The British Journal of Cancer published an incredibly important report that found a strong relationship between a simple blood test and the risk for various forms of cancer. The study found that the common blood test used by diabetics to measure their average blood sugar, A1c, was strongly predictive in terms of cancer development.

It’s a way to judge how high the blood sugar has been over a 3-4 month period of time, and this is why it’s so helpful for diabetics.

But with this new report, we now understand that having elevated A1c translates to risk for cancer, and it is also a powerful indicator of risk for developing dementia.  A1c is also directly related to the rate at which the brain shrinks on an annual basis.

Think of it, this one simple blood test can give you incredibly important information about cancer risk, risk for dementia, and even risk for shrinkage of your brain!

Most commonly people are told that having an A1c of 5.6 – 5.8 should be considered normal, but when you look at the graph above, these levels already put you in the second highest category for brain shrinkage! Based on this information, we should strive to keep our A1c at 5.2 or even lower. The way to accomplish this is simply by reducing your consumption of carbohydrates and sugar. Who knew!

Stay Healthy.