
  • C4: Goal-oriented, voluntary control (planning tomorrow’s schedule).
• The Major Finding: All four states, including the bizarre C3 dream state, occurred while participants were fully awake, in sleep onset, and in light sleep. You can “dream” while awake and “plan” while asleep.
• Neural Fingerprint of Bizarreness: The dream-like C3 state has a specific brain signature: reduced long-range connectivity between the frontal (reasoning) and occipital (visual) regions. This essentially allows the visual brain to “run wild” without the logical brain’s oversight.
• Paradoxical Insomnia: The study offers a breakthrough for insomnia patients who feel they “didn’t sleep a wink” despite clinical data saying they did. Their brains may simply be spending too much time in the “environment-connected” C2 state, making sleep feel like wakefulness.

By convention, wakefulness and sleep are regarded as physiologically distinct states. It is therefore tempting to assume that the images, sensations, and ideas that cross our minds while we are awake are fundamentally different in nature from those we experience while we sleep, and especially while we dream.

“Yet this is far from obvious. Being awake is not synonymous with being attentive, fully aware of one’s surroundings, or able to act and think rationally,” explains Delphine Oudiette, co-leader of the DreamTeam.

“We now know that there is a continuum between wakefulness and sleep, with intermediate states such as mind-wandering or mind-blanking, during which certain regions of the brain may be asleep. What remained to be determined was whether the content of our thoughts also varies independently of our state of vigilance.”

To answer this question, the researchers chose to study sleep onset, the transitional stage between wakefulness and sleep.

“Sleep onset allows us to capture, within a very short time span, fluctuations in our state of vigilance, from wakefulness to sleep, and to observe the mental experiences associated with them,” says Nicolas Decat, a PhD student at the Paris Brain Institute and first author of the study.

“As we drift toward sleep, sensations, visions, and snippets of speech unfold—what are commonly called hypnagogic experiences. Tracing the evolution from ordinary thought to dream-like narrative can help us understand how a dream emerges.”

Nap experts to the rescue

To explore the transition between wakefulness and sleep, the team conducted a study with 92 participants who were accustomed to napping and trained to report the content of their thoughts upon interruption.

The researchers used an experimental setup inspired by Thomas Edison. According to legend, the inventor had a habit of falling asleep in his armchair while holding a heavy object, the fall of which would wake him at the threshold of sleep; he would then make use of the whirlwind of creative ideas that flooded his mind during this critical moment.

After each interruption of their nap—either by dropping a bottle held in the hand or by an alarm—participants were asked to describe their mental experience of the previous ten seconds, then rate it on four dimensions: bizarreness, fluidity, spontaneity, and perceived level of wakefulness. In parallel, their brain activity was continuously recorded with an EEG cap.

The researchers then let the data speak for themselves, applying a clustering algorithm that imposed no preconceived categories.

“This data-driven approach was essential for us, because in research, there is no consensus on what hypnagogic experiences actually are. It was important not to bias this exploration with our own definitions or beliefs,” says Nicolas Decat.

A brain signature of dream-like states

The analysis revealed not the two mental states one might expect—dreaming and waking thought—but four. The first (C1) was characterized by fleeting recollections (“An image of my dad crossed my mind”); the second (C2), by a high level of connection to the surrounding environment (“I was listening to the street sounds”); the third (C3), by its bizarreness (“I saw images of small aliens”); and the last (C4), by a high level of voluntary control (“I was thinking about what I would do tomorrow”).

Each of these four mental states appeared across all three vigilance stages measured: wakefulness, sleep onset, and light sleep.

“This is the major finding of our study. The mental states traditionally associated with dreaming can arise just as well when we are asleep as when we are awake. In other words, the content of our thoughts does not follow the boundaries between waking and sleep!

“One of our participants, while awake, reported seeing ants crawling on her body against a backdrop of crossword puzzles. Conversely, another participant mentally went through his schedule for the next day while he was fully asleep,” adds the researcher.

The team then went further, searching for neurophysiological markers specific to each mental state. By analysing the complexity of the EEG signal, its spectral power, and the functional connectivity between brain regions, the researchers identified distinctive signatures.

They show that there is a specific brain signature for the “bizarre” C3 mental content—that is, the dream-like state. It is characterized by reduced long-range connectivity between the frontal and occipital regions of the brain.

“This signature may well be the correlate of what we feel in such a state: lucid reasoning is overtaken by a whirlwind of vivid sensations characteristic of dreams,” suggests Nicolas Decat.

Mental activity and introspection

If dreaming is not specific to sleep, why do we have the impression that extravagant mental content occurs only in the depths of the night, when we are oblivious to the world around us?

