Living with Diabetes

Another Downside of Supplemental Insulin

Friday, March 19, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

In my earlier post, I explained that supplemental insulin can cause people who are trying to manage diabetes to gain weight. Sadly enough, weight gain isn’t the only downside of insulin use.

Another strike against insulin is its tendency to increase your risk of hypertension.

Taiwanese researchers looked at more than 87,000 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with either oral drugs or insulin. They found that patients managing diabetes 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, which also adversely affects blood pressure health.

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.

I opt for more natural remedies for diabetes, many of which I’ll be discussing here in my blog. Please stay tuned.

The Downside of Supplemental Insulin

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Although most people think injected insulin is reserved for type 1 diabetes, more than one in four people also use insulin to treat type 2 diabetes. And, in most of those cases, it just makes things worse.

For starters, insulin use increases weight gain. A patient of mine, let’s call him Bill, had type 2 diabetes for 10 years prior to coming to my clinic. At the time of diagnosis, his physician started him on a drug that stimulates insulin production.

This method of treating diabetes worked for a while, but slowly and surely his blood sugar—and his weight—began to increase. His doctor responded by upping his medication dose. Again, this temporarily made living with diabetes easier for Bill, but eventually both his blood sugar and his waistline inched up.

In time, Bill was no longer able to keep his diabetes under control with oral drugs, so his doctor prescribed a low dose of insulin.

Over the next few years, his insulin dose was periodically ratcheted upward to keep pace with his rising blood sugar levels, and with every increase, he gained more and more weight. Soon he came to me asking, “Dr. Whitaker, what can I do now?” You see, when I first saw Bill, he was taking 100 units of insulin daily and had put on 100 pounds!

Folks, that’s just bad medicine. Bill’s “diabesity” (diabetes plus obesity), which was contributing to a number of health problems, was clearly exacerbated by insulin. After following my treatment program, which included, among other things, a healthy diet and blood sugar supplements, Bill lost those 100 extra pounds over the course of several years, and his blood sugar normalized without any prescription medication at all.

Another testament to the link between insulin use, diabetes and weight gain is the fact that 90 percent of teenagers with type 1 diabetes sometimes skip their insulin doses in order to prevent weight gain. I certainly don’t advocate this practice (especially since type 1 diabetics need insulin to survive), but it goes to show just how many people have experienced this potential downside to taking supplemental insulin.

In my next blog post, I’ll reveal another reason why I’m down on supplemental insulin for treating diabetes.

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 and Weight

Monday, March 8, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Are you looking for natural remedies for diabetes? If so, one thing you can do is maintain a healthy weight.

One of the most significant risk factors for type 2 diabetes is obesity. Statistics show that 90 percent of all people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. In fact, the link between diabetes
and obesity is so strong that it’s led to the coining of a new term, diabesity.

Where you store those extra pounds is also an issue. If you’re a person living with diabetes and you carry your weight in the abdominal area, you are at an even greater risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. That’s because abdominal fat is more metabolically active than fat stored in the hips or buttocks. It is more easily broken down into free fatty acids that enter the bloodstream, interfere with the action of insulin, and raise triglyceride and glucose levels.

The good news is, for most people, getting a handle on weight is all it takes to minimize diabetes risk factors.

Manage Diabetes with Two Key Herbs

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

There are two herbs that I recommend to help you manage blood sugar and protect against diabetes complications: Gymnema sylvestre and banaba leaf extract.

Gymnema sylvestre is an extract from the leaves of a climbing plant native to the forests of central and south India that has been used since the sixth century BC. The leaves of the plant contain gymnemic acids, which have been shown to slow the transport of glucose from the intestines to the bloodstream. This, in turn, helps keep blood sugar levels in the healthy range. I recommend a maintenance dose of 200 mg of Gymnema sylvestre daily. For extra support, try 400 mg daily.

Banaba leaf extract (Lagestroemia speciosa), which comes from Asia, contains colosolic acid. Colosolic acid promotes glucose transport into cells, making it easier to maintain blood sugar levels within the healthy range. In one Japanese clinical trial, 24 people living with diabetes were given a supplement containing banaba leaf or a placebo three times a day for four weeks. While those taking the placebo showed no improvement, significant blood sugar declines were observed in the individuals taking the herb.

I recommend 48 mg of banaba leaf daily.

