Diabetes and Diet

A low carbohydrate diet cum avoidance of sugar can help to control the damaging effects of diabetes. However, there are many scientific studies pointing to the positive influence of supplements in combating diabetes and many vitamins have been found to assist in controlling the downward effects of diabetes.

A new study found the positive impact of Vitamin A 10,000 IU in helping to increase the metabolism of glucose. The vitamin allows the body to use insulin effectively in moving glucose from blood to the cells.
High blood glucose is known to cause tissue damage and the degree of this harm can be measured by the test for glycosylated haemoglobin. The use of pyridoxine has been found to reduce the cellular damage to the cells. The supplement has also been found to fight eye damage, vision loss as well as assisting in blood glucose metabolism. Better glucose control will definitely contribute to the protection of our vascular health.

 People with diabetes are prone to blot clots due to high blood glucose content. Research on Vitamin E found that its use has an anti clotting action. Diabetic complications are greatly diminished by taking a daily supplement of Vitamin E. It also lowers insulin and this will go a long way to reduce the excessive insulin effect on the body.

The mineral zinc also stabilizes blood glucose. It helps the pancreas to produce insulin and also assist to protect the cell receptor sites that allow insulin to enter.

Fish oil is good in diabetes because it protects the cardiovascular danger that triglycerides have on people with diabetes. Fish oil also increases the arterial flexibility to prevent plague buildup leading to the hardening of arteries.

Evening primrose oil which contains gamma linolenic acid ( GLA ) is a must in diabetes because it can halt the nerve damage caused by diabetes. GLA helps the nerve to heal. The problem is that people with diabetes cannot make GLA from dietary fats. Without GLA, they cannot manufacture prostaglandin E1 which is the body’s superstar for the protection against disorders including premature aging, heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.

FREE INFORMATION: Diabetes Control 

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mohamad ali

Diabetes is an affection which occurs is the body has a problem in making or using the insulin. The role of the insulin is to take the glucose from the blood and move it to cells which use it for producing energy. If the insulin is not enough or it can not be used by the body then the glucose will remain in the blood and the symptoms of diabetes will appear.

In some cases the body produces enough insulin but this can not enter the cells and help the process of producing energy. This way the glucose will remain in the blood, causing hyperglycemia and the level of the insulin will be high too as it is not used by the cells. Most of these patients which are known to have insulin resistance are also obese. The fat cells stop the insulin from being used by the other cells and this also counts in the malfunctioning of the energy process. This kind of diabetes is known as diabetes type 2.

There are cases when diabetes type2 occurs in slim parsons and this mostly happens in elder people. Genetics and family history also have an important role in determining whether diabetes type 2 will install or not. Also, having a sedentary lifestyle, eating junk food will only increase the risk of developing this affection.

Some other risk factors are: the age over 45, high blood pressure, HDL less than 35 mg/dl, triglycerides more than 250 mg/dl and a previous history of personal impaired glucose tolerance.

Most of the diabetes type 2 cases do not present any symptoms at all. In some cases increased thirst, appetite and urination might occur along with blurred vision, fatigue, infections, and erectile dysfunctions.

In order to diagnose diabetes type 2 the doctor will perform some tests: the level of fasting glucose in blood will be measured and if it is higher than 126 mg/dl on 2 occasions than diabetes might have installed. The random glucose blood level will also be measured and it should be less than 200 mg/dl in order for the doctor to be sure diabetes in not present. Also, the symptoms of increased thirst, urination and fatigue should not be present in order for the patient not to be suspected of having diabetes. At last, the oral glucose tolerance test will be performed and if the level of glucose is higher than 200 mg/dl after 2 hours diabetes is diagnosed.

So, if you want to find out more about what causes diabetes or even about diabetes mellitus please follow this link http://diabetes-info-center.com/

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-causes-of-diabetes-and-the-risks-this-disease-brings-to-a-patient-122769.html

How do you FEEL about that? Don’t you think it’s about time you feed your kids healthy foods? 1 in 3. As a parent, you have a responsibility. Buy fruits and vegetables. If you and your children are at the store and your child asks you to buy candy or soda, or Little Debbie Snacks so NO. Your child doesn’t control you! They WILL thank you for it later on. Trust me! Don’t let this statistic come true, or your children will outlive you!
haha good call. I meant that you will outlive your children.

You need to clarify here. 1 in 3 will get Diabetes but is that Type 1 or Type 2. I find many folks on here are so misinformed they have no clue what the difference is. Type 1 or juvenile diabetes is the result of damage to the pancreas thought to be from a virus the child has had. There is no prevention and no cure for this. The child will always be insulin dependent. Type 2 on the other had can include factors such as family history, weight and diet. Get the proper facts and then make statements and give statistics.

Mother of a juvenile diabetic

If diet and exercise aren’t enough, you may need diabetes medications or insulin therapy to manage your blood sugar. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. Treatment includes taking diabetes medicines, making wise food choices, exercising regularly, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, and taking aspirin daily for some.

A diagnosis of diabetes can be made based on test results, confirmed by retesting on a different day. If the results of the second test are the same, you likely have diabetes. If glucose can’t be absorbed by the cells, it builds up in the bloodstream instead, and high blood sugar is the result. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection, the immune system, turns against a part of the body. As a result, sugar accumulates in your bloodstream. If the test results are normal, repeat the test every three years. If your results are border line, have a fasting blood sugar test every year.