“This preconception probably stems from a memory bias. We mainly remember dreams that come with strong emotions or those to which we attach particular meaning. Yet it is just as common to dream that we are working!” notes Nicolas Decat.

“Conversely, some people report that fanciful daytime thoughts—elusive, like fragments of a dream—sometimes surface during their everyday activities. Because these thoughts are seen as incongruous, they may well be more frequent than we imagine, but we tend to dismiss them.”

Potential applications for sleep disorders

We are generally not very good at judging our own level of vigilance or describing the content of our thoughts. As a result, some people suffering from insomnia regularly complain of spending entire nights without sleeping, even though polysomnographic measurements taken in sleep clinics indicate otherwise.

This is what we call paradoxical insomnia: a mismatch between the patient’s experience and clinical observations based on conventional sleep-stage criteria.

“These criteria are probably inadequate. Our study proposes a new one—mental content— which may be better aligned with what these patients actually experience. Through this lens, some of them may spend an unusually long time in an alert state (C2), hyperconnected to the outside world, or, conversely, very little time in a dream-like state (C3), blurring the line between their waking and sleeping lives,” explains Delphine Oudiette.

“Beyond giving patients’ reports the weight they deserve, this approach paves the way to identifying objective markers of insomnia.”

Key Questions Answered:

Q: If I’m “dreaming” while awake, why don’t I notice it?

A: We often dismiss these flashes of “bizarre” thought as mind-wandering or simple distractions. Because they are fleeting and lack the heavy emotional weight of a 3:00 AM nightmare, we tend to filter them out of our memory.

Q: Can I use this “Edison method” to be more creative?

A: Yes. The transition state between wakefulness and sleep is a “creative sweet spot.” By catching yourself right as you drift off, you can access the C3 bizarre state where the brain makes unusual associations that your logical, waking brain would normally reject.

Q: Does this mean “daydreaming” is actually dreaming?

A: Scientifically, yes. This study suggests that the brain’s internal narrative doesn’t check your “vigilance status.” If the connectivity between your frontal and occipital lobes drops, you are technically in a dream state, regardless of whether your eyes are open or closed.

https://neurosciencenews.com/dream-continuum-wake-sleep-consciousness-30637/ 

5 Summer Fruits That Keep Your Body Hydrated

From herzindagi.com 

Stay cool and energised with the five best summer fruits for natural hydration. Discover how watermelon, musk melon, and other water-rich fruits replenish essential electrolytes and protect your skin during the 2026 heatwave

While drinking water is essential, nearly 20% of our daily fluid intake comes from the food we eat. In the heat of 2026, incorporating high-water-content fruits into your diet is a delicious way to stay hydrated while replenishing essential electrolytes lost through sweat. Here are five summer fruits that act as natural hydration boosters.

5 Summer Fruits That Keep Your Body Hydrated

1. Watermelon 

True to its name, watermelon is the heavyweight champion of hydration. Beyond just water, it contains citrulline, an amino acid that helps with blood flow, and lycopene, which provides a layer of internal skin protection against UV rays. Sprinkle a little black salt (Kala Namak) on top; the sodium helps your body retain the fluids more effectively.

2. Musk Melon

Musk melon is often overlooked, but it is a powerhouse of potassium, which is a key electrolyte for fluid balance. Its high water content is paired with Vitamin A, which is crucial for skin repair after sun exposure. Blend it into a chilled soup or smoothie if you find the texture too soft for snacking.

3. Strawberries

Berries aren't just for dessert; they have the highest water content of all common berries. They are packed with Vitamin C and manganese. Vitamin C helps keep your skin’s collagen strong, which can become stressed under the harsh summer sun. Add sliced strawberries to your water pitcher to make detox water that encourages you to drink more throughout the day.

4. Pineapple 

Pineapple is the perfect tropical hydrator that also aids digestion. It contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps reduce inflammation in the body useful if you're feeling puffy or bloated from the summer heat. Keep chunks in the freezer. They act as healthy ice cubes that cool you down instantly when eaten frozen.

5. Oranges 

While we often associate citrus with winter, they are a summer must-have for active individuals. Oranges are rich in potassium and natural sugars, making them an excellent post-workout snack to prevent muscle cramps and dehydration. Opt for the whole fruit rather than just the juice; the fibre ensures the natural sugars are absorbed slowly, providing steady energy.

