Diabetes Complications

In the United States alone, more than 24 million children and adults are living with diabetes, including 5.7 million who are unaware that they have this disease.  

Diabetes is a fearsome disorder, yet one we take much too lightly. Few people flirting with borderline elevated blood sugar levels realize how important it is to get this situation under control right away.   

Most folks are unaware of the many diabetes complications, and that this disease is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations in this country. People living with diabetes are more likely to have—and die of—a heart attack or stroke than those with normal blood sugar levels. Diabetes is also a primary contributor to erectile dysfunction (impotence) and dementia.

Unfortunately, most people either don’t know or tend to ignore the subtle warning signs of this devastating disease. It’s time we all pull our heads out of the sand and look diabetes in the eye.  
Diabetes is in large part a disease of lifestyle. In 90 percent of all cases, it is both preventable and treatable. Treating diabetes is simpler than many people think—exercising most days of the week and cutting sugars and starches out of your diet can go a long way toward improving blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes complications.

For more information about diabetes complications and treating diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

If you are dealing with diabetes, it is imperative that you take a potent daily multivitamin and mineral supplement. This will give you the nutritional foundation you need to help manage your diabetes. Antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10, acetyl-L-carnitine, and n-acetyl-cysteine are also important because they help scavenge the free radicals and clear up the oxidative stress caused by the diabetic condition. But if I had to choose just one antioxidant for people trying to manage diabetes, it would be alpha lipoic acid (ALA).

ALA has the unique ability to work in both water- and fat-soluble mediums and to regenerate vitamins C and E, and other antioxidants. Furthermore, it actually improves the diabetic condition by enhancing glucose uptake, increasing insulin sensitivity, and protecting against beta cell destruction.

Most important are ALA’s effects on diabetes complications. Studies show that daily doses of 600-1,200 mg of ALA reduce pain, burning, numbness, tingling, and other symptoms of neuropathy. Benefits of this supplement have also been demonstrated for diabetes-related eye, kidney, and cardiovascular diseases.

For more information on diabetes complications or dealing with diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Diabetic neuropathy is a form of nerve damage that affects many people living with diabetes.  In addition to being quite painful, it can also be debilitating.  Fortunately, there are three effective, natural remedies to treat this common diabetes complication.

Lipoic acid, also called alpha lipoic acid, is an extremely powerful natural antioxidant. High doses of lipoic acid (in the 600 mg range) have been shown in several studies to be an effective therapy for diabetic neuropathy, reducing pain, and improving function in affected patients. Aim for 600-1,200 mg daily, depending on your degree of neuropathy.

Evening primrose oil, which contains the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid, also benefits nerves damaged by diabetes and reduces associated pain. In a landmark double-blind study carried out in seven medical centers, 480 mg of evening primrose oil taken daily for one year resulted in improvements in symptoms of neuropathy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetics. Other studies have utilized doses of up to 6,000 mg per day with good results. Start with 500–1,500 mg per day.

Potent daily multivitamin/mineral supplement and fish oil. Because oxidative stress plays a role in diabetic neuropathy, you need to take a potent multivitamin and mineral complex that contains the following nutrients in the suggested doses: vitamin E (at least 300 IUs), vitamin B6 (150 mg), and vitamin B12 (1,500 mcg). Since inflammation is also a factor, take 2–8 grams of high-quality fish oil.

For more information on managing diabetes and diabetes complications, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, we routinely prescribe high doses of water- and fat-soluble vitamins and minerals to virtually all of our patients. However, for our patients living with diabetes, we bump up those amounts by at least 50 percent. The diabetic condition causes increased urination and essentially acts as a diuretic, washing away magnesium, zinc, folic acid, and other vital nutrients from the body. Supplementing with high levels of these vitamins and minerals helps compensate for nutritional deficiencies and protect against diabetic complications.

Take Roxann, a type 2 diabetic who had been on insulin for 16 years. She had retinopathy, angina, high blood pressure, a history of two heart attacks, and an open ulcer on her foot that refused to heal. But the most debilitating of her problems was neuropathy. Nerve damage left her with virtually no sensation in her feet, and she could barely get around on her own.

