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.
For more information on Dr. Whitaker's recommendations for healthy daily living, visit www.drwhitaker.com.
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
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!
For more information on Dr. Whitaker's recommendations for healthy daily living, visit www.drwhitaker.com.
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.
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.
For more information of Dr. Whitaker's recommendations for healthy daily living, visit www.drwhitaker.com.
According to a study of heavy meat eaters published in the journal Diabetologia, a diet high in processed meats -- think bologna, salami, hot dogs and the like -- could increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 40 percent.
The incidence of diabetes with a high meat diet rose 17 percent overall, but with red meat, the increase lept to over 20 percent. Processed meats drove diabetes risk even higher still.
But why, exactly? What is it about an Italian hoagie that could specifically cause type 2 diabetes?
The researchers involved speculate that the culprit could be nitrates.
"Nitrosamines can be formed by the interaction of amino compounds with nitrates present either in the stomach or within the food product,” they said. “[Nitrosamines] have been linked to beta cell toxicity. In addition, low doses of the nitrosamine streptozotocin were found to induce type 2 diabetes in animal models.”
Because beta cells produce and regulate the release of insulin, a diet heavy in anything that targets and kills them off is a recipe for a diabetes disaster. Healthy beta cells equal healthy glucose levels in the blood. Without them, glucose levels can spike unabated, insulin sensitivity plummets, and maintaining healthy blood sugar becomes a weighty challenge.
Clearly, maintaining a healthy diet is paramount to beating diabetes, or preventing diabetes and nearly any other serious health condition in the first place.
And no one would argue, save the commissioner of Major League Baseball, that hot dogs are a good choice, no matter what your health concerns are.
Finally, a reason to feel good about my daily venti dark roast fix.
A new meta-analysis from the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a nice correlation between coffee consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
For every cup of Joe you drink, your risk goes down 7%. Not bad.
This review included data from over 500,000 people, with over 21,000 cases of type-2 diabetes. Of the 31 studies reviewed, 18 looked at regular coffee consumption, six focused on decaf, and the remaining seven studies included tea drinkers.
Bottom line, everyone with a mug holds a natural diabetes treatment in their hands.
It's not just regular coffee drinkers who can beat diabetes. Three to four cups of decaffeinated coffee were associated with a 33 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-coffee drinkers. And three to four cups of tea dropped diabetes risk by one-fifth as well.
Now if I've learned anything, it's to take a meta-analysis like this with a grain of salt. And if this were the only reason to drink coffee, I'd proceed cautiously. But it isn't.
Coffee has been championed by researchers as a natural way to maintain blood sugar and reduce diabetes risk before, because coffee has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity. Previous studies have shown that a high intake—at least six cups a day—lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 54 percent in men and 30 percent in women.
Dr. Whitaker has written about the health benefits of coffee for years, including research showing coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease by as much as 80 percent and even protects against other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
Coffee improves concentration and alertness, boosts mood, and decreases suicide risk. In fact, coffee aroma alone can relieve stress in animals. (Count me among them.)
Did you know that coffee can also halt a full-blown asthma attack in its tracks? And drink coffee before a workout and you'll enjoy both increased endurance and less muscle pain.
There are even studies that suggest coffee will make you live longer!
Of course, if you're exercising, preventing diabetes and enjoying your day feeling alert and in a great mood, you can't help but live longer, right? Pour me another cup...
It's always nice to be proven right, particularly when it concerns health advice that actually changes people's lives. As has happened so often over the years, Dr. Whitaker's core recommendation of supplementing with cinnamon daily as a natural way to control blood sugar continues to rack up additional clinical support, the latest from a recent study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
This study sought to determine whether cinnamon could help lower hemoglobin A1C in patients with type 2 diabetes. The randomized, controlled study followed patients for 90 days, with the cinnamon group using 1g cinnamon daily (curiously, the same amount Dr. Whitaker has been recommending for years...).
The result: Cinnamon users lowered their hemoglobin A1C by .83 percent, compared to .37 percent with standard treatment alone.
Said another way, adding cinnamon doubled the effectiveness of the basic treatment.
This may not sound that significant, but lowering your A1C is critically important for anyone with diabetes. A hemoglobin A1c test measures the level of glycated hemoglobin in the blood, the result of blood sugar (glucose) attaching to hemoglobin. As your A1C rises, so does your likelihood of diabetes complications, like vision problems, cardiovascular or kidney disease, circulatory and nerve imparement, and stroke.
When it comes to natural remedies for diabetes, cinnamon is pretty hard to beat. It's cheap, readily available, safe, and as the research continues to prove, effective.
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.
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.
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!
You could fill a book with Dr. Whitaker's diabetes success stories--and, in fact, Dr. Whitaker's Reversing Diabetes is being re-released in paperback on November 1.
Since this groundbreaking book was first published, your supplement arsenal for controlling blood sugar--and beating syndrome X, pre-diabetes and even type 2 diabetes--continues to grow, as more research emerges that shows drugs and insulin aren't the only answers anymore.
