Best supplements for diabetes: Five natural remedies to manage blood sugar levels

From express.co.uk

BEST supplements for diabetes: A healthy diet and keeping active are the best way to manage your blood sugar level when you have the condition. If you have type 2 diabetes, and this is being managed by diet and lifestyle alone, supplements can help to improve your glucose control.

Supplements can have a beneficial role to play in improving type 2 diabetes.
Some improve the production and release of the insulin hormone in the pancreas, some reduce insulin resistance in muscle and fat cells, so they are better able to absorb glucose. Others reduce the production of new glucose in the liver.
A few supplements even work by blocking the effect of gut enzymes to slow the release of glucose from food.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is believed to boost insulin-signalling pathways so that more glucose is absorbed from the circulation by muscle and fat cells, says Dr Brewer.
She added: “Several studies suggest that cinnamon extracts can improve glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. The results from 10 trials involving 543 people with type 2 diabetes found that cinnamon significantly lowered fasting glucose levels compared with placebo.
“In three trials involving cinnamon cassia, fasting glucose levels fell by between 10.3 per cent and 29 per cent with no significant changes in those on placebo.”

                    Cinnamon is believed to boost insulin-signalling pathways (Image: GETTY)

Green tea

Green tea contains antioxidant polyphenols that offer several benefits for people with type 2 diabetes, according to Dr Brewer. Green tea extracts even appear to have an insulin-like action that may enhance insulin sensitivity.
Dr Brewer explained green, black and oolong tea help to protect against diabetes by:

• Increasing insulin sensitivity
• Blocking digestive enzymes (pancreatic alpha-amylase and intestinal alpha glucosidases) which break down starchy carbohydrates, so that less glucose is absorbed after eating – this action is similar to that of the prescribed anti-diabetes drug, acarabose, which is classed as an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor
• Suppressing appetite and reducing food intake through effects on hormones such as ghrelin and adiponectin
• Inhibiting a metabolic enzyme (catechol-0-methyl transferase) to stimulate the amount of fat burned in cells so that you generate more heat – a phenomenon known as thermogenesis. Green tea extracts can boost the rate at which the body burns calories by as much as 40 per cent over a 24-hour period

Green tea also activates an enzyme (AMP-protein kinase) that has effects on the liver to decrease glucose and fatty acid synthesis and increase their break down for energy.
Studies involving over 545,500 people have found that, compared with drinking no tea, the relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes is:

• 3 per cent lower if you drink one cup of tea per day
• 5 per cent lower for drinking two cups of tea per day
• 7 per cent lower for three cups of tea per day
• 10 per cent lower for drinking four cups of tea per day
• 12 per cent lower for five cups of tea per day
• 15 per cent lower for those drinking six cups of tea per day

          Green tea contains antioxidant polyphenols that offer benefits (Image: GETTY)

Turmeric

Turmeric helps to improve the release of insulin from the pancreatic beta-cells that make it, says Dr Brewer. It also improves how insulin works by activating insulin receptors.
She explained: In people with poor glucose tolerance (prediabetes), turmeric was even found to delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in 240 people. When taking turmeric (standardised to provide 250 mg curcuminoids per day) for nine months, none of those taking curcumin progressed to type 2
diabetes, while one in six of those taking placebo were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Those taking curcumin showed significant improvements in the function of insulin-producing pancreatic beta-cells.”

Ayurvedic herbs

Many herbs are used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat type 2 diabetes and are often combined to lower glucose indifferent ways, said Dr Brewer.
She added: “Gymnema sylvestre leaves contain unique gymnemic acids that bind to taste receptors on the tongue and block the ability to detect sweetness for up to 90 minutes, to reduce snacking on sweet foods.
“Bitter melon contains a chain of amino acids, known as polypeptide-p, which has a similar structure to insulin and is often referred to as ‘plant insulin’. It also contains charantin, which reduces glucose absorption and the production of glucose in the liver.

“Amla fruit stimulates the release of insulin hormone in response to glucose.
Tinospora cordifolia stimulates insulin secretion from the pancreas and reduces the production of new glucose in the liver.
“A blend of ten Ayurvedic herbs is included in a supplement called Curalin (for whom I act as a medical advisor) and there are some impressive testimonials from users with type 2 diabetes on www.curalife.co.”