After hitting rock bottom, Roxann came to my clinic and started on a comprehensive nutritional regimen that included high doses of antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and targeted nutrients and herbs known to help control blood sugar. Given the severity of Roxann’s condition, she also underwent a course of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Within three days, the feeling began to return to Roxann’s feet. She had more energy, less pain, and a renewed sense of hope. By the end of her second week at the clinic, she was walking normally. In fact, she and her daughter did something that would have been unthinkable just three weeks before: They spent the next couple of days strolling around and sightseeing in southern California.

If you’re living with diabetes and are seeing a conventional doctor, ask this question: “Doctor, I understand that diabetes causes losses of many micronutrients in the urine. Would it be wise for me to be on a nutrient supplement regimen to counteract those losses?”

If your doctor says it’s not needed or gives you some garbage about lack of science or some other nonsense, run—don’t walk—to a physician with a different attitude toward nutritional supplementation and other natural diabetes treatments. You just might save yourself a whole lot of suffering.

For more information on treating diabetes or key supplements for diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

The key to the treating diabetes is twofold. First, you need to control blood sugar levels. Equally important, you must prevent diabetes complications.

While conventional physicians do attempt to stave off diabetes complications by helping patients maintain blood sugar levels that are in the normal range, they ignore the solid scientific research that supports the aggressive use of specific nutritional supplements for protection against the ravages of diabetes. This is one of the most obvious and inexcusable blind spots of conventional medicine.

Diabetes is a nutritionally wasting disease. Massive amounts of nutrients are lost as the kidneys rid the body of excess glucose by increasing urination, so the first step is replacement of these lost nutrients.

Among the most significant losses are the B-complex vitamins, and many people with diabetes have suboptimal cellular levels of these vital nutrients. Vitamins B6, B12, and biotin improve insulin sensitivity and also help prevent diabetes complications, particularly neuropathy, which is present in almost half of all people with diabetes. Supplementation is imperative, with recommended doses of:

• 75 mg vitamin B6,
• 150 mcg of B12,
• 300 mcg of biotin, and
• an array of other B-complex vitamins.

People with diabetes also tend to have low levels of magnesium, and those with the lowest levels are most likely to have diabetic retinopathy and other eye problems. For this reason, anyone trying to manage diabetes should also take a minimum of 500 mg of magnesium per day, balanced with 1,000 mg of calcium.

For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Believe it or not, one-third of Americans are obese, and obesity, particularly in the abdominal area, is a well-established diabetes risk factor.  

When you exercise, your muscles’ energy requirements increase dramatically—they need ready access to glucose, which fuels the hungry muscle cells. Exercise appears to some degree to actually bypass the normal requirements for insulin. It increases the transport of glucose into the cells, not only while you are exercising but for hours afterwards. Thus, it lowers blood glucose levels and also improves overall insulin sensitivity.  So, if you’re living with diabetes, exercise can be your key to controlling blood sugar.

Researchers at Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley who followed almost 6,000 men for 14 years determined that increased physical activity was especially protective for men with the highest risk of developing diabetes—those who were overweight or had a family history of diabetes.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise four or more days per week. You don’t have to run marathons—just get active. Brisk walking is one of the easiest activities for beginners, but the most important thing is to choose something you enjoy and stick with it.

For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters, or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

What you eat has a profound effect on your blood glucose levels and your risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. So if you or a loved one are at risk for or already dealing with diabetes, read the following information carefully.

Refined carbohydrates and sugars are rapidly broken down into glucose, driving up blood sugar levels and placing an increased burden on normal metabolic processes. Please avoid them whenever possible.

On the other hand, vegetables, legumes, and most fruits, cause a slow, sustained release of glucose into the bloodstream. Couple these slow burners with moderate amounts of lean protein and healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and you’ll find it easier to control blood sugar.  

Other great dietary tips to help you manage diabetes include:

• Eat moderate amounts of lean protein with every meal. Good sources are fish, poultry, tofu, egg whites, and legumes.
• Avoid saturated fats and trans fatty acids, found in margarine and other processed fats, and eat only healthy fats, such as those found in raw nuts and seeds, olive oil, and flaxseed.
• Make unprocessed carbohydrates the mainstay of your meals. Concentrate on fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
• Whenever possible stay away from starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, and refined grains.  

