Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Many people dealing with diabetes admit that the disease snuck up on them. They didn’t see it coming.

These men and women didn’t suddenly lose weight or become excessively hungry and thirsty (as those with type 1 diabetes often experience), nor did they feel sick in any way. In fact, there are few truly recognizable type 2 diabetes symptoms. The disease is usually discovered during a routine blood test when a high fasting blood glucose reading, usually in the 150 to 300 mg/dL range, is noted.

There are, however, a few common type 2 diabetes signs and symptoms:

The vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, with the distribution of weight most commonly in the abdominal area.
Most people with type 2 diabetes are inactive.
Worldwide, the greatest increase in the number of people managing diabetes appears in those over the age of 65. Beginning in our forties, our lifestyle indiscretions are no longer protected by the resilience of youth. Things like an unhealthy diet, extra pounds, and lack of exercise suddenly turn into diabetes risk factors and begin take their toll.

For more information about type 2 diabetes symptoms and natural remedies for diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Three Natural Ways to Manage Diabetic Neuropathy

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

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

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

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

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

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

Three Characteristics of Type 2 Diabetes

Friday, July 30, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

While type 2 diabetes can sneak up on you, there are three type 2 diabetes symptoms you should be aware of:

Diabetes and weight go hand-in-hand. The vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, with the distribution of weight most commonly in the abdominal area. Excess weight is also a known factor in insulin resistance.
Most people with type-2 diabetes are inactive. Exercise enhances insulin sensitivity and makes it easier to control blood sugar.
The average newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patient is middle-aged. Once we hit our forties, our lifestyle indiscretions are no longer protected by the resilience of youth. Years of an unhealthy diet, extra pounds, and lack of exercise begin to take their toll and we succumb to degenerative diseases—not only diabetes but also other diseases of aging, such as heart disease, blood pressure concerns, and arthritis.

For more information on type 2 diabetes symptoms, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Type 2 diabetes, sometimes referred to as non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes, is marked by elevated blood glucose levels.

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

Type 2 diabetes symptoms can sneak up on you. The actual disease is usually discovered during routine blood tests when a high fasting blood glucose reading, usually in the 150 to 300 mg/dL range, is noted.

For the vast majority of people, eating a healthy diet, taking targeted nutritional supplements, increasing activity level, and losing weight will go a long way toward managing diabetes. In fact, these measures may well help you avoid diabetes altogether.

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

Let’s Talk About Type 1 Diabetes

Monday, July 26, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Type 2 diabetes information and research can be found all over the place, but much less is written about type 1. That’s likely because the vast majority of people living with diabetes have type 2. Nevertheless, type 1 diabetes warrants discussion.

Type 1 diabetes, sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes because it usually appears before the age of 20 (though it can crop up at any age), results from the inability of the pancreas to produce adequate insulin. Insulin is the nutritional storage hormone. Produced in specialized beta cells located in areas of the pancreas called the Islets of Langerhans, insulin is the key that opens up cells to glucose and other nutrients. If there is not enough insulin in the bloodstream to “unlock” these cells so that nutrients can get in, cells literally starve to death.

Not surprisingly, classic symptoms of type 1 diabetes include extreme hunger as the body tries to compensate for this inability to feed its cells, and rapid weight loss as the cells are unable to utilize food, regardless of how much is eaten. In addition, untreated individuals with type 1 diabetes are extremely thirsty, drink copious amounts of fluids, and urinate excessively. This is because the kidneys, in an attempt to keep things in balance, excrete as much excess glucose via the urine as they possibly can.

People with type 1 diabetes are often diagnosed in the emergency room—dehydrated, wasting away, and sometimes in a life-threatening diabetic coma. Their blood glucose is sky high, usually between 350 and 750 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL; normal is 80 to 110 mg/dL).

This type of diabetes is defined as an autoimmune attack on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes the immune system to attack, but viral infections are one possible cause.

But to reiterate, only 10 percent of all people dealing with diabetes have this form of the disease. For the other 90 percent, lifestyle factors—the foods you choose to eat, the supplements you take, your activity level, and your weight—determine whether or not you will develop diabetes and what course it will take if you already have it.

For more information on treating diabetes, diabetes risk factors, or diabetes success stories, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Diabetes Can Affect Your Liver

Friday, April 23, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

If you are living with diabetes, you should know that the health of your liver may be at risk. People with diabetes, especially those who are obese, are at particular risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can progress to serious scarring of the liver. Therefore, I suggest that all of my patients with type 2 diabetes symptoms to have their liver enzymes tested and, if indicated, supplement with nutrients that enhance liver function.

Your liver is a major organ of detoxification, but rather than physically screening out toxins, it converts them into compounds that can be eliminated from the body. It accomplishes this through a complex two-part process called phase I and phase II detoxification.

A number of nutrients are required for each of these phases, and people managing diabetes should be well aware of them. They include antioxidants such as lipoic acid, silymarin (from milk thistle), and selenium to protect the liver against the free radicals generated during phase I. Calcium-d-glucarate, n-acetyl-cysteine, and trimethylglycine all support various conjugation reactions that occur in phase II detoxification.

If you have signs and symptoms of NAFLD—and obesity is a clear sign—I urge you to protect your liver by losing weight and taking targeted supplements. Look for a combination formula in your health food store that contains the nutrients listed above.

The Connection Between Diabetes and Alzheimer’s

Friday, March 26, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Alzheimer’s disease has recently been linked to diabetes. Researchers from Brown University analyzed the brain tissue of 45 patients who had died with varying degrees of Alzheimer’s. In the study, they compared this tissue with that of people who did not have a history of diabetes. In every case, insulin-related abnormalities normally associated with advanced stages of diabetes were noted.

There is another researcher who has uncovered links between diabetes and cognitive problems. According to Suzanne Craft, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the University of Washington, Seattle, and researcher at the VA Puget Sound Medical Center, when insulin levels are elevated, it may prompt the development of the amyloid protein that is found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

One possible explanation for these findings is that insulin and its related growth factor proteins (such as insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1) play an integral role in the production of acetylcholine—a neurotransmitter found in the brain that is necessary for optimal cognitive function.

When insulin levels are abnormal (one of the most common type 2 diabetes symptoms) production of acetylcholine can be disrupted, setting the stage for Alzheimer’s and other memory problems to develop.

I encourage people living with diabetes to pay strict attention to this information. I suggest that they adhere to the natural remedies for diabetes (many of which I’ll be sharing with you here