Ubiquinol

Ubiquinol is a form of coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that is vital to produce energy in cells. Cells that do not have enough ubiquinol are unable to work properly, including beta-cells in the pancreas that make insulin, explained Dr Brewer.
She said: “A recent study involving 50 people with type 2 diabetes compared the effects of taking ubiquinol supplements (100mg per day) against placebo for 12 weeks. In those taking ubiquinol, there were significant improvements in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c, a measure of glucose control), ‘good’ HDL-cholesterol, insulin levels and insulin resistance compared with placebo.
“Many people with type 2 diabetes are prescribed a statin drug. Statins lower cholesterol levels and switch off cell production of natural ubiquinol, and lower vitamin D levels, which may contribute to statin side effects of muscles aches, weakness and tiredness. Some evidence suggests that taking ubiquinol coenzyme Q10, and vitamin D supplements, can help to prevent or reduce these statin side effects so you can continue to obtain the benefits of medication.”
Dr Brewer adds: “If you are taking any medication, however, always talk to your doctor before taking supplements and follow their advice.”

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1048542/best-supplements-for-diabetes-cinnamon-green-tea-turmeric

Have diabetes? Make sure to manage cholesterol, too

From medicalxpress.com

For people with diabetes, blood sugar isn't the only important measurement. New cholesterol guidelines suggest the more than 110 million U.S. adults with diabetes or prediabetes also should manage their cholesterol.

The guidelines released earlier this month during the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions conference suggest doctors consider prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins to people with diabetes who are age 40 to 75. The guidelines also give a raft of other specific recommendations for people with diabetes based on age and other risk factors.
The reality has been scientifically clear for a while, but many people are not aware of the connection: Middle-age adults with diabetes are usually considered at moderate to high risk for cardiovascular disease.
"It's not new but it's important. If you have diabetes, you have to work to get your cholesterol under control," said Dr. Scott Grundy, chair of the guidelines writing committee and professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre and Veterans Affairs Medical Centre in Dallas.
Shaun Rivers and Kim Ketter preach much the same thing to their clients.

Their company in Petersburg, Virginia, provides diabetes counseling and educational training. The women, who are twins, believe managing chronic conditions such as diabetes need a "holistic approach."
For them, that means keeping tabs on the bigger picture, like exercise, blood pressure and cholesterol.
"We liken it to a three-legged stool," said Ketter, a nurse practitioner. "All things are connected, and you have to learn to manage them all. If you fix one, you might help fix the other ones, and if you fail to manage one, the stool might fall over."

More than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, although one in four doesn't know it, according to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention statistics. Another 80 million have prediabetes, a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes.
Over the past 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than tripled as the population has aged and become more overweight or obese.
There are well-established risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. There also are what the new cholesterol guidelines call "risk-enhancing factors" such as family history, chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of at least three diagnosed conditions, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Rivers and Ketter use everyday items such as garden hoses to explain what the waxy-like, fatty buildup of cholesterol can do to the body.
"Folks don't understand how it can affect the body overall," Ketter said. "It's like a garden hose, and you have gunk and stuff inside of it accumulated over the years. You are going to have to turn up the pressure to get the same water through that hose. If all that mess is clogging the arteries, you have to turn up the pressure, and that means your heart is pumping harder."
While the new cholesterol guidelines suggest doctors talk to patients with diabetes about risk, lifestyle, and the possible need for statins, Ketter said she also wants to make sure her patients "on the cusp" of needing medicine are willing to work on good nutrition, exercise and any "bad habits."

"It's going to be a lifestyle change for a lot of them," said Rivers, an advanced diabetes clinical nurse specialist.
She and her sister should know about that. Although "perfectly healthy otherwise," the two were diagnosed about a decade ago with congestive heart failure, possibly from a genetic cause.
"In our own personal lives, we deal with (cholesterol)," Ketter said. "Our patients respect us for being honest. Life is a series of hills and valleys. Sometimes you are in the valley and can't get it right and sometimes you are on the hill and looking out. Either way, you make corrections and move on."

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-11-diabetes-cholesterol.html

Type 2 diabetes affects 7,000 under-25s in England and Wales

From bbc.co.uk

There are nearly 7,000 children and young adults under 25 with type 2 diabetes in England and Wales - about 10 times the number reported before, according to Diabetes UK.

