Page 122 - The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss and Enhance Memory Power

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CHAPTER 11

Hormonal and Nutritional Problems

HORMONES ARE SUBSTANCES SECRETED by glands without ducts, and they are transported in the
blood to act at a special target organ or throughout the body.

The hypothalamus and/or pituitary gland in the base of the brain secrete their own hormones, such
as thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) or adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), to stimulate (or
inhibit) the corresponding hormone-producing gland— for example, thyroid or adrenals (see Figure
2). This feedback loop is delicately balanced, and changes at either the top (hypothalamus or
pituitary) or bottom (thyroid or adrenal) levels can lead to illness.

Diabetes Can Cause Memory Loss

Diabetes, which is caused by deficiency of the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas in the
abdomen, leads to damage to very small blood vessels in different parts of the body, including the
brain. Mini-ministrokes are the result, producing cognitive deficits that include memory loss.

Diabetes usually means high blood sugar or hyperglycemia, but the opposite— low blood sugar or
hypoglycemia— can also occur because of overly aggressive insulin treatment or if someone takes
insulin and then skips meals. Hypoglycemia is especially dangerous to the brain, which relies almost
exclusively on glucose for its