Living with Diabetes? Enjoy Dark Chocolate

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

I know you are thinking that sugar-laden chocolate is the last thing people who are trying to manage diabetes should be eating. But, while it is true that chocolate has fat and calories—and it tastes way too good to be good for you—the health benefits of dark chocolate cannot be denied, even to people living with diabetes.

Italian researchers discovered that dark chocolate significantly improves markers of insulin sensitivity. It can also decrease fasting insulin and glucose levels, as well as insulin and glucose responses to the glucose tolerance test.

High-quality dark chocolate is sold in health food, specialty, and grocery stores. Look for bars that contain 70 percent cocoa or more. Don’t be put off by the fat content, and expect it to have some sugar. Unsweetened dark chocolate is extremely bitter and, even sweetened, it is for some an acquired taste, so shop around for a brand you like.

I urge my patients to enjoy it in moderation so that it doesn’t interfere with their ability to maintain blood sugar levels. So, if you are dealing with diabetes, know that a square or two of dark chocolate every other day or so is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Just be sure to keep caloric intake steady, and eat your dark chocolate in place of, rather than in addition to, other foods or snacks.

Diabetes Complication #2: Foot Problems

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Diabetes complications are vast, but one of the most common diabetes complications is problems with the feet.

For people with diabetic neuropathy, diminished sensation in the feet can lead to a host of problems, including an underestimation of wound severity. At the same time, impaired circulation makes diabetics more susceptible to infection and retards wound healing.

For most of us, small blisters or scrapes on the feet are minor problems that go away within days, but for people living with diabetes, they can spell disaster. This is why I tell people who are managing diabetes that they can never pay too much attention to their feet.

Here is a list of common foot problems that, if present in diabetics and left untreated, can increase risk of foot amputation.

Athlete’s Foot
Toenail Fungus
Calluses
Corns
Blisters
Bunions
Dry Skin
Foot Ulcers
Ingrown Toenails
Plantar Warts

Diabetes Complication #1: Heart Disease

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Much of the research on the relationship between diabetes and heart disease has come from the Framingham Heart Study.

Started in the early 1950s, this study, which has followed the medical history of thousands of residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, has provided a gold mine of data showing how people living with diabetes are at dramatically increased risk of heart disease and related health concerns.

Other studies have demonstrated that even in the absence of other heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, or a family history of heart disease, people living with diabetes are still at a much higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease. They’re also more likely to be concerned about their blood pressure health. Why is this?

The most common type of heart disease, coronary artery disease, is primarily a disease of the blood vessels, or coronary arteries, that supply the heart muscle with vital oxygen and nutrients. In a process known as atherosclerosis, the artery walls become narrowed and hardened with buildups of cholesterol and cellular debris, which can restrict blood flow and impair circulation. If the blood flow through these arteries is severely restricted, angina (chest pain caused by insufficient oxygen to the heart muscle) may result. And if a blood clot lodges in a narrowed artery, a heart attack or stroke may occur.

When you throw elevated blood sugar into the mix, the situation only gets worse. Excess blood sugar makes the blood less viscous, causing impaired circulation. And high levels of insulin, also characteristic of type 2 diabetes, damage the arteries and contribute to atherosclerosis. So it makes sense that people living with diabetes are also at increased risk of developing heart disease. Fortunately, taking steps to manage blood sugar levels can help to reduce this risk.

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.

Is Type 2 Diabetes in Your Genes?

Friday, February 5, 2010 by Tom Callahan

Diabetes, like most chronic illnesses, is often (and rightly) characterized as a disease of lifestyle. Specific lifestyle choices can create and exacerbate type 2 diabetes, but as Dr. Whitaker has proven time and again, the right lifestyle changes can prevent, treat and even reverse type 2 diabetes as well.

But do some people have the cards stacked against them, where developing diabetes is an inevitable component of their very genetic makeup? To read the latest study in Nature Genetics, you might reach that conclusion.

There's no disputing that there is a strong, inheritable correlation present with type 2 diabetes. If your mother, father, sister or brother has it, your risk of developing diabetes goes up considerably. Your identical twin has diabetes? Your risk is even higher.

Now researchers have identified 10 new genetic variants that lead to differences in glucose levels for non-diabetic people. Half of these genetic differences also correlate to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

"Finding these new pathways can help us better understand how glucose is regulated, distinguish between normal and pathological glucose variations and develop potential new therapies for type 2 diabetes," Dr Jose Florez, one of the lead researchers, explained.