Its analysis of 2016-17 data found most were being treated in GP practices rather than in specialist units.
The condition is linked to obesity and is more aggressive in children.
Child health experts said the government should act now to implement proposals to cut childhood obesity.
The Obesity Health Alliance said it was "hugely concerning" to see so many young people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

"We know that obesity contributes to the development of this and other serious health conditions, and with one in three children leaving primary school with excess weight or obesity, these findings are worrying but sadly not surprising," said Caroline Cerny, from the Alliance.

The new figures come from the latest National Diabetes Audit for 2016-2017 which contains information on cases of type 2 from 95% of GP practices in England and Wales, as well as numbers treated in specialist paediatric units.
It found that a total of 6,836 children and young people aged under 25 were being treated for the condition.
This includes:

• 11 five to nine-year-olds
• 196 10 to 14-year-olds
• 1,246 15 to 19-year-olds
• 5,383 20 to 24 year-olds

But a previous report, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, suggested the figure was 715 - the number of children and young people receiving care for type 2 diabetes from paediatric diabetes units in England and Wales.
These units provide specialist support to young people.
Some may be at risk of the condition progressing quickly, creating other health complications, such as blindness, amputations, heart disease and kidney failure.
GPs also provide lifestyle advice and support and many young people are treated in primary care.
Family history and ethnic background, as well as obesity, are factors in children and young people developing type 2 diabetes.

However, most children who develop diabetes have type 1 - not type 2.
Type 1 is an autoimmune disease which is not linked with being overweight or inactive.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46290849

Uncovering the whole story in diabetes

From ox.ac.uk

Insulin is only half the story in what goes awry in diabetes...

More than 400 million people worldwide suffer from type 2 diabetes, a disease characterised by increased blood glucose levels, because the body’s normal way of controlling insulin release breaks down.
But insulin is only one half of the story about what goes wrong in type 2 diabetes: the release of another hormone called glucagon, which has an opposite effect to insulin, is also disrupted in type 2 diabetes.
Now a study led by Professor Patrik Rorsman from the Radcliffe Department of Medicine has found that exposure to high glucose levels for as little as 48 hours changes glucagon secretion from the pancreas – but there may be a way to reverse these effects to restore normalcy.
The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, used mice that had been genetically altered to mimic the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, as well as cells from the pancreas’ ‘islets’, donated by patients with type 2 diabetes.

‘Unique cells’
Endocrine cells, such as the alpha cells in the pancreatic islets, are excitable cells that can generate electrical pulses (known as action potentials), much like cells in the brain. Alpha cells and other pancreatic islet cells use these electrical signals to control the release of islet hormones (which include both insulin and glucagon). By studying the electrical behaviour of the alpha cells, Professor Rorsman’s research group (based at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Medicine) hopes to understand how glucagon secretion is regulated.
“We actually use electrophysiology methods similar to those used by neuroscientists to record from these cells” said Dr Quan Zhang, one of the study co-authors.
‘There are only about 1g of pancreatic islets in the body and only 10% of these are alpha cells, so it’s quite a painstaking process to find and study them,” said Professor Rorsman. “Our group has really specialised in studying these cells, and we’ve probably studied more of these cells than any other group in the world!”
These alpha cells release a hormone called glucagon, which helps the liver to convert its store of glycogen into glucose, which then gets released into the bloodstream. The result is more glucose in the blood.
Insulin, which is also released by the pancreas, has the opposite effect: it signals the body to absorb glucose from the bloodstream, resulting in less glucose in the blood.
Normally, high levels of glucose result in pancreatic beta cells releasing insulin, so that glucose levels go down, and low levels of glucose result in the pancreatic alpha cells releasing glucagon, so that glucose levels go up.
“But this fine balance gets entirely disrupted in type 2 diabetes,” said Dr Jakob Knudsen, the first author of the study . “In type 2 diabetes, high glucose levels instead spur pancreatic alpha cells to release even more glucagon, which just makes glucose levels spike even higher.”

Blocking the cascade
But what is actually going wrong in alpha cells to produce this strange response? The research team studied this by tracking what happens to alpha cells exposed to high levels of glucose, using mice that had been bred to have changes similar to those experienced by patients with type 2 diabetes.
The team compared what happened in diabetic versus normal alpha cells, and found that exposure to high glucose levels for as little as 24 hours set off a complex cascade of cellular processes that led to more sodium being ‘pushed’ into the alpha cells.
This lowered the cells’ pH, which results in lower energy being available to the cell. The lower energy levels change the activity of an energy sensitive channel in the cell membrane, and ultimately result in the glucagon release going awry.
But crucially, the researchers were able to reverse too much glucagon secretion in both the cells and the mice by using a drug that stopped too much sodium from getting into alpha cells, thus blocking the chain of events that led to glucagon dysregulation right at the start.

