Diabetic Vitamins

Diabetes and Periodontal Disease

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

People living with diabetes are at higher risk of developing periodontal disease than people without blood sugar problems.

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, occurs when the gums become infected and inflamed. Signs that you may have periodontal disease include:

red, sore, swollen gums
bleeding gums
loose or sensitive teeth
bad breath
trouble chewing

According to the CDC, young adults dealing with diabetes have about twice the risk of periodontal disease than those without diabetes. Also, people with poorly controlled blood sugar levels are nearly three times more likely to have severe forms of gum disease, and they typically lose more teeth than those without diabetes.

As is the case with most diabetes risk factors, a primary culprit behind the increased risk of periodontal disease is damage to blood vessels due to the inability to maintain blood sugar levels within the healthy range. Without nourishment and removal of wastes from their tissues, the gums become less resistant to infection, setting the stage for periodontal disease.

Another reason people with diabetes are much more prone to periodontal disease is because they are prone to nutritional deficiencies. Diabetes is nutritional wasting disease, and affected individuals often have low blood levels of vitamin C, zinc, and other water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Zinc is necessary for tissue healing, and vitamin C is required for collagen formation. In fact, scurvy, the quintessential vitamin C deficiency disease, is characterized by bleeding gums and loose teeth.

And if you smoke, you are at even higher risk. Statistics show that diabetics who smoke and are 45 years or older are 20 times more likely to develop severe gum disease than people who don’t smoke.

The best way to lower your risk of developing periodontal disease is to brush and floss every day, take a good daily vitamin and mineral supplement, and visit your dentist on a regular basis.

Diabetes Complications

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

One reason why diabetes complications are so common is because diabetes is a nutritionally wasting disease.

People dealing with diabetes experience dramatic increases in urination as the kidneys attempt to get rid of excess glucose. Along with excess glucose, however, massive amounts of water-soluble vitamins and minerals also are lost.

Numerous studies have shown that people living with diabetes tend to have low cellular levels of magnesium, zinc, vitamins B6 and C, and other essential nutrients.

As a result of these nutritional deficiencies, people living with diabetes are at increased risk of premature death and disability. Diabetes ravages the blood vessels and nerves. This can lead to blindness, neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, impaired digestion, amputation, and gum disease.

Thankfully, there are natural treatments for diabetes and we’ll be discussing many of them in this blog.

Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Thursday, February 11, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Type 1 diabetes, sometimes referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile
diabetes (because it usually appears before the age of 20, but it can present at any
age), is caused by an autoimmune attack on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes the immune system to go awry, but
viral infection, vitamin D deficiency, and genetic predisposition are possible causes. Whatever the reason, the damaged pancreas is unable to produce adequate insulin, resulting in the inability of glucose and other nutrients to enter the cells.

Type 1 Diabetes Signs and Symptoms

The classic presentation in type 1 diabetes is extreme hunger as the body tries to compensate for this inability to feed its cells—and rapid weight loss as the cells are unable to utilize food, regardless of how much is eaten. In addition, untreated individuals with type 1 diabetes are extremely thirsty, drink copious amounts of fluids, and urinate excessively as the body attempts to dilute and get rid of extremely high levels of glucose in the blood.

Type 1 diabetes is not as common as you may think—only between five and 10 percent of all people with diabetes have this form of the disease. Most diabetics have type 2.

Type 2 Diabetes Causes

Type 2 diabetes is also marked by elevated blood glucose levels but for different reasons. Initially, people with type 2 diabetes make plenty of insulin. In fact, they often produce much more insulin than healthy individuals. But as the disease progresses the beta cells become exhausted and insulin production slows gradually and, although rare, may cease altogether.

The problem in this form of the disease involves the insulin receptor sites on the cells’ surfaces—they simply don’t respond to signals to open up to let in glucose and other nutrients, regardless of how much insulin is knocking at the door. This is a condition known as insulin resistance or insulin insensitivity, and it is at the root of 90 percent of all diagnoses of diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

People with the type 2 form don’t experience the same diabetes signs and symptoms as those with Type 1. In fact, many of them have no symptoms at all. The disease is often discovered only during a routine blood test when a high fasting blood glucose reading, usually in the 150 to 300 mg/dL range, is noted.

The good news is that because the body only becomes “insensitive” or “resistant” to insulin, versus destroying insulin-producing cells , there are many type 2 diabetes treatments available. We’ll be addressing them in future blog postings.

Could Quitting Smoking Actually Increase Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes?

Friday, January 8, 2010 by Tom Callahan

We're all knee deep in New Year's resolutions...if we haven't abandoned them already.