Image credits: Freepik

https://www.herzindagi.com/diary/summer-fruits-that-keep-your-body-hydrated-article-1057470

12 science-backed ways to lower (or regulate) blood sugar levels

From restless.co.uk

Maintaining normal blood sugar levels can help to prevent or delay serious, long-term health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and prediabetes.

Blood sugar levels are affected by various factors, including how active and hydrated you are, meal size, and sleep. Luckily, this means it’s usually possible to manage blood sugar levels by making small lifestyle changes.

With this in mind, here are 12 science-backed, natural ways to help lower (and regulate) blood sugar levels.

Note: If you’re diabetic or are concerned about your blood sugar levels, it’s important to always speak to your GP before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Why is it important to maintain healthy blood sugar levels?

We all need a certain amount of sugar (or glucose) in our blood to provide our cells with energy. However, having too much sugar in your blood over time can be dangerous for your health.

Symptoms of high blood sugar include weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, feeling very thirsty, and needing to urinate a lot. If left untreated, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels, nerves, tissues, and organs. It can also put you at risk of health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and other related conditions, like diabetic retinopathy (eye damage).

High blood sugar occurs when the body doesn’t have enough insulin (the hormone that helps blood sugar enter cells so it can be used for energy), or if your body can’t use insulin properly.

High blood sugar is common for people with diabetes. Other conditions, such as Cushing’s syndrome, pancreatic diseases, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can also cause high blood sugar levels.

Additional causes and risk factors for developing high blood sugar include stress, trauma, surgery, infections, certain medications, being inactive or overweight, and/or eating too much sugary or starchy foods.

12 science-backed ways to lower (or regulate) blood sugar levels

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is important for health. And the good news is that various science-backed lifestyle changes can help.

We’ll cover a few of these below…

1. Practise portion control

Practising portion control can be useful for regulating calorie intake and maintaining a healthy weight.

This is important because research shows that weight management can promote healthy blood sugar levels and has been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Practising portion control can also help prevent blood sugar spikes.

Check out our article, 9 tips to prevent overeating and encourage portion control, for more information.

2. Add foods rich in chromium and magnesium to your diet

Research has linked high blood sugar levels and diabetes to micronutrient deficiencies, including magnesium and chromium.

Chromium is involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and research suggests it can support blood sugar regulation as a result. Examples of chromium-rich foods include broccoli, liver, seafood, potatoes, and whole grain products.

Magnesium has also been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels. Magnesium-rich diets are linked with a significantly reduced risk of diabetes. Meanwhile, low magnesium levels may contribute to insulin resistance and decreased glucose tolerance in people with diabetes.

Examples of magnesium-rich foods include dark leafy greens, tuna, whole grains, squash, and pumpkin seeds. Our article, Magnesium – what it is and why it’s important, has more information.

3. Manage your carbohydrate intake

Carbohydrate intake significantly influences blood sugar levels. This is because the body breaks down carbohydrates into sugars (mainly glucose), which insulin stores and uses for energy.

However, when you eat lots of carbohydrates or have insulin function problems, this process sometimes fails, which can cause blood glucose levels to rise.

As a result, for some people (particularly diabetics), regulating carbohydrate intake can help to keep blood sugar under control. For example, studies have found that low-carb diets can reduce blood sugar levels and prevent spikes.

For inspiration, you might find it helpful to read our article: 8 tasty and filling low-carb meals.

Note: It’s important to recognise that low-carb and no-carb diets aren’t the same. You can still eat carbohydrates when monitoring blood sugar levels, and some carbohydrates contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre, which are a key part of a healthy, balanced diet. Steps like prioritising whole grains over processed grains and refined carbs can help lower blood sugar levels, too.

4. Choose foods with a low glycaemic index

The glycaemic index (GI) of food measures how quickly carbohydrates are broken down during digestion and the rate at which your body absorbs them. Both of these factors affect how quickly your blood sugar levels rise.

High-GI foods are broken down by the body quickly and cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels. Examples include chips, white bread, pizza, crisps, and cereals (unless they’re whole grain).

On the other hand, low and medium-GI foods take longer for the body to break down and cause a more gradual rise in blood sugar. As a result, studies have found that low and medium-GI foods can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent spikes.

Examples of low- to moderate-GI foods include barley, bulgur, oats, beans, unsweetened Greek yoghurt, lentils, and wholewheat pasta. Check out these low-GI dinner recipes from BBC Good Food for inspiration.

Other research suggests that eating enough protein and healthy fats can reduce blood sugar spikes after a meal.

Check out our article, Low glycaemic (GI) diet – what is it and are the benefits?, to find out more about how you can work low GI foods into your diet.