High levels of glucose leave a mark
However, high levels of glucose still left their mark: overweight diabetic rats who had bariatric weight reduction surgery (similar to humans) or successful diabetes drug treatment still had protein changes in alpha cells caused by high levels of glucose - even after their glucose levels returned to normal.  What’s more, these protein changes weren’t restricted to the pancreas: the researchers found similar changes in heart and kidney cells in diabetic mice, even when their glucose levels had returned to normal.
“We’re still understanding the complex interplay that leads to diabetes, but we’re hoping that drugs that inhibit these protein changes might be one way of treating the disease,” said Professor Rorsman. “Indeed, we already know that some drugs with inhibit the ‘transporter’ through which sodium gets into alpha cells have had a positive effect in diabetes in animals – we think we now know why.”
“It is fascinating that something with such a small mass as the alpha cells, can have such a large impact on human health” said Dr Knudsen “We think that understanding the regulation of these cells both in healthy and diabetic individuals will improve our understanding of diabetes and provide new avenues of treatment for this growing patient population”.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/science-blog/uncovering-whole-story-diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes and Healthy Living - Start Setting Realistic Goals

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Whenever you aim to take on a challenge for a result, you are setting a goal. Goals may be ambitious or straightforward: veer off too much in one direction, and you risk wasting your time. Too simple, and you may not care enough about the result, and feel uninspired. Too ambitious, and you risk trying something too challenging, and finding more frustration than inspiration.
Aim for a balance. Set realistic goals that are not too easy but are well within your reach. If you are setting health goals, this is particularly important...

1. Setting realistic weight loss goals. Let us start with weight loss as it is a subject of much debate and interest. Weight loss requires a more realistic approach than perhaps anything else. It is one thing to say you will lose 30 pounds by the end of the year, and another to be able to follow through. It is much better to tell yourself you will take it one week or one month at a time, and then you will accumulate small, but significant amounts of progress.
One pound a week adds up quickly, and even if you are a bit short, it is progress in the right direction. Don't be too optimistic about what you can achieve in the long-term. For now, worry about what you can accomplish in the next few weeks and months, and don't run before you can walk.

2. Realistic nutrition goals. Nutrition is under the same scope because without eating well you are unlikely to make weight loss progress. However, it is best not to aim to drastically reduce your caloric intake, or make the same type of dramatic changes to your diet. Start with small steps. Small changes to your diet will go a long way.

3. Feasible exercise strategies. Exercise is essential. If you have been sedentary and recently had a wake-up call such as the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, you may have decided to change for good. This time it will be different, you tell yourself: that is a good start.

However, be careful about being overzealous. Don't be too ambitious at first. If you are exercising to achieve...

• weight loss,
• lower blood sugar levels, or
• improving your cardiovascular health,

moderation is key. Going from zero workouts to five or more a week is too much, and it is a difficult goal to sustain.
Instead, establish possible exercise strategies. Aim to exercise three times a week. Do this until it becomes a set routine in your life and you don't need to think twice about it. If your nutrition is right, you will make progress. You will also be more likely to enjoy your workout at the gym, the walks you go on, and the fitness classes you attend.
Setting realistic goals is ultimately part of establishing a realistic plan for your health. Set health goals you will achieve, and accumulate these successes.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Type-2-Diabetes-and-Healthy-Living---Start-Setting-Realistic-Goals&id=10024772

Skipping breakfast too often lately? It may up diabetes risk

Frim indiatimes.com

You have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast, as the name implies, is to break the fast between dinner and lunch.
It is well-established that starting the day with a wholesome breakfast can benefit everyone. If you have type 2 diabetes (T2D), breakfast is necessary and it can have real benefits.

Do you think that skipping breakfast can help manage your blood glucose better? Researchers say the opposite is true. In a study, 22 people who controlled their T2D with diet alone or diet plus metformin were studied on two different days. On one, they ate three identical meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the other, they ate only lunch and dinner. On the days they skipped breakfast, their peak blood glucose was 36.8 per cent higher after lunch and 26.6 per cent higher after dinner than on the days they ate breakfast.