For those of you who smoke, hopefully you've chosen 2010 as the year to quit.

But a study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine just might have you scratching your head, at least at first glance.

According to researchers, a review of 10,000 smokers found that the risk of type 2 diabetes actually went up when people quit smoking, most dramatically in the first three years after quitting.

During those first three years, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was about 70 percent higher than those who had never smoked. If you kept on smoking, however, your increased risk of diabetes was just (just?) 30 percent higher than lifelong non-smokers.

The good news of course is that if you've never smoked, your risk of developing diabetes is significanly lower than if you have. But quitting smoking as a cause of type 2 diabetes...how can this be?

After all, we know that quitting smoking reduces your risk of nearly every serious disease, including heart disease and an assortment of lung ailments and cancers. But the connection between smoking and diabetes is clear if you've ever known someone who quit or you've tried it yourself -- it's the link between type 2 diabetes and weight.

Sadly, people tend to put on weight when they quit smoking, reaching for a snack when the urge for a cigarette hits. When researchers took into account weight gain after quitting, the increased risk of diabetes from quitting smoking was negligible.

So if you smoke, you need to quit, and you need to control your weight after quitting, to avoid facing increased diabetes risk.

To make it easier to quit and reduce cravings, Dr. Whitaker recommends the following plan:

Before your start date, get two bottles each of Sulfonil and buffered vitamin C. Sulfonil is a sulfur-based compound that actually binds to the same receptor sites in the brain as nicotine. These receptors become habituated to nicotine, and once you quit smoking they cry out for more. Dr. Whitaker prefers Sulfonil to niotine gums, patches, etc. because it satisfies the cravings without providing the very thing you’re trying to escape.

Starting on your quit day, take two Sulfonil capsules when you wake up, then one every four to six hours during the day, and two more at bedtime. Drink copious amount of water to flush your system. The biochemical addiction to nicotine will dissipate in two to three weeks, so you likely won’t need Sulfonil for longer than that.

But you'll still need to break the habit of smoking, and not replace it with a habit for snacking, to prevent added weight and diabetes risk. When the desire for a cigarette strikes, Dr. Whitaker recommends 500 - 1,000 mg of buffered vitamin C, which can take the edge off intense cravings.

Then...do something, don't eat something. Take a walk, do household chores or paperwork, anything to keep your hands and mind busy.

If you're anxious or edgy (which is highly likely), you should consider supplementing with GABA or l-theanine, two nutrients well known for taking the edge off any stressful situation.

Vitamin D Shows Potential as Natural Diabetes Remedy

Thursday, October 29, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Oh vitamin D, is there anything you can't do?

As I've written before, the "D" in vitamin D may soon be shorthand for "diabetes fighter" as the pile of research continues to grow supporting this humble nutrient's power to maintain blood sugar and beat back diabetes naturally.

This, of course, is in addition to the already long list of benefits for vitamin D, including immune fortifier, bone builder, PMS and SAD preventer, fibromyalgia fighter, C-reactive protein reducer and mood booster.

If anything has earned the moniker "the sunshine vitamin," it's this.

The latest good news for vitamin D takers comes from the British Journal of Nutrition, which showed that by increasing levels of D, you can improve insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity, two major risk factors for developing diabetes.

Study participants taking 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily for six months showed "significant improvements" in both insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance, according to the New Zealand researchers conducting the study.

The improvements were also accompanied a decrease in fasting insulin levels, another boon for those struggling with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or metabolic syndrome.

This study focused on the D3 form of vitamin D, also known as cholecalciferol, which Dr. Whitaker recommends due to its bioavailability. It's also the form created naturally in the body from regular sun exposure.

The bottom line. If you're not taking vitamin D, start. If you haven't asked your doctor to check your vitamin D levels, do it soon. You're not going to find a more inexpensive, easy-to-take, versatile natural remedy than this one, whether you're focused on beating diabetes naturally, or just looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Reduce Complications from Diabetes by Replacing Stolen Nutrients

Friday, October 2, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

As I’ve said many times (and conventional medicine continues to ignore) diabetes is a nutritional wasting disease. As a result of the continual nutritional losses that occur in people with diabetes, body parts simply fall off.

Diabetes is our number-one cause of blindness, amputation, and kidney failure. It dramatically increases the risk of both heart attack and stroke. And if you have pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome (also called syndrome X), you’re on the road to significant complications if you don’t address these nutrient losses with high-dose, targeted supplements for diabetes.