For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters, or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

One of the primary reasons we’re seeing a worldwide glut of insulin-resistant diabetes is because more and more emerging nations are adopting the Western diet that we’ve “enjoyed” for years. Indigenous diets of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are being replaced with processed, refined foods that have been stripped of their natural fiber and nutrients. Meat has become more prominent in the daily diet. And fast-food restaurants are springing up all over the globe. This is horrible news for anyone trying to manage diabetes.

In the US, we’ve been eating a schizophrenic diet for years. In a futile effort to lose weight, we fill up on fat-free cookies and ice cream, which are nothing more than unhealthy refined carbohydrates. We’ve also become sugar junkies. According to US Department of Agriculture statistics, Americans consume an average of 149 pounds of sweeteners a year—not counting the artificial sweeteners that we consume in more than 7,000 products. 

Excess fat is also a culprit, particularly saturated fats from meat and altered trans fatty acids in processed foods. As early as the 1920s, it was demonstrated that a high-saturated-fat diet contributes to type 2 diabetes, as it not only causes weight gain—one of several diabetes risk factors in itself—but also decreases insulin sensitivity and makes it difficult to control blood sugar.

Beating diabetes has a lot more to do with lifestyle choices than with which pill to take next. Stay tuned to this blog for additional diet recommendations and other natural remedies for diabetes.

For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters, or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

If you are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you’ll immediately—and unavoidably—be prescribed insulin. If the diagnosis is type 2 diabetes, you’ll probably be told to make some changes in your diet and to begin exercising. But, you’ll also likely be told to take a drug if your blood glucose doesn’t normalize with lifestyle changes.  

Prescribing drugs is what physicians do. Medical school education is largely an exercise in learning which drugs to prescribe for certain conditions. Studies published in the most prestigious medical journals routinely compare the benefits of one drug versus another. Prescription medications are simply the heart and soul of modern medicine.

There are five major classes of drugs usually prescribed to help control blood sugar.  Although these medications may be effective in lowering blood sugar, each and every one of them has its price.  

Most oral hypoglycemic agents are no more than a Band-Aid approach to diabetes—they lower blood sugar, but do nothing to address the underlying condition. The majority increases insulin production, which, is not what’s needed in the case of type 2 diabetes, where folks are not insulin deficient, but rather insulin resistant.  

Other meds affect the way carbohydrates are metabolized in the intestinal tract. And although some drugs do attempt to improve insulin sensitivity, their side effects (including liver failure and death) make them highly suspect.  

Drugs are by their very nature foreign agents. As such, they affect your body in unnatural ways. The most common side effects of diabetic drugs are weight gain, gastrointestinal upset, and sometimes serious liver problems.  

While I’m not against all prescription drugs, I know from decades of experience treating diabetes that natural remedies for diabetes also work. Better still, I have thousands of patient success stories to back up this natural approach.   

For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing. 

People living with diabetes have an increased need to urinate, as their kidneys attempt to get rid of excess glucose. Along with excess glucose, however, massive amounts of water-soluble vitamins and minerals also are lost. Yet, incredibly, most white-coated experts specializing in helping patients manage diabetes make no attempt whatsoever to replace these nutrients, leaving patients to suffer the inevitable consequences of massive nutritional deficiencies.

Numerous studies have shown that people with diabetes tend to have low cellular levels of magnesium, zinc, vitamins B6 and C, and other essential water-soluble nutrients. Is it any wonder that they are at increased risk for atherosclerosis, heart disease, and other degenerative conditions that have been definitively linked to nutritional deficiencies?  

The combination of these processes puts people trying to manage diabetes at a dramatically increased risk of premature death and disability. The areas of the body most profoundly affected by diabetic complications include the blood vessels, nerves, eyes, kidneys, and extremities. In fact:

• People with diabetes are two to three times more likely to die from heart disease than those with normal blood sugar levels, and they are five times more likely to have a stroke.
• People with diabetes are subject to vision problems such as glaucoma and cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness.
• Forty percent of all cases of kidney failure are attributed to diabetes.
• Sixty to 70 percent of all diabetics have some form of nerve damage, and a majority of lower extremity amputations are performed on diabetics.
• Erectile dysfunction, impaired digestion, urinary incontinence, excess sweating, gum disease, and increased risk of infection are additional diabetes complications.

For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing. 

Diabetes is a silent stalker, and if you’re over 45, overweight, inactive, or suffering with other diabetes risk factors, you’re a prime target.  