Another study highlighted that a high-energy intake breakfast of around 700 kcals (vs a low energy breakfast of 200 kcals) decreased the overall high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) in T2D patients over the entire day. It has been established that better management of blood sugar has been associated with preventing complications of diabetes.

Regular consumption of breakfast is potentially important for preventing T2D. A recent study tested 17 healthy adults on three separate days: Once when they skipped breakfast, once when they had three regular meals and once when they skipped dinner. Skipping breakfast led to higher glucose concentrations after lunch than skipping dinner.

The key to a healthy morning meal is to choose a variety of foods to get a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other nutrients like vitamins and minerals -- along with the much-needed fibre that helps manage blood-sugar levels. Here are some options to consider:

Whole grains: Oatmeal, muesli with no added sugar, wheat flakes with added bran, whole-wheat daliya/chapatti/khakhra/paratha/ bread, whole grain millet (ragi, jowar, bajra) preparations. Whole grains are a good source of carbohydrates (including fibre), vitamins and minerals.

Dairy: Use non-fat or low-fat milk instead of whole milk. If you don't drink milk, try non-dairy milk alternatives like soy, almond, coconut milk, etc. Choose plain rather than sweetened versions.

Fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruit is a great addition to any breakfast given that they provide fibre, vitamins and minerals. However, limit fruit juice. Vegetables (like carrot, French beans, capsicum, leafy greens like palak, methi, etc.) can be added to all the traditional breakfast foods. Of protein include low fat milk/curd/yoghurt/paneer/cottage cheese, eggs, tofu, whole pulses like moong, channa, vatana, rajma, etc., and split pulses, which are all the dals.

Healthy fat: Fat can help you feel full but it is important to choose wisely. Go for nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, etc., in small to moderate amounts.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/skipping-breakfast-too-often-lately-it-may-up-diabetes-risk/articleshow/66602528.cms

How You Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, According to Experts

From parade.com

At 72, George King Sr. developed Type 2 diabetes and was put on multiple medications to keep his blood sugar in check. But he didn’t take the news sitting down. He started walking twice a day and modified his diet to include more vegetables and complex carbohydrates. The result? For the following 15 years, he no longer had to take medication.

None of this surprises his son, George King Jr., MD, who serves as research director and chief scientific officer of the Joslin Diabetes Centre in Boston and is author of the book Reverse Your Diabetes in 12 Weeks.
“We know that five to 10 percent of people who change their diets, lose weight and increase activity can get off all medications, and stay off them for 10 to 20 years,” King says. “Those numbers tell me that it’s definitely possible to reverse Type 2—you just need to find the correct path.”
Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and author of Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes agrees, but adds a caveat: Results depend on how long you’ve had the disease.

Diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas cannot properly produce insulin to regulate levels of glucose in your body. Over time, this can cause the pancreas’s beta cells to burn out, making it harder and harder to compensate for the body’s inability to use insulin effectively.

“People with diabetes for a short time have a better chance of getting rid of diabetes than someone who has had the disease for 30 years,” says Barnard. (King’s father, for example, did resume taking medication at age 87.)

But even if you can’t entirely reverse diabetes, says Barnard, “weight that has gone up can come back down, sugars that have gone up can go back down, medication doses that have gone higher year by year can come down, as can cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels and medication used to treat them.”

Here are four simple steps to start turning back the clock on diabetes.

                                          (iStock)
Don’t cut carbs completely. While there’s not one “magic diet” to help people with diabetes safely and effectively lose weight, King is partial to a “rural Asian diet,” which is high in complex carbohydrates, mostly from non-starchy vegetables. “Just like some fats are good and some are bad, some carbs, particularly high fibre ones, can help people lose weight and reduce their blood sugars,” he says. Joslin research found this diet significantly reduced insulin resistance (the body’s inability to use insulin to absorb glucose), body fat and cholesterol.

Diabetes Diet Do’s. The diabetes-fighting rural Asian diet includes:

• brown rice, quinoa, lentils, spinach, broccoli, fish, oatmeal, tomatoes, bean sprouts and eggplant

Take a break from meat and dairy. If you’re interested in a diet where you don’t have to watch portions closely or count calories, Barnard recommends taking a cue from vegans and eating a plant-based diet excluding animal and dairy products. That means your meals will be made up of legumes, vegetables, grains and fruits that score low on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly a food spikes blood glucose levels. Think sweet potatoes rather than white potatoes or rye or pumpernickel breads rather than white. A study of patients on vegan diets showed they were able to reduce the amount of insulin they were taking, as well as other medications. “I’m not encouraging anyone to immediately switch diets or throw their medicines into the trash,” Barnard warns. “Talk to your doctor first.”