Folks, it’s not complicated. If you were to give a healthy person an osmotic diuretic every day and did not replace nutrients, you would produce the same complications suffered by those living with diabetes and related conditions.

Let’s examine some of these losses and what they mean for you.

Magnesium. Excessive urination washes out magnesium. Low magnesium levels are present in 25 percent of those with diabetes, and even those with levels considered to be “high” don’t reach the average levels of those without blood sugar concerns.

Magnesium is involved in glucose transfer across cell membranes and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control. When magnesium goes down, glucose control deteriorates. That’s because magnesium is essential to normal carbohydrate metabolism.

Low magnesium levels are associated with the diabetic retinopathy. Said another way, if you have diabetes and you have very low magnesium, you are at the greatest risk of going blind. Low magnesium levels are also connected to high blood pressure and heart disease. Now, shouldn’t everyone living with diabetes be taking magnesium supplements to reduce or completely avoid such devastating complications?

Zinc is another water-soluble nutrient that is flushed from the body, and as a result, diabetes produces low zinc levels. This complication can impair the immune system, particularly T-cell function, which could lead to more infections and non-healing ulcers. Zinc deficiency also can cause hair loss as well as diarrhea, which triggers further nutrient losses still. All together now, shouldn’t everyone with diabetes be taking zinc supplements?

B-complex vitamins. B6, B12, and folic acid are also water-soluble and vulnerable to loss via excessive urination from diabetes. This leads to increased homocysteine levels and dramatically increased risk of heart disease.

Low levels of B6 can cause glucose intolerance, depression, cracked lips, and dry skin. A B12 deficiency may exhibit no obvious symptoms at first, but over time can produce mental disturbances, anemia, and impaired nerve function. A lack of folic acid may bring on depression, forgetfulness, insomnia, irritability, and fatigue. Repeat after me. Shouldn’t everyone living with diabetes be taking supplemental B vitamins?

Diabetes complications are as frightening as the disease itself--which is growing exponentially in this country. Given these facts, you’d think the most basic aspects of this illness would at least be understood, if not one of the primary focuses of treatment. Sadly, this isn’t happening.

It’s up to us. I’ll keep spreading the word. And if you have diabetes, you owe it to yourself to get on a high-dose supplement program as soon as possible, with a particular emphasis on these water soluble nutrients.

Studies Show Natural Remedies Target Cholesterol in People With Type 2 Diabetes

Friday, August 28, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Two new studies show that increasing your dietary intake of vitamin D and soy protein can have significant cholesterol benefits for people looking to manage the risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes brings with it a host of dangers, including increased risk of heart attack and stroke, so Dr. Whitaker is always on the lookout for natural remedies proven to work for those with blood sugar concerns, especially when the solutions are not only safe, but inexpensive too. This new research suggests that simple, low cost additions to your diet are a recipe for delivering powerful benefits for managing diabetes naturally.

In the first study, adults with type 2 diabetes were able to significantly lower LDL cholesterol and improve the ratio of LDL-to-HDL cholesterol in less than two months. Despite some controversy over the use of soy, the link between soy and heart health is well established. Dr. Whitaker has often written of soy as a "superfood" with far-reaching benefits throughout your body. He recommends 25 grams a day, a few times per week.

However, until further research is conducted, Dr. Whitaker cautions those with thyroid disease or breast cancer to steer clear of soy, as preliminary studies have indicated some areas of concern.

The focus of this second study has no such caveats, and whether you have high cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic syndrome or any combination, this recommendation is among Dr. Whitaker's strongest: increase your intake of vitamin D.

In addition to a host of bone health and immunity boosting qualities, vitamin D may curb the build-up of cholesterol within your blood vessels, by "inhibiting the uptake of cholesterol by cells called macrophages," says Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, MD, lead researcher. "When people are deficient in vitamin D, the macrophages eat more cholesterol, and they can't get rid of it."

This clogging of the macrophages starts the process of atherosclerosis, one of the complications of diabetes, and one which may be averted with adequate levels of vitamin D through supplements.

The researchers will continue their study on vitamin D deficiencies, diabetes and blood pressure health, to learn whether increased intake of D is a natural way to lower blood pressure and increase blood flow.

Low levels of vitamin D have also recently been linked to metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by blood sugar concerns, excess weight, and multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

It's clear that whether you have diabetes or not, vitamin D should be part of your supplement regimen. And if you're looking to actually prevent diabetes, as Dr. Whitaker has said, then the direct connection between vitamin D and diabetes cannot be ignored either.