What researchers go on to say is that by studying healthy people without type 2 diabetes, their hope is we can better understand how to treat those people who are currently living with diabetes, or those simply trying to manage blood sugar every day.

No dispute here, it's an admirable pursuit. And most experts concede that the future of medicine will be greatly influenced by the study of the human genome. But a danger few people talk about is this science of medicine instead fueling a belief that if you have a genetic predisposition towards a disease, all you're left to do is throw up your hands and live with it.

The fact is, 55 percent of people dealing with type 2 diabetes are struggling with their weight, and regardless of your genes, diabetes and weight are unquestionably connected.
Another lifestyle correlation -- making regular exercise a part of your life -- dramatically impacts your likelihood of facing type 2 diabetes, now or in the future.

By understanding how to manage your risk -- with the proper diet that promotes insulin sensitivity, with supplements for diabetes that make maintaining blood sugar safe and manageable -- you gain control of your genes, not allow your genes to seal your fate.

The fact that you're reading this means you're already taking steps to understand your role in your own health.

Remember, as Dr. Whitaker says, you're in charge. Not your doctor. Not the system. And, as we'll have to keep in mind as more studies like this come out, not your genes.

What You Eat After Exercise Key to Managing Blood Sugar

Friday, January 29, 2010 by Tom Callahan

A recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology highlights an important point for those living with diabetes or simply trying to maintain healthy blood sugar -- what you eat immediately after exercise can have a dramatic impact on your ability to control your blood sugar and maintain insulin sensitivity.

While it's no surprise that exercise can enhance insulin sensitivity, what we're learning is how to best maintain that benefit for a longer period of time, so you get a more lasting impact from your efforts. When study participants were given post-exercise meals containing relatively low levels of carbohydrates, the benefits for insulin sensitivity were greatest.

When you improve your insulin sensitivity, it's easier for your body to absorb the sugar in your blood stream into your tissues, where it can be stored or used as fuel. One of the main signs of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, which is also a significant risk factor for other chronic diseases, like heart disease.

The good news is that efforts to eat modestly after exercise, with low-calorie meals, did not improve insulin sensitivity any more than when study participants ate enough calories to match what they burned off. As anyone who's hopped on a treadmill knows, exercise often increases hunger, and it's good to know you don't have to fight the urge to eat after a workout to still take advantage of the important blood sugar benefits.

Exercise Acts Like A Natural Shot of Insulin

As Dr. Whitaker has pointed out in Health & Healing, exercise dramatically improves your ability to fight diabetes and insulin resistance. That's because exercise actually acts like insulin in the body — the exercising muscle takes up glucose, even when no insulin is present. And if you exercise regularly, the benefits can be long-lasting.

Given the soaring rate of obesity in this country and the connection between diabetes and weight, exercise is more important than ever to stem the epidemic of type 2 diabetes, and keep those with metabolic syndrome from progressing toward full-blown disease.

As studies have shown, regular exercise (just 30 minutes, five days a week) and a low-fat diet can deliver average sustained weight loss of 10-15 pounds. This alone can help prevent diabetes or reverse the disease if you already have it.

Brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming — it's not what you do but your commitment to actually do it that matters. Shoot for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week. Once you start, and you start reaping the rewards, it's that much easier to stick with it!

Natural Solution for Diabetic Retinopathy Latest Use for Pycnogenol

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 by Tom Callahan

Exciting new research out of Italy confirmed just the latest use for an incredibly versatile nutrient, Pycnogenol, an extract of French maritime pine bark. Clearly if you're living with diabetes, this natural treatment is worth a closer look.

Published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, this latest study shows that supplementing with Pycnogenol can improve microcirculation, retinal edema and visual acuity in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy.

This is big news for anyone with diabetes, as nearly half of those dealing with diabetes have some degree of retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness.

Study participants took 150 mg Pycnogenol once daily for 90 days, while a control group was given a placebo. All patients had diabetes for at least four years before the trial, and all were beginning to develop diabetic retinopathy.

While the placebo group showed no improvement, 75 percent of the pine bark group had improved vision. Researchers noted that the supplement appeared to help seal the leaky blood vessels that lead to retinopathy. This powerful natural diabetes treatment promotes circulation and helps stave off one of the worst complications of diabetes.

