Manage 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.

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.

Managing Diabetes with Vanadium

Thursday, March 4, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Vanadium, a trace mineral, is an excellent natural treatment for diabetes. I believe it is one of the most effective and intriguing blood sugar supplements. In fact, studies show that vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate) mimics insulin in the body and helps maintain blood sugar levels well within the healthy range.

One specific study involved individuals who were trying to treat type 2 diabetes. They each received 50 mg of vanadyl sulfate twice a day for four weeks, followed by a placebo for four weeks. At the end of the study, they were found to have a 20 percent reduction in average fasting blood sugar, which lasted well into the placebo period after the mineral was discontinued.

The only reported adverse effect was minor gastrointestinal distress during the first few days of the study. The suggested dose of vanadyl sulfate is 100 mg per day.

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

Three Diabetes Risk Factors

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

While there are many diabetes risk factors, I’d like to focus on three:

1. Prescription Drugs. Taking certain prescription drugs can increase your risk of developing diabetes. Common culprits include: corticosteroids (typically prescribed to treat asthma and arthritis), thiazide diuretics (often used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure), and antipsychotic drugs. British researchers also found that beta blockers (medications used to treat hypertension) increase the risk of diabetes by 50 percent. If you are taking any of these medications, talk to your doctor about safe, natural alternatives to these side effect-riddled drugs. Doing so may help you manage diabetes.

2. Level of Activity. People who are inactive are at higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes. In fact, Harvard researchers found that the more TV you watch, the more likely you are to develop diabetes and weight problems. This is because lack of regular exercise lowers insulin sensitivity and increases the possibility of metabolic syndrome.

3. Smoking. Everyone knows smoking increases your risk of cancer, but many probably don’t know that it is also a risk factor for type2 diabetes.

There are many other diabetes risk factors, which we will explore in this blog. We’ll also carefully examine the many alternative treatments for diabetes and how you can incorporate them into your daily life.

Diabetic Ulcers Can Be Healed Naturally

Friday, November 27, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

If managing diabetes was simply a matter of controlling blood sugar, that would be one thing. But the condition is often accompanied by other troublesome complications, one of them being diabetic ulcers—wounds that heal slowly or not at all.

The good news is that there’s a far better natural treatment for these painful, persistent sores than today’s antibiotic therapies, and it’s one I’ve been using at the Whitaker Wellness Institute for more than 20 years. It’s a simple sugar dressing.

When white sugar or honey is packed inside and on top of a diabetic ulcer, it dissolves in the fluid exuding from the wound and creates a hyperosmotic, or highly concentrated, medium in which bacteria cannot exist. Scientists have tested the viability of many types of bacteria, including Klebsiella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes, and none of them have been able to survive in a honey or sugar solution.

In addition to curbing infection, this therapy facilitates healing in other ways. It draws fluid out of the wound, which reduces swelling. It provides a covering or filling and therefore prevents scabbing. It encourages the removal of dead tissue to make way for new growth. It promotes granulation, which is the formation of connective tissue and blood vessels on the surface of a wound. Finally, it supports the growth of new skin covering the wound.

Although we use them specifically to heal diabetic ulcers, sugar or honey dressings can be used to treat any kind of open wound or burn. However, they will not work on abscesses or pustules that are covered with skin. Also, do not use them on a bleeding wound, because sugar promotes bleeding. (By the way, sugar and honey are perfectly safe to use on diabetic wounds because they do not enter the bloodstream.)

Here’s how to use sugar to treat a diabetic ulcer:

• Unravel a 4” x 4” piece of gauze into a long strip and coat it with Vaseline. Place it around the outside edges of the wound, like a donut.
• Cover the wound with ¼-inch of sugar. (The Vaseline “donut” will keep it in place.)
• Place a 4” x 4” sponge on top of the wound. Bandage it firmly but not too snugly with a cling dressing.
• Change the dressing every one or two days. Remove, irrigate with water, saline, or hydrogen peroxide, pat dry, and repeat steps 1–3.

This is one diabetic complication you don't have to live with. Give this approach a try. I think you’ll be happy with the results.

Food Diaries Improve Weight Loss Outcomes

Friday, October 30, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

One of the most important things you can do to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes—as well as many of its complications—is to maintain a healthy weight.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that there are no “magic bullets” when it comes to weight loss. But there are some things you can do to improve your odds for success. Here’s one: keep a food diary.