One of the more exciting herbal blood sugar supplements is Gymnema sylvestre. This climbing plant native to India has been used since the sixth century B.C. to lower blood sugar, and may actually help repair damage to cells in the pancreas in the process.
Animal studies on diabetic rats showed fasting blood glucose levels returning to normal after 20 to 60 days of treatment, with a rise toward normal in serum insulin. An examination of the rats' pancreatic islet and beta cells, which produce insulin, showed the number of cells had doubled compared to those of the placebo group. As Dr. Whitaker points out, this flies in the face of everything we believed possible. Once beta cells are gone, they're gone...or so we thought.
Human studies have shown similar results: Five of 22 patients taking 400 mg per day for 18 to 20 months as a supplement to oral drugs could discontinue the drugs, and the rest reduced their dosages. There was a significant reduction in blood glucose and other parameters of insulin efficiency. Researchers concluded, "the beta cells may be regenerated in type II diabetic patients on (Gymnema sylvestre) supplementation."
Dr. Whitaker recommends that anyone with diabetes try 400 mg daily of Gymnema sylvestre. Or, if you are at high risk for developing diabetes, he recommends a maintenance dose of 200 mg daily.
Are there specific supplements he has recommended for years? Are there supplements Dr. Whitaker has had success using with patients to manage blood sugar naturally? Are there different supplements to control blood sugar, target Syndrome X, manage pre-diabetes or beat type 2 diabetes? What about weight loss -- does Dr. Whitaker have suggestions for that?
The short answer (and that's what blogs are for, short answers) is yes, there are many different supplements for diabetes and related blood sugar concerns. Over the next few posts, I'll focus on Dr. Whitaker's favorites, the tried-and-true, and as new ones come along, you'll be sure to hear about them here.
Vanadium: A Cornerstone of the Whitaker Wellness Approach
According to Dr. Whitaker, one of the most effective and intriguing nutritional supplements for managing blood sugar levels is vanadium. This trace mineral lowers blood sugar by mimicking insulin and improving the cells’ sensitivity to insulin. Studies show that supplementation with vanadium (as vanadyl sulfate) markedly lowers fasting glucose and improves other measures of diabetes.
In one study, eight people with type 2 diabetes who received 50 mg of vanadyl sulfate twice a day for four weeks were found to have a 20 percent reduction in average fasting blood sugar, which lasted well after the mineral was discontinued. The only reported adverse effect was minor gastrointestinal distress during the first few days of the study.
Dr. Whitaker's suggested dose of vanadyl sulfate is 30 mg daily. If you need extra support and are under a doctor’s care, you can take up to 100 mg per day.
Pretty powerful stuff. And that's just one of many solutions. Look for more specific recommendations in upcoming posts, and keep the questions coming!
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.
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.
As Dr. Whitaker wrote in May's Health & Healing, "When are we going to learn—rather, when are we going to accept—that oral medications for type 2 diabetes actually do more harm than good?"
We've known since the late 1960's that drug treatments for type 2 diabetes have fatal complications, and the two drugs in this latest study -- rosiglitazone and pioglitazone -- are hardly different. Consider the side effects and you're left scratching your head in disbelief.
Why doctors would knowingly prescribe "treatments" for type 2 diabetes that bring on fluid retention, weight gain and increased risk of heart failure, health risks diabetics already have with the disease, is absurd, especially when you consider that lowering blood sugar, controlling weight gain, and preventing the complications of diabetes is not only achievable with alternative treatments, it's far safer.
Dr. Whitaker will continue to lead the charge against this gross mistreatment, and if you're dealing with diabetes, it's nice to know you have someone on your side. Someone who understands that dealing with diabetes isn't a drug deficiency, it's a chance to take control of your life. Understand that, and beating diabetes isn't just achievable, it's natural.
Ok, it’s time to get our priorities straight, unless we’ve got a bigger shark problem than I thought.A recent American Diabetes Association survey says that despite the devastating impact unchecked blood sugar and type 2 diabetes can have on your health, fewer Americans actually fear diabetes than plane crashes, snake bites, lightning strikes or shark attacks.
Even though shark attacks get the scary headlines, tens of thousands more lose limbs each year to diabetes than Great Whites, and the numbers diagnosed with diabetes – or on the verge of a pre-diabetes diagnosis due to elevated blood sugar, high triglycerides, increased weight or insulin resistance – are skyrocketing.
Comparing a few stats shows our misplaced fears beautifully. Less than 500 deaths were attributed to commercial aviation accidents in 2007, while in 2005, diabetes contributed to almost 234,000 deaths.
No doubt about it, diabetes is scary. If you have diabetes, you’re at least twice as likely to die of heart disease or stroke, perhaps as much as four times as likely. Nearly half of new cases of kidney disease are caused by diabetes. At least 12,000 new cases of blindness occur annually, thanks to unchecked blood sugar and insulin resistance.