5. Add more fibre to your diet

Research has found that eating a high-fibre diet can be an effective way to regulate blood sugar levels. Unlike most carbohydrates, fibre isn’t broken down by insulin into sugar molecules but passes through the body undigested.

As a result, studies suggest that increasing your daily dietary fibre intake by two servings of wholegrain products could lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 21%.

Examples of high-fibre foods include apples, blueberries, lentils, beans, nuts, oats, brown rice, and quinoa. For more ideas, check out our article: 10 easy ways to add more fibre to your diet.

6. Stay hydrated

For some people, keeping blood sugar levels within a healthy range could be as simple as drinking enough water.

As well as preventing dehydration, drinking water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar through urine.

This scientific review found that people who drank more water had a lower risk of developing diabetes.

For advice, you might like to read our articles: 10 tips for staying hydrated and why it’s important and 9 healthy and hydrating alternatives to water.

7. Add more probiotic-rich foods to your diet

Probiotics are friendly bacteria that live in our guts – and they have impressive health benefits.

Research has revealed that eating probiotics may reduce insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. Studies have also found that blood sugar level improvement is more notable in people who eat various types of probiotics for at least eight weeks. So, where possible, it’s worth incorporating a range of probiotic foods into your diet.

Examples of probiotic-rich foods include fermented foods like kefir, yoghurt, tempeh, and kimchi. For more inspiration, check out our article: 8 fermented foods for gut health. Or, for further information about probiotics, read our article: What’s the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?

8. Exercise regularly

Research has revealed that regular exercise can help improve insulin sensitivity. This means that body cells can use sugar in the bloodstream more effectively.

During exercise, blood flow increases, which also raises the rate at which glucose is delivered to muscles. The more strenuous the workout, the longer your blood sugar levels will be affected. According to the American Diabetes Association, physical activity can lower blood sugar for up to 24 hours or more after a workout by making your body more sensitive to insulin.

Alternatively, experts recommend adding so-called ‘exercise snacks’ (a few minutes of exercise every 30 minutes) into your daily routine. This has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and help prevent build-up caused by sitting. Recommended exercises include walking and bodyweight resistance exercises like squats or lunges.

Note: While exercise can help lower blood sugar, it can affect people’s blood sugar levels differently, depending on their health and the type of exercise.

If you have diabetes, you’ll need to take steps to control your blood sugar levels during a workout to make sure that they don’t drop too low or rise too high.

These steps include checking your blood sugar levels before a workout (a healthy target range before you begin is 4-7mmol/l), during a workout (every 30 minutes or so), and after. You can find out more about blood sugar levels and exercise on the Diabetes UK website.

9. Take steps to manage stress

Research has found that stress can affect blood sugar levels. This is because when we’re stressed, our bodies release the hormones glucagon and cortisol, both of which can cause blood sugar levels to rise.

For example, this study found that stress-relieving activities like exercise, meditation, and general relaxation lowered blood sugar levels.

If you struggle with stress, you might find it helpful to read our articles: 9 simple stress-relieving activities and 7 tips for coping with stress and anxiety.

10. Get good quality sleep

Getting enough quality sleep is important for overall health. Scientific research has revealed that poor sleeping habits and a lack of quality rest can affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Other research has found that sleep deprivation raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which plays an essential role in blood sugar regulation.

Our sleep and fatigue section is full of advice on improving sleep quality, from how the circadian rhythm works to finding the right mattress. 

Find out more

11. Take steps to maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a moderate weight promotes healthy blood sugar levels and can lower the risk of diabetes.

For example, research has found that even a 5% reduction in body weight can improve blood sugar regulation and reduce the need for diabetes medication.

Our diet and nutrition section has many healthy eating tips, such as 15 quick and easy diet swaps for a healthier lifestyle.

12. Consider eating healthy snacks more frequently

Studies suggest spreading food intake throughout the day may help to avoid blood sugar levels becoming too high or too low.

For example, several studies have revealed that eating smaller, more frequent meals can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar.

Final thoughts…

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is important for reducing our risk of health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.

Luckily, research has shown that various lifestyle changes can significantly impact blood sugar levels.

You might like to read our article on type 2 diabetes, or head over to our general health and diet and nutrition sections for more healthy lifestyle tips. If you’re concerned about your blood sugar levels, it’s important to seek advice from your GP.

https://restless.co.uk/health/healthy-body/science-backed-ways-to-lower-or-regulate-blood-sugar-levels/?utm_source=trigger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eml_trig_healthy_body_retarget_v2&utm_content=eml_trig_eng_healthy_body_retarget_commercial_order_25-09-16_test