Carefully documenting everything you eat and drink can result in double the weight loss you’d experience with diet and lifestyle changes alone. Researchers followed nearly 1,700 middle-aged study volunteers for six months. The participants were instructed to exercise more, attend group meetings, reduce their fat intake, and eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. They were also asked to keep food diaries.

Average weight loss for the whole group was about 13 pounds. But those people who wrote down what they were eating every day lost an average of 18 pounds, whereas their “non-journaling” counterparts lost an average of nine pounds. This makes perfect sense. Being forced to admit to yourself that you really did eat that entire tub of ice cream or indulge in snacks all day is often incentive enough to keep you from repeating similar indiscretions.

If you need to lose weight in order to manage diabetes, try this simple tip—and let me know how it works for you.

Four-Step Program for Diabetes

Monday, September 28, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Last week I talked about the studies that illustrate the dangers of diabetes drugs. Yes, these medications do lower blood sugar, but that shouldn’t be the main goal of managing diabetes. What good is a therapy that can lower blood sugar if it increases your risk of heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease?

Unfortunately, the vast majority of physicians ignore this research—and jeopardize the health of trusting patients. The pharmaceutical industry shoulders much of the blame because they control the bulk of medical research, treatment guidelines, and physician “education.” As a result, not only is the effectiveness of drugs overstated and the risks minimized, but the emphasis on medication draws attention away from safe, natural therapies that truly improve health and longevity.

These therapies, which include weight loss and lifestyle changes, require work on the part of both physician and patient. Most doctors do recommend diet and exercise, but to be really effective, this requires ongoing counseling and monitoring of activity, diet, and weight. Many physicians just don’t have the time or desire to put forth that much effort. And patients accept this because it’s an easy out for them as well. What could be simpler than taking a “magic pill”?

If not drugs, then what? Here’s the treatment program we recommend at the Whitaker Wellness Institute for our patients with type 2 diabetes.

Weight Loss: Losing weight is the single best therapy for type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to weight loss. It requires diet changes, an exercise program, and determination.

Diet: The most therapeutic diet for diabetes is a low-glycemic, Mediterranean-style menu with lots of vegetables and lean protein, such as fish and poultry; modest amounts of fruit (one serving per day); and healthful fats like olive oil. Stay away from sugar and starches—bread, pasta, cereals, and other grain-based foods drive up blood sugar and increase appetite.

Exercise: I recommend a brisk 10-minute walk after meals and several sessions of resistance exercise weekly. Walking and other forms of aerobic exercise lower blood sugar and burn calories, while resistance exercise builds muscle and improves long-term insulin sensitivity.

Nutritional Supplements: To guard against complications of the blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys, take a potent, antioxidant-rich daily multivitamin to replace the nutrients that are inevitably lost as a result of the diabetic condition. To lower blood sugar, take vanadyl sulfate 100 mg, alpha lipoic acid 400-800 mg, chromium 200 mcg, cinnamon 500–1,000 mg, and Gymnema sylvestre 400 mg daily. These supplements may be taken individually or in combination formulas.

My book Reversing Diabetes outlines a step-by-step program for treating diabetes. You can order it at www.amazon.com or by calling (800) 810-6655.

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.

Tea Yet Another Natural Weapon Against Diabetes

Friday, August 21, 2009 by Tom Callahan

While green tea gets all the attention these days, it may be the humble black tea that proves to be most healthful for diabetics, according to a new study in the Journal of Food Science.

Researchers at Tianjin Key Laboratory in China examined green, oolong and black teas, keying on each tea's polysaccaride content. Polysaccarides are believed to be useful in treating diabetes because of their natural ability to limit the absorption of glucose.

The researchers found that the polysaccharides in black tea had both the most glucose-inhibiting properties and strongest antioxidant power. Their ability to scavage free radicals should be of great interest for those seeking alternative treatments for diabetes, or building a healthy diet plan that includes natural protection against arthritis, Alzheimer's and other diseases associated with aging.

“Many efforts have been made to search for effective glucose inhibitors from natural materials,” says lead researcher Haixia Chen. “There is a potential for exploitation of black tea polysaccharide in managing diabetes.”