According to the American Diabetes Association’s Ann Albright, “We can no longer sit back and politely tap people on the shoulder to get their attention. The future of our country – and the future of our children – is at stake.”
But why then are our fears so misplaced? I’d like to think that it’s because of the success Dr. Whitaker has had helping tens of thousands reverse diabetes and beat back blood sugar problems, going back decades.
If you know that blood sugar problems aren’t beyond your control, and your blood sugar can be managed naturally, easily, and permanently, it makes sense you’d fear something you can’t control, like being struck by lightning, I suppose.
“The good news is there are steps people with diabetes can take to manage their disease and prevent or delay these serious and deadly complications from developing,” says Albright, and I have to agree. Plus, many of the steps towards managing or reversing type 2 diabetes are natural, safe, and very effective.
Of course, you could argue that lifestyle changes make it easy to prevent shark attacks too. When you hear that “Jaws” theme music, get out of the water, pronto.
It's always nice when the mainsteam media wakes up to the realities of healthcare, particularly when it comes to the devastating damage of the rampant diabetes epidemic in the U.S. But an article in the July 12 USA Weekend underscores the importance of sticking with a doctor like Dr. Whitaker, someone who isn't afraid to come right out and state the brutally obvious.
On the one hand, Dr. Todd Mitchell's "HealthSmart" column does bring to light the scope of the diabetes problem, and the consquences of not bringing blood sugar under control. Without action, the more than 23 million Americans already diagnosed with diabetes -- not to mention those who have diabetes and don't know it, and the scores with Metabolic Syndrome or pre-diabetes -- are on a road to serious health problems, to say the least.
From comparatively minor skin and teeth concerns to truly frightening heart, eye, circulatory, and kidney diseases and increased risk for wounds and infections, Mitchell acknowledges that uncontrolled blood sugar is a recipe for disaster.
To his credit, Mitchell also points out that there are many effective ways to naturally lower blood sugar and keep Type 2 diabetes at bay, including following a diet low in high glycemic refined sugars, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate sleep, and maintaining an active lifestyle.
But that's as far as Mitchell is willing to go. Of course, it's not surprising that a diabetes article in USA Weekend fails to include a single mention of the many nutritional supplements that can not only lower blood sugar but directly impact the diabetes risk factors that lead to the complications he mentions. However, it's the waffle words about exercise and diabetes that truly surprised me.
In describing an "interesting" study of NFL players and blood sugar (not exactly your representative sample of the U.S. population) Mitchell points out that while the massive linemen and tackles weighed an average of 60 lbs. more than men in the control group, their fasting blood sugar was lower. Could exercise and rigorous physical activity have something to do with these blood sugar findings? Well, maybe, says Mitchell.
The kicker is the closer though. "More study is needed, but it does seem that, when it comes to diabetes, lifestyle habits matter."
Thanks for the newsflash, Dr. Mitchell.
There's no maybe about it. Exercise is one of the best, safest, most logical and truly natural ways to control blood sugar and prevent, manage, and even reverse diabetes. That's because exercise is one of the best ways to improve insulin resistance and make your cells more sensitive to insulin.
To get more exercise into your daily routine, the first thing you should try is taking a brisk 10-minute walk after meals whenever you can. Even mild aerobic exercise causes your muscles to soak up the glucose in your blood more quickly, keeping those post-meal blood sugar spikes to a minimum. Also, shoot for several sessions of resistance training (such as weightlifting) in your weekly routine to build muscle and improve your insulin sensitivity long-term.
At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, Dr. Whitaker has been helping thousands of patients over the years use diet, exercise and targeted nutritional supplements to beat back diabetes for good.
And as a 2001 NIH study showed, this type of natural program works better than the most prescribed diabetes drug, Glucophage. No maybe about that either, Dr. Mitchell.
Harvard University researchers recently looked at a dozen lifestyle and metabolic factors that impact the health and longevity of Americans, and while the top four are fairly obvious, moving up fast and checking in at Number 5 (with a bullet) is high blood glucose.
Failing to control blood sugar, or maintain healthy blood glucose levels, is more dangerous than high cholesterol, excessive salt intake, high trans fats, alcohol, and a diet deficient in fruits and vegetables.
Researchers speculate that between 163,000 and 217,000 high blood glucose-related deaths could have been avoided in the year 2005 alone, and certainly that number has only gone up as diabetes, pre-diabetes and other related conditions only gain increased traction in America.
Smoking ranked as the deadliest risk factor, responsible for up to a half-million annual, preventable deaths, followed by high blood pressure, obesity, and lack of exercise.
The message is clear. Type 2 diabetes is not only deadly, but preventable. You can absolutely maintain blood sugar naturally, with targeted nutritional support, a sound diet, and moderate exercise.
Follow Dr. Whitaker's plan, and you'll also avoid numbers 2-4 on the Killer Top 5 list as well.
That leaves only #1. And you're not still smoking, are you? ARE YOU?
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.
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.
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)
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