Dr. Whitaker has written about Pycnogenol many times over the years in Health & Healing, for conditions as varied as heart disease, asthma, varicose veins, erectile dysfunction and
deep vein thrombosis.

In fact, Dr. Whitaker first wrote about this natural therapy for diabetic retinopathy in 1993!

Once again, it pays to listen to Dr. Whitaker, so you'll learn about the best natural therapies, sometimes decades before the mainstream.

Fiber a Great Natural Remedy for Type 2 Diabetes

Friday, October 16, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Will an apple a day keep the diabetes away? Add some beans and some flax, and you're certainly on your way.

A growing body of research shows that dietary fiber is a critical and often overlooked factor in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. If you're looking for an inexpensive, natural way to balance your blood sugar and maintain a healthy weight, a few simple changes to your diet could be just the answer you need.

In two large studies including nearly 100,000 women, a high intake of whole grains dramatically reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 21-28%. The best type of fiber for improving blood sugar control is soluble fiber, from sources like legumes, apples and oats.

Insoluble fiber is a terrific natural diabetes remedy too. In a British study of over 1,100 men and women, fiber-rich vegetables (an excellent source of insoluble fiber) were very protective against diabetes. Those who ate salad and raw vegetables regularly had an 80% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who didn't.

But fiber doesn't just prevent diabetes, it makes living with diabetes easier to manage too.

Fiber is one of the most powerful natural ways to control type 2 diabetes. In patients with type 2 diabetes -- and those with insulin resistance or pre-diabetes who are on their way to developing diabetes -- blood sugar remains abnormally elevated, especially after eating. This prompts the release of high levels of insulin from the pancreas, resulting in elevated insulin in the bloodstream as well.

The conventional approach to this problem is of course blood-sugar-lowering drugs. But as Dr. Whitaker often points out, nature offers a much simpler, safer and less expensive solution.

Fiber slows absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, promoting a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, followed by a gradual release in insulin. It also improves the body's sensitivity to insulin, combating insulin resistance and helping insulin to do its job of ushering glucose into the cells.

In a study comparing a diet containing 24 or 50 grams of fiber daily, blood glucose levels were reduced by 10 percent with the high-fiber diet -- a blood-sugar-lowering effect equal to that of oral anti-diabetic drugs! This high-fiber diet had an additional benefit that diabetes drugs can't match: It significantly reduced levels of total cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Dr. Whitaker's Recommendations for Fiber to Prevent and Treat Diabetes

• Adding fiber to your diet is easier than you think. The simplest way to ensure you're getting the recommended 30+ grams of fiber per day is to make plant foods the mainstay of your diet. Start your day with a bowl of bran cereal (8 grams). Snack on an apple (3.5 grams). Have a spinach salad (4 grams) and whole grain bread (2 grams) for lunch. Eat a half cup of beans (6-8 grams) at dinner.

• If you need to add a fiber supplement to get enough, good choices include psyllium and citrus pectin. Or consider my favorite, flaxseed. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed over your cereal or salad and you'll get 15 grams of fiber -- not to mention high-quality protein and essential fats.

• Be sure to increase your intake of water as you increase your consumption of fiber-rich foods.

Beating Diabetes Now is Critical to Our Country's Future

Friday, October 9, 2009 by Tom Callahan

I don't need regression analysis, statistical modeling or a supercomputer to know that the incidence of diabetes and blood sugar concerns is skyrocketing across the United States.

I only need to review the number of questions I get about living with diabetes, or respond to the many emails I get each day seeking natural treatments, herbal remedies, or recipes to deal with diabetes.

Considering the complications of untreated diabetes, and the costs to the country in rising healthcare premiums if this epidemic of diabetes goes unchecked, it's good to know that many natural diabetes treatments do exist. If you're dealing with diabetes or blood sugar concerns, you should know that living with diabetes is not only possible, but so is beating it. And Dr. Whitaker's diabetes success stories prove it.

But what does an epidemic look like? That's where the stats and models come in (just flip through the next few slides and watch).

The picture isn't pretty. It's like flood waters pouring across the country, without much high ground to run to.

I'm not sure what the secret is in Colorado, which fares better than most states. I suppose the average Colorado resident is more active than the average American.

If skiing is a way to prevent diabetes naturally, sign me up!

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.