In the United States alone, nearly 24 million people suffer from diabetes, and another 5.7 million are walking around undiagnosed. Worldwide, the number of people with diabetes is expected to skyrocket to 366 million by the year 2030.

Diabetes is a fearsome disorder, yet one we take much too lightly. Few people flirting with borderline elevated blood sugar levels realize the urgency of managing diabetes in its early stages. Most are unaware that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations in this country, or that people with diabetes are more likely to have—and die of—a heart attack or stroke than those with normal blood sugar metabolism. Nor do they recognize that diabetes is a primary contributor to erectile dysfunction (impotence) and dementia.

Furthermore, most people either don’t know or tend to ignore the subtle warning signs of this devastating disease. It’s time we all pull our heads out of the sand and look diabetes in the eye. Diabetes is in large part a disease of lifestyle. In 90 percent of all cases, it is both preventable and treatable—yet statistics clearly show that it is being neither prevented nor treated appropriately.

For more information on diabetes, diabetic complications, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

If you’re living with diabetes, you’ll be interested in learning about these two treatments used at the Whitaker Wellness Institute—hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP).

HBOT and EECP are two powerful therapies that can help treat a variety of conditions. They’re both all about oxygen.

HBOT, which involves breathing concentrated oxygen in a pressurized chamber, saturates the tissues with oxygen and “wakes up” damaged nerves. Because many bacteria cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment, HBOT also facilitates the healing of diabetic ulcers.

EECP increases oxygen delivery as well, but by a different mechanism. It rhythmically squeezes the lower extremities, which dramatically improves blood flow throughout the body. In addition, EECP stimulates the production of new blood vessels resulting in benefits that are enduring.

Although it is used primarily to treat patients with heart disease, EECP also benefits a long list of other conditions, including kidney disease and diabetes complications.

Vitamins D and E are great natural diabetes remedies.

Vitamin D deficiencies are linked with the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as impaired insulin secretion. This vitamin also turns on genes that boost production of antimicrobial peptides called cathelicidins, which destroy viruses, bacteria, and other germs. Since people managing diabetes are more prone to infections due to diabetic ulcers and periodontal disease, optimal levels of this fat-soluble vitamin is important. Have your vitamin D blood level tested, and take enough vitamin D3 to bring it into the 40–60 ng/mL range. I’m reluctant to give an exact dose, but my average patient requires 5,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily.

Vitamin E, the body’s premier fat-soluble antioxidant, improves glucose control and protects blood vessels and nerves from free-radical damage, which is accelerated by the diabetic condition.

Studies have shown that high doses of supplemental vitamin E may even reverse damage to nerves caused by diabetes and protect against diabetic cataracts and atherosclerosis.

Additionally, research suggests that approximately 40 percent of people living with diabetes have a gene variation (haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene) that increases oxidative stress and doubles or triples their risk of cardiovascular disease. Israeli researchers found that when these people took
400 IU of vitamin E daily, their risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and death fell by 50 percent! Vitamin E’s benefits were so profound the study was terminated early so all study participants could benefit.

Oxidative stress also contributes to liver damage that, if untreated, can lead to diabetes complications such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The best-studied antioxidant for NAFLD also happens to be vitamin E, with doses averaging 800 IU per day. Everyone, regardless of health status, should take 400 IU of vitamin E every day.

Note: Take only natural vitamin E. You can tell it’s natural if it’s listed as d-alpha-tocopherol or d-alpha-tocopheryl. Synthetic vitamin E is listed as dl-alphatocopherol or dl-alpha tocopheryl (note the “l”).

Two of the best natural remedies for diabetes are B-complex vitamins and vitamin C.

B-complex vitamins, particularly B6 and B12, are vital for the health of people who have diabetes. That’s because these vitamins support nerve health, which is critical when addressing conditions such as diabetic neuropathy.

Biotin is another B-complex vitamin that is necessary for cell growth and for the metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. This vitamin also also been shown to lower fasting blood sugar levels and reduce risk of complications such as diabetic neuropathy.

The ideal daily dose for people living with diabetes is 75-125 mg of B6, 150-1,000 mcg of B12, and 300 mcg of biotin daily.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that protects against free-radical damage throughout the body. This vitamin is also required for the production of collagen, so it strengthens the blood vessels and supports healthy blood flow. In addition, it is involved in multiple aspects of the immune response and boosts overall immunity.