Dr. Whitaker has long been a proponent of drinking tea, particularly green tea, with its high concentration of antioxidants and unique components like ECGC, which has thermogenic properties (meaning it helps your body burn more calories -- gotta love it).

Now no matter which variety of tea you choose, you know you're doing yourself a favor and making managing diabetes a bit easier.

Just don't make the mistake of thinking "sweet tea" makes the grade. A large McDonald's Sweet Tea packs a walloping 59 grams of sugar. I for one, am not loving it.

Recession Recipe for Disaster for Those Dealing With Diabetes

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 by Tom Callahan

The economic downturn has been difficult for all of us, but for those dealing with diabetes, finding economical -- but still healthy -- meals is yet another challenge.

According to a recent report by Mintel on recessionary food choices, pasta is enjoying a resurgence as the ultimate inexpensive comfort food, making controlling blood sugar even more difficult in already trying times.

From 2007-2008, the pasta and related meals market jumped almost 10%, reaching $3.9 billion. Good news for pasta makers, but yet another complication for diabetics.

Kantha Shelke, who holds a doctorate in cereal chemistry and technology and is the author of an upcoming book on the history of pasta, explains the difficulty for diabetics in the latest issue of Functional Ingredients Magazine.

"The way pasta was originally manufacturered, it was very good for people with diabetes," Shelke told Functional Ingredients. "But the way industry went, the need for speed and greed in manufacturing, typical semolina pasta (coarse durum wheat) is now made in a much finer particle size with much less fiber," turning a once healthy choice into a challenge as you manage diabetes on a daily basis.

Pasta need not be avoided by diabetics -- in fact, it can be an economical staple of a healthy blood sugar diet if you choose the right pasta, according to Dr. Whitaker. Whole grain pasta, along with sprouted grain breads, can actually be theraputic carb choices.

Since the 1930s, numerous studies have shown that patients could stop taking insulin if they were given high complex-carbohydrate diets. And in 1976, Dr. James Anderson from the University of Kentucky demonstrated that the high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diet could eliminate the need for insulin and oral diabetic drugs in close to 70% of diabetic patients.

Dr. Whitaker's plan for treating and reversing diabetes naturally is based on a diet rich in beans, legumes, and grains, particularly oats and oat bran, and generous portions of vegetables, along with targeted nutritional supplements like vanadyl sulfate and Gymnema sylvestre.

The bottom line: even with escalating prices, a careful shopper can still eat well and control blood sugar too. And defeating diabetes isn't just a boon for your health, but also for your wallet.

Prevent Diabetes With Just Minutes of Exercise a Week?

Friday, June 19, 2009 by Tom Callahan

The connection between exercise and diabetes treatment and prevention is not exactly new news, but this is: a new study shows that less than 10 minutes a week may actually be enough to make a difference!

Researchers studying Type 2 diabetes at Scotland's Heriot-Watt University assigned 16 subjects in their 20s to very short exercise sessions, lasting only 30-seconds each. In addition to a set of 4-6 sprints, subjects drank a 75 gram glucose solution, to determine how long blood sugar and insulin levels remained elevated, and the impact of intense exercise on glucose control.

The result: after only two weeks, blood sugar levels decreased 12 percent, and the duration of elevated blood sugar decreased 37 percent.

While we all know exercise has tremendous benefits -- not just to manage diabetes and control blood sugar, but to treat and prevent heart disease and boost overall health -- we still come up with excuses not to do it.

Exercise dramatically improves diabetes and insulin resistance. It actually acts like insulin -- exercising muscles take up glucose. Furthermore, the benefits are lasting because exercise increases insulin sensitivity.

Exercise also helps you lose weight, key to managing diabetes and blood sugar control. In an NIH study, regular exercise (just 30 minutes, five days a week) and a low-fat diet resulted in an average sustained weight loss of 10-15 pounds. This alone can prevent or reverse diabetes.

Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming --what you do doesn't matter as long as you actually do it. Dr. Whitaker recommends you aim for at least 30 minutes, five days a week, and if you can add a session or two of weight training, so much the better.

But this new research shows that even a few sprints around the block, a quick bike ride or a run up a hill or set of stairs can deliver lasting health benefits too.

No excuses -- start moving. I'll race ya!