Preventing Type 1 Diabetes With Vitamin D

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by Tom Callahan

As Dr. Whitaker has written repeatedly, rampant deficiencies of vitamin D have led to serious health problems in the U.S., with more science emerging nearly every day. One huge story that the mainstream media has completely missed is the connection between diabetes and vitamin D, which Dr. Whitaker reported in February's Health & Healing.

Vitamin D has long been known to prevent rickets (malformation and weakness of bones) and osteoporosis, but its benefits go far beyond bone health.

We now know that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and infancy may reduce the risk of a child developing type 1 (juvenile) diabetes by 80 to 90 percent!

The vitamin D and diabetes connection

Finland now has the highest incidence of type 1 diabetes in the world. But why? Before the 1960s, Finland was near the world averages for diabetes.

As Dr. Whitaker reported, in 1964, Finnish health authorities lowered the vitamin D recommendation for infants from 4,500 IU to 2,000 IU per day. Cases of type 1 diabetes began to rise. When it was reduced to 1,000 IU a decade later, the incidence climbed even faster. But it gets worse.

In 1992 the suggested intake was cut back to 400 IU. The rate of type 1 diabetes ballooned, and has continued to go up ever since.

Type 1 diabetes is now epidemic in Finland, affecting about 65 out of 100,000 children, four times what it was 50 years ago. But childhood diabetes in sun-drenched countries is so rare that it’s considered an oddity.

Cuba, for instance, has only 2 cases per 100,000 kids. Cuba may not have the world's best healthcare or even adequate vitamin D recommendations, but it does have sunshine—and lots of it, all year long. And as Dr. Whitaker points out, there’s no question that sunshine slashes the rate of type 1 diabetes!

How vitamin D prevents diabetes

Frank Garland, PhD, of the University of California explains that the cells in various tissues and organ systems work together. Strong, healthy interfaces among similar cells allow them to function as a unit, share resources, and maintain tight barriers that screen out microbes, immune cells, and the like. Proteins called cadherins play a key role in holding cells together, and their proper function is dependent on ample amounts of vitamin D.

When D levels are low, these intercellular junctions become weak and leaky. In the case of type 1 diabetes, breaks in the barriers allow immune cells to slip through and attack insulin-producing cells, or islet cells, in the pancreas. This interaction creates antigens that spur the immune system to attack more vigorously, and a full-fledged autoimmune reaction ensues. Sufficient levels of vitamin D simply tighten up the junctions and stop leakage and islet cell destruction, thus preventing diabetes.

Forty-to-sixty percent of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient, and most of the world’s population—including 85 percent of Americans—are always deficient in vitamin D during the winter, every single year.

Getting enough D to prevent diabetes and other disease

Misconceptions about getting adequate vitamin D from food abound. As Dr. Whitaker points out, you’d need to eat two or three daily servings of salmon or sardines, drink five glasses of fortified milk, or take a spoonful of cod liver oil just to get the meager RDA of vitamin D, which isn’t nearly enough. In fact, it’s almost impossible to get optimal levels from food alone.

There are only two ways to get adequate vitamin D: sunshine and supplements. The majority of your body’s vitamin D is produced through a chemical reaction in your skin, and just 15–20 minutes of sunlight helps activate that process.

But we've become so sun-phobic, even in summer deficiencies are prevalent. Dr. Whitaker's recommended daily doses of vitamin D are as follows:

for infants, 1,000–1,800 IU;
for children ages 1 to 12, 2,000 IU;
for adults, 2,000–4,000 IU—or more, if needed, to bring blood levels into the optimal range (between 40 and 70 ng/mL)

Great Article on Supplements for Diabetes

Friday, June 19, 2009 by Tom Callahan

As the General Manager of Forward Nutrition, I'm constantly reading and researching about supplements and health, particularly when it involves diabetes. Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome are huge problems that are only getting worse in this country, and natural treatments for diabetes don't get nearly the attention they deserve.

This article from the April 2009 issue of Nutritional Outlook (ok, I'm a little behind) is too good not to share.

Entitled "Understanding a Silent Killer," this is must reading if you're at all concerned about diabetes, maintaining or managing blood sugar, or seeking natural, safe treatments to treat Type 2 diabetes.

Among the natural treatments for diabetes care discussed are alpha-lipoic acid, dietary fiber, gymnema sylvestre and chromium. These nutrients have been shown repeatedly to help manage blood sugar, control blood sugar spikes, and reduce sugar cravings and mood swings.

Alpha-lipoic acid doesn't just improve insulin sensitivity, but also protects against diabetic complications like peripheral nerve pain. It's one of the best natural diabetes treatments, and it also helps your body utilize the other antioxidants you take, like vitamins C and E.