It helps feed the energizing sugar, glucose, to cells in the tissues and muscles. Now an increasing amount of evidence suggests that the hormone's territory also includes the brain. Some say it aids memory, among other functions. Clues on how insulin defects may relate to memory-impairing illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. Fresh methods to mend insulin functioning and memory.
Science often takes U-turns.
For decades scientists believed that the fiuid-filled cavities in the brain were the vital centers of mental processes. The tissue itself was unimportant. Of course today we know that brain tissue holds nerve cells, or neurons, which are the key to mental function. New studies also are leading researchers to take a detour on their traditional thinking about insulin. For years the hormone was thought to have zero impact on the brain.