Some women develop gestational diabetes late in pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin. Some people have symptoms but do not suspect diabetes.

Many people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes complications, such as blurry vision or heart trouble. If you find out early that you have diabetes, then you can get treatment to prevent damage to the body. Your doctor will tell you if you have normal blood glucose, pre-diabetes, or diabetes.

Pre-diabetes means your blood glucose is higher than normal but lower than the diabetes range. However, you can reduce the risk of getting diabetes and even return to normal blood glucose levels with modest weight loss and moderate physical activity. You can do a lot to lower your chances of getting diabetes.

Sandy Klocinski

Herbs For Diabetes

A new line of diabetes remedy that is gaining fast popularity nowadays is herbal treatment, with an assortment of plant-derived herbal cures being promoted as capable of controlling blood sugar levels.

Recent scientific investigation has confirmed the efficacy of many of these herbal preparations, some of which are remarkably effective. Herbal supplements along with proper diet, exercise can really help a person keep his blood sugar in check, and thus avoid the serious complications associated with the disease.

Herbs have remedial powers to restore balance to the body, enabling it to rely on its own healing powers. People who decide to try herbs many a times find themselves feeling better, and therefore assume that their diabetes is well under control. But, one must also simultaneously keep monitoring his blood sugar level, to see that it is within the normal range.

It is not intended through this article to diagnose, prescribe, or cure diabetes, but only provide certain information about alternative diet and references to plant descriptions which have relevance to diabetes mellitus.

Some of the well known herbs that help keep diabetes under control -

1. Fenugreek (methi) – Fenugreek seeds to be soaked overnight in a glass of water. Next morning have the water and chew the seeds – proves very beneficial in controlling sugar.

Known side effects of high doses include mild digestive pain. Fenugreek should not be used by pregnant or nursing women.

2. Indian Kino or Pitasara – has a long history of use in India as a treatment for diabetes. The flavonoid – epicatechin, extracted from the bark of this plant helps reduce sugar levels.

3. Aloe vera – regarded as a ‘healing herb.’ Dried aloe vera sap and gel (taken from the inner portions of the leaves) is used traditionally to treat diabetes, as it is believed that it helps lower fasting blood glucose levels as well as HbA1c.

4. Cinnamon bark- Makes human fat cells more accessible to insulin. Increases the conversion of glucose to energy manifold times. It also blocks the formation of dangerous free radicals.

5. Basil (tulsi) – studies have shown a positive effect on postprandial and fasting glucose, The herb facilitates the insulin secretion process.

6. Tian hua fen (trichosanthis) – shown to reduce blood sugar levels in Chinese research studies. It is very commonly used in herbal formulas for diabetics.

7. Gymnema Sylvestre (Gurmar or Cherukurinja) – Gymnema, an Ayurvedic herb helps the pancreas in the production of insulin in Type 2 diabetic patients, as well as improves the ability of insulin to lower blood sugar in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

8. Onion and garlic – Onion and garlic have significant blood sugar lowering action. Onion extract reduces blood sugar levels during oral and intravenous glucose tolerance. Thus, onion affects the hepatic metabolism of glucose and increases the release of insulin, thus preventing insulin’s destruction.

Garlic and onions are beneficial for their cardiovascular effects. They are found to lower lipid levels, inhibit platelet aggregation and are antihypertensive.

9. Stevia – Stevia has been used traditionally to treat diabetes, and has beneficial effects on glucose tolerance. Stevia has been studied in animal experiments, but is yet to undergo large, controlled human studies.

10. Ginkgo biloba – Ginkgo biloba extract is useful for prevention and treatment of early-stage diabetic neuropathy.

11. Asian ginseng – Asian ginseng is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetes. It has a direct blood sugar lowering effect as it enhances the release of insulin from the pancreas and increases the number of insulin receptors.

12. Bitter Melon – The blood sugar lowering action of the freshly extracted juice or the pulp extract of the unripe fruit has been widely accepted. 50-60 ml of the juice if taken orally shows effective results. Excessive high doses of the juice can cause abdominal pain and diarrohea.

13. Bilberry – helps lower the risk of diabetic complications, such as diabetic cataracts and retinopathy (eye damage).

Certain precautions to be followed while taking herbs along with diabetic drugs -

« Some diabetes drugs and herbs should not be taken together as the herb may affect positively or negatively the drug’s effect on the person. People with any sort of renal disease, liver problem or any other chronic illness are at an extra risk for complications.

« People with some heart disease if taking a blood thinner such as aspirin, ecospirin should avoid taking garlic, ginger, ginkgo biloba, ginseng as it can lead to increased bleeding.

« If taking a herbal remedy, do not stop your current diabetes drugs if any.

« If taking a diabetes drug, ginseng can further lower blood sugar levels, possibly causing low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.

« If taking herbal supplements for diabetes, do it under medical supervision if possible. Keep monitoring sugar level regularly, to check for any sudden fall in glucose levels.

« Do not take any extra dose. More will not make your sugar less.

If you are a diabetic and taking medication to control blood sugar levels, it is best to have your blood sugar monitored while taking these herbs. Consult your doctor to adjust the dosage of medications accordingly, so that the blood sugar doesn’t drop too drastically. It is likely that one will eventually be able to taper off the herbs and medication, and control sugar through exercise and diet.

For diabetes information, Diabetes Testing, diabetes treatment, diabetes causes visit www.diabetesmellitus-information.com

Tom alter
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/herbs-for-diabetes-100610.html