We've long known about Type 1 diabetes. Most people know about Type 2 diabetes, too. But would you believe it's possible that a discovery may warrant a Type 3 diabetes? Researchers have discovered that the suppression of insulin signaling in the brain raises the possibility of a Type 3 diabetes.

Researchers have known for some time that insulin is not just produced in the pancreas, but also in the thymus. It is also known that insulin resistance, a characteristic of Type 2 diabetes, is tied to neurodegeneration. While scientists have suspected a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, this is the first study to provide evidence of that connection. The study identified a gene abnormality that blocks insulin signaling in the brain. A drop in insulin production in the thymus contributes to the degeneration of specific regions of the brain. These abnormalities do not correspond to Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, but reflect a different and more complex disease process that originates in the CNS (central nervous system). This raises the possibility of a Type 3 diabetes.

Those who suffered from Alzheimer's disease had a deficiency of growth factor in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for memory. The absence of these growth factors causes cells in other parts of the brain to die. Reserachers found that insulin was significantly reduced in the areas of the brain responsible for reasoning, planning, speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. Researchers conclude that there is a genuine need for comprehensive study of the neuropathological changes associated with diabetes treatment and the affects of specific medications on insulin signaling. I agree with the researchers!

It's terribly unfair. Your sugar drops. You can feel it. The primitive instincts that do not qualify as being on our best behavior sometimes spill out in the subliminal advertising of a low sugar. When your blood sugar drops to hypoglycemic levels, your body goes into survival mode and only lends energy reserves for the nature of survival-unfortunately social graces and reason do not register high on that list.

dLife has put together a guide to help take the guesswork out of treating a low sugar. Too often we tend to over treat lows and end up on the other side of the 80/120 fence, It's difficult to master the twin deficits: too little sugar or too little insulin. But as Kerri (Six Until Me) points out-there is no such thing as a perfect diabetic...we can only do our best.

With that in mind, dLife suggests a few good ways to treat a low, without going too far. Their Rule of Thumb emphasis the 15 grams per 15 minutes rule. This simply means after consuming 15 grams of a fast acting carbohydrate, wait fifteen minutes before re-testing. If your levels are still too low, repeat and retest. Good sources of fast acting carbohydrates include: Glucose tablets (read packaging for equivalent of 15 grams carb) , sugar-sweetened soda (read packaging), 3 small Smarties rolls , 8 Sweet Tarts, or 1 Tablespoon of honey.