Perspective on Diabetes

Diabetes has been increasing at an alarming rate in this country. Why is that, and what could be done about it?

Diabetes is a condition in which the Islet cells in the pancreas do not produce sufficient insulin to control the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood, and the sugar level rises, with adverse consequences for many organs and systems in the body.

Type I diabetes is a condition in which practically no insulin is produced, and the person is totally dependent on insulin injections.

Type II diabetes is the more common type in which some insulin is produced, and there is considerable resistance to the utilization of the insulin, so that drugs are often used to stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin or to increase the effectiveness of the insulin.

There are many nutritional and lifestyle approaches that can accomplish the same thing for type II diabetes in a safer, more cost-effective way.

Type II diabetes was once called “maturity onset” diabetes, because most people did not get it until age 40, (in contrast to type I diabetes, which can occur at any age, often due to a sudden event, maybe due to an infectious or autoimmune cause, which destroys the insulin-producing islet cells). We are now finding an astounding increase in type II diabetes in young adults, teenagers and children. Why is this happening?

It may help to understand this phenomenon if we recognize the causes. It all starts with the resistance of muscles cells and other cells to the effects of insulin, thereby preventing the uptake of glucose into the cells for energy use, thereby calling for the pancreatic islet cells to put out more insulin, which in turn forces glucose into metabolic pathways that turn it into fat.

What causes this insulin resistance? We do know it is associated with lack of exercise, too high intake of processed carbohydrates (refined starches, sugar and alcohol) and increased body weight. Children and adults have been increasingly eating more of the foods that contribute to insulin resistance; they have been exercising less and they have been continuing to gain weight. This weight gain in children is now being described as an epidemic.

This stage of insulin resistance, which long precedes the actual development of diabetes and continues through the condition of diabetes, causes many problems aside from diabetes itself. The high levels of insulin are associated with high risk for heart attacks, arterioscleroses and other inflammatory conditions. Also, it probably will be shown to contribute to a host of other chronic and degenerative diseases.

Besides insulin resistance causing problems, diabetes itself causes destruction of small arteries in eyes, kidneys and feet when blood sugar is not strictly controlled. High blood sugar also causes cross-linking of proteins, which results in free radical production, oxidative stress and resultant premature aging and many degenerative diseases.

The major concern in the prevention of diabetes and its associated chronic conditions is the prevention and reversal of insulin resistance.

The following measures can do just that:

* Exercise
* Wise choice of macronutrients (proportions of carbohydrates, fats and proteins)
* Micronutrient supplementation (vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc.)

Both aerobic conditioning and strength training are effective in improving insulin sensitivity and gllycemic (blood sugar) control.

Moderating the balance between the macronutrients is important as well as choosing the right kinds and sources of these macronutrients. The 40/30/30 percentage of calories balance among carbohydrate/fat/protein is best for most diabetics (the “Zone-favorable” diet), and the 60/20/20 or 50/25/25 may be better for some groups of people with borderline or actual kidney failure, because the high protein can make kidney failure worse.

The types of these macronutrients may be as important than the proportions among them. It is important to get carbohydrates mostly from vegetables, beans and whole grains, some whole fruits from the temperate zone, but not fruit juices), and to avoid alcohol and foods with added sugar like desserts and soft drinks, etc.

Fats are best obtained from cold-pressed olive oil, cold-water fish and flax seeds. It is of utmost importance to avoid trans fatty acids from hydrogenated oils, present in almost all margarines and shortenings and many processed foods. These fats make cell membranes resistant to insulin’s effects. The omega-3 fatty acids in flax oil and fish oil are very helpful for improving insulin sensitivity for cell membranes.

Protein is best from plant sources, especially dried beans, soybean products, fish and whey supplements.

Large amounts of fiber in vegetables and beans help in the moderation of the glycemic response to foods.

Supplementing with micronutrients can help improve insulin sensitivity and protect against many of the damages caused by diabetes, especially from free radicals and oxidative stress. The antioxidants are the most important for this protection.

The following are some of these supplements:

Vitamin C 1000 to 3000mg/day
Vitamin E 400-800 unilts/day
B-complex including 100mg of B-6, 100mg of niacin, plus 200mg of nicinamide/day
Vitamin B-12 1000mcg/day
Folic acid 1000mcg/day
Magnesium 200-600mg/day
Chromium 300mcg/day
Selenium 300mcg/day
Zinc 40mg + Copper 2mg/day
Manganese 10-50mg/dayVanadium 100mcg/day
Fiber supplements such as guar gum, oat extract, oat bran, psyllium, pea fiber, pectin.
Inositol 1000-3000mg/day
L-Carnitine 400-2000mg/day
alph-lipoic acid 500-1000mg/day
Coenzyme Q-10 100mg/day
Essential fatty acids — fish oil 5 grams/day (always include Vitamin E)
Fenugriik 3 tsp seeds/day

May 29th, 2010 - Posted in Diseases | | Comments Off

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