Exercise at least every other day. Insulin resistance primarily occurs when muscles fail to absorb glucose from your bloodstream. After a workout, your muscles take in more glucose so your body doesn’t have to work as hard to produce insulin. This effect lasts about 48 hours, so as long as you’re sweating at least that often, your body will continuously reap the benefits. “Pick something that you gravitate toward,” King says. “Something you can stick with.”

Turn down the heat. It won’t just help you save on your electric bill this winter—there’s some evidence that spending time in cooler rooms can activate “brown fat,” which burns calories rather than stores them like traditional “white” fat. Preliminary research also indicates that brown fat may help control glucose and reduce insulin resistance. While not an effective weight-loss strategy on its own, King says, it can provide an extra boost for people with diabetes when combined with exercise and diet. Try keeping your house in the mid-60s for at least a few hours a day, and don’t pile on sweaters and blankets to combat the cold.

https://parade.com/610760/ilenerush/how-you-can-reverse-diabetes-according-to-experts/

• 
  

Fit After 50: November is National Diabetes Month

From dailyrepublic.com

November is National Diabetes Month, a time to focus on awareness and management of diabetes for all people and especially those over age 50.
More than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, but 1 in 4 doesn’t know it, according to the Centres for Disease Control. In Solano County, 1 in 10 adults have diabetes. That’s 9.8 percent. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the county.


There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes (which is diabetes during pregnancy that can put the pregnancy and baby at risk and lead to type 2 diabetes later).
With type 1 diabetes, your body can’t make insulin (a hormone that acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as energy), so you need to take it every day. It is less common than type 2 diabetes. With type 2, your body doesn’t use insulin well and is unable to keep blood sugar at normal levels. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight, being 45 years or older, have a parent or sibling with the disease and being physically active less than 3 times a week.

You can lower your risk by losing weight and getting active. And if you already have the disease, weight loss and exercise can help you control the disease.
Starting an exercise regimen can be daunting for anyone, especially for those who are over age 50. Even starting out small with a daily walk, though, can help steer you toward a healthier lifestyle. Of course, you should discuss any exercise plan with your primary care doctor.
When you have type 2 diabetes, physical activity is an important component of your treatment plan. If you stay fit and active throughout your life, you’ll be able to better control your diabetes and keep your blood glucose level in the correct range. Controlling your blood glucose level is essential to preventing long-term complications.

There are other benefits to exercise as well:
• Lower blood pressure
• Increased level of good cholesterol (HDL)
• Leaner, stronger muscles
• Stronger bones
• More energy
• Improved mood
• Better sleep
• Stress management

Once you make the decision to exercise, the next step is to plan. You should aim to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Then you can build up to include some strength training. It’s also important to include stretching before and after exercise, which will reduce muscle soreness and will help to improve how well your muscles work.
And then? Stick with your exercise routine. Your long-term health depends on it.

Miya Allen, M.D., is a specialist in diabetes and endocrinology at NorthBay Healthcare.

https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/local-features/local-lifestyle-columns/fit-after-50-november-is-national-diabetes-month/

Study says treating gum disease may help manage type 2 diabetes

From diabetestimes.co.uk

Treating gum disease could help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood glucose levels and may reduce their risk of diabetes-related complications, study funded by Diabetes UK has found.
Intensive treatment for periodontitis improved blood glucose control in people with the condition and was linked to improvements in kidney and blood vessel function.
Researchers at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute recruited 264 people with type 2 diabetes, all with moderate to severe periodontitis. Half of the participants received intensive treatment for their gum disease, which involved deep cleaning their gums and minor gum surgery. The other half received standard care, involving regular cleaning and polishing of their teeth. The treatments were provided alongside any type 2 diabetes medications being taken.