Perhaps most important to people managing diabetes, however, is vitamin C’s ability to lower levels of sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that can collect in the cells and damage the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. This, plus its ability to put the brakes on free radicals, makes vitamin C an important weapon in the arsenal against diabetes complications.

Finally, vitamin C is an excellent therapy for another condition that often co-exists in individuals living with diabetes: hypertension. Irish researchers found that just 500 mg of vitamin C a day lowered blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes.

I recommend people dealing with diabetes take at least 1,000 mg of supplemental vitamin C daily.

Taiwanese researchers looked at more than 87,000 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with either oral drugs or insulin, and what they discovered may shock you.

They found that patients using insulin had a higher prevalence of hypertension (61.3 versus 53.9 percent), and the longer they used it, the greater their risk.

This is not surprising when you consider insulin’s activities beyond nutrient storage. Injected insulin increases sodium retention and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. It induces oxidative stress, leading to free-radical damage that impairs the function of the endothelial cells lining the arteries. It also has growth factor–like activity that thickens blood vessels and increases risk of atherosclerosis.

Since people living with diabetes are already at dramatically increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, the last thing they need is a treatment that amplifies this risk.

Instead, opt for alternative treatments for diabetes, including nutritional supplements and diet modifications. These more natural options have been very successful in lowering blood sugar and preventing complications.

For years, doctors have known the potential dangers of oral hypoglycemic drugs. But for whatever reason, they continue to prescribe them to patients dealing with diabetes. So my question is this: When are we going to learn—rather, when are we going to accept—that oral medications used to treat type 2 diabetes actually do more harm than good?

In February 2008, researchers heading a large, government-funded trial made a sobering announcement. The study in question, Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes
(ACCORD), was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of various medication regimens in reducing heart attacks, strokes, and death from cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

One arm of the study tested the widely held assumption that using more aggressive methods to lower blood sugar would provide greater protection against heart disease. Instead, ACCORD found just the opposite. Study participants on the most intensive drug regimens aimed at driving blood sugar way down had a much higher cardiovascular death rate. “Intensive blood sugar lowering treatment” proved to be so harmful that the researchers halted this arm of the study 18 months early to prevent this aggressive drug use from killing even more people.

“Those Who Cannot Remember The Past…”

Medical experts were reportedly “shocked,” “stunned,” and “startled” by this “unexpected” finding. Folks, this is nonsense. We’ve known about the fatal complications of diabetes drugs since 1969, when results of a similar study called the University Group Diabetes Program were made public. The goal of this placebo-controlled study of patients with type 2 diabetes was to see if either of two oral diabetes drugs lowered the incidence of heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.

Incredibly, just like ACCORD, the study had to be stopped two years early because participants who were taking the drugs had a 250 to 300 percent higher death rate than those taking the placebo.

Philosopher George Santayana said more than a century ago, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Well, modern medicine has a terrible habit of forgetting—or ignoring—the past. And patients are condemned to pay for this folly.

IMPORTANT WARNING: If you are currently taking an oral hypoglycemic drug, don’t stop taking it. You must work with your doctor to determine if you can gradually discontinue the medication. Ask him/her to help you implement a program of weight loss, lifestyle changes, and other natural remedies for diabetes. Check this blog frequently, do your own research, and talk with your doctor to determine that you’re getting the care that’s best for you.

Retinopathy is one of the more serious diabetes complications that affects the eyes. It occurs when the small blood vessels in the retina (the light-sensitive area in the back of the inner eye) become damaged, usually as a result of metabolic changes associated with diabetes. The longer you’ve been living with diabetes, the higher your risk of developing this condition.

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important, as diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the industrialized world today. In fact, it leads to 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness annually.

There are three main types of diabetic retinopathy:

• Background retinopathy, which occurs when the blood vessels are damaged, but there is no problem with vision.
• Maculopathy, which happens as a result of damage to the macula (a small area in the center of the retina that provides central vision and helps us to see fine details), and leads to impaired vision.
• Proliferative retinopathy, which develops as a result of poor blood flow and oxygen delivery to the eye

If you have diabetes, you should do everything you can to protect your eyes. For optimal protection, maintain blood sugar levels, eat a low-fat diet with lots of carotenoid-rich leafy greens, and take a nutritional supplement that targets vision health.

During my 30+ years of medical practice, many of my patients have asked me how they can prevent nerve damage.

Among the many diabetes complications, nerve damage is one of the most frightening, as it can curb your mobility and independence and challenge your ability to live life to its fullest.

There are a number of alternative treatments for diabetes that can help prevent this damage, including a few key supplements I know are effective.

For starters, there’s lipoic acid. Also called alpha lipoic acid or ALA, lipoic acid is referred to as the “universal antioxidant” because it is both fat- and water-soluble. This allows it to enter all parts of the cell to neutralize free radicals. Research has shown that when taken in high doses, lipoic acid helps to support peripheral nerve health in people living with diabetes.

Depending on the amount of support you need, I recommend 800–1,200mg of lipoic acid per day.

Another supplement I recommend to people who are managing diabetes and want to promote nerve health is evening primrose oil. Evening primrose is a wildflower native to North America that contains the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA). It too has been shown to help support optimal nerve function.

In one double-blind study carried out in seven medical centers, 480 mg of evening primrose oil taken daily for one year improved symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Other studies have utilized doses of up to 6,000 mg per day with good results.

I suggest starting with 500–1,500 mg of evening primrose oil per day.

While eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are necessary in your attempt to control blood sugar, these are not the only components of my “Natural Remedies for Diabetes.”

Diabetes is, in part, a nutrient-wasting disease. Elevated levels of glucose act like a diuretic and cause substantial loss of nutrients in the urine. Therefore, people living with diabetes are likely to be deficient in several important vitamins and minerals.

Incredibly, most white-coated experts specializing in diabetes make no attempt whatsoever to replace lost nutrients, leaving people with diabetes to suffer the inevitable consequences of massive nutritional deficiencies.

Is it any wonder that they are at increased risk for atherosclerosis, heart disease, and other degenerative conditions that have been definitively linked to nutritional deficiencies?

If you are dealing with diabetes, it is very important that you take a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement every day. Research has shown that taking a potent daily multivitamin and mineral supplement dramatically reduces the incidence of infection and the number of sick days among people dealing with diabetes.

In one study, half of the participants were given a daily multivitamin and mineral, while the other half received a placebo. Over the next 12 months, 93 percent of those who had received the placebo experienced one or more infections, and 89 percent missed work or other activities due to infection-related illness. Of those receiving the multi, just 17 percent contracted infections—and not a single person in this group missed work or other activities due to infection-related illness.

Beyond a daily multi, there are other targeted supplements that can help you control blood sugar levels and reduce diabetic complication. I’ll tell you about them in future posts…so stay tuned!

Contrary to popular belief, the leading liver problem in the United States is not alcoholic cirrhosis or hepatitis, but nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Afflicting roughly one in four Americans, it is not caused by alcohol or a virus but by obesity and insulin resistance. Hence, many people living with diabetes are affected by it.

In fact, at least half of all people with type 2 diabetes have it, as do up to three-quarters of obese people and 90 percent of the morbidly obese. Although nonalcoholic fatty liver disease usually develops in people over age 50, it is becoming increasingly common in children as obesity rates skyrocket in our younger age groups.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a progressive disease with three distinct stages. Simple fatty liver, or steatosis, is characterized by elevations in liver enzymes and fatty deposits in the liver (at least 10 percent of the liver cells are replaced by fat). If the disease is arrested in this stage, it remains relatively benign. Unfortunately, for one in five patients, it progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, involving inflammation of the liver. From there, half develop cirrhosis, marked by advanced and irreversible scarring, fibrosis, and loss of liver function.

The most significant risk factors for progression include type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (formerly called syndrome X). The unifying link in both of these disorders is insulin resistance.

When the cells resist insulin’s signals to let glucose in, the pancreas secretes higher and higher levels of insulin to get the job done. Elevated concentrations of insulin in the blood create metabolic imbalances that drive up blood levels of free fatty acids. This influx of fatty acids overwhelms the liver’s ability to handle them, and they are converted into triglycerides and stored in the organ, setting up a vicious cycle of lipid peroxidation (free-radical damage), inflammation, and liver cell injury.

But don’t despair!  This blog includes many natural diabetes treatments that can help you avoid this, as well as other diabetes complications.