After 12 months, participants receiving the intensive treatment had reduced their blood glucose levels (HbA1c) by on average 0.6% more than the standard care group. This suggests that intensive gum disease treatment could help some people with type 2 diabetes to improve their blood glucose levels.
Gum disease affects almost half of the UK population and people with diabetes have a higher risk of developing it. Gum disease sets in when the levels of bacteria inside the mouth are out of balance, and it causes chronic inflammation inside the body. This inflammation has been linked to cardiovascular and kidney complications, as well as insulin resistance.

The findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, are the first to link intensive gum disease treatment to improvements in kidney and blood vessel function and chronic inflammation. While more research is needed to explore this connection, the findings suggest that treatment may help to reduce the risk of serious diabetes-related complications, such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, in people with type 2 diabetes.
The researchers also observed a link between the treatment and improved quality of life.
‘New and important way’ to help people with type 2 diabetes
Professor Francesco D’Aiuto, lead researcher of the study, said: “Our findings suggest preventing and treating gum disease could potentially be a new and important way to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their condition, and reduce their risk of its serious complications.

“The improvement in blood glucose control we observed, in people who received intensive treatment, is similar to the effect that’s seen when people with type 2 diabetes are prescribed a second blood glucose lowering drug. We now need to determine if the improvements we found can be maintained in the longer-term and if they apply to everyone with type 2 diabetes.”
Professor John Deanfield, senior investigator of the study at the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, said: “Inflammation may be part of the biological pathways that lead to several health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and cancer.
“Our findings that reduction in periodontitis, which is a common cause of inflammation, improves vascular, renal, as well as blood glucose control, in people with type 2 diabetes, are exciting and could lead to new strategies to improve care. Large-scale clinical outcome trials should now be designed.”

Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research at Diabetes UK, said: “Currently people with type 2 diabetes aren’t given oral health advice or treatment as part of their routine diabetes care. While more work is needed to fully understand how good oral health could help with blood glucose management, this research gives us important insights into the potential benefits of looking after your oral health if you have type 2 diabetes.”
Diabetes UK is the largest funder of diabetes research in the UK, investing around £7 million every year.
The project was also part-funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), via the UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, as part of a comprehensive new research programme in the field of Oral Health.

https://diabetestimes.co.uk/study-says-treating-gum-disease-may-help-manage-type-2-diabetes/

The 5 biggest myths about diabetes

From kutv.com

Diabetes is extremely complex. More than 30 million people in the United States have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. But, despite its prevalence, many misconceptions are spread about the disease that can make it difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Whether you have diabetes, have a loved one who does, or are concerned about your risk for a diagnosis—it’s important that you have the correct information.

                                        There are many misconceptions surrounding diabetes.

If you’re overweight, you will develop type 2 diabetes. The United States obesity rate is around 36 percent, while the diabetes rate is just under 9 percent. This obesity rate is approximately four times higher, which shows that not all who are obese have diabetes.
Additionally, thin people are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes too. While excess weight can increase your risk of diabetes onset, there’s a lot more to it. Having a family history of diabetes, having high blood pressure, or being sedentary are just a few of the many other factors that can contribute.

Diabetes is caused by overeating sugar. Eating three bowls of ice cream a day isn’t the best idea for any diet, but ultimately, it doesn’t cause diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and unknown factors that trigger its onset, and genetics and lifestyle factors cause type 2 diabetes. An excess of calories from any food source (not just sweets!) can contribute to weight gain, which increases your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Sugar is not the lone culprit.

Having prediabetes means you will eventually develop type 2 diabetes. More than 1 in 3 adults in the United States have prediabetes, and for those affected, up to 70 percent of patients eventually develop type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle changes can be utilized to reduce the risk of prediabetes developing into diabetes: physical exercise, a balanced diet, and advice from a dietician can help to stop the progression significantly.

People with diabetes are more likely to get colds and other illnesses. You’re just as likely to get a cold with or without diabetes. But, symptoms can be much more severe with diabetes, since it’s harder to keep your blood glucose in your target range when you’re sick. It’s very important for those with diabetes to take preventative action to stop the spread of germs. This includes simple steps like getting an annual flu shot and drinking lots of fluids.

No one in your family has diabetes, so you don’t need to worry. Family history is only one of several risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Other influencers, such as an unhealthy diet or a lack of exercise, play a significant role in increasing risk for diabetes. Diabetes CAN run in families, but many people diagnosed with the disease have no close family members who have it.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. If you have any concerns, please speak with your doctor.

https://kutv.com/sponsored/spotlight/the-5-biggest-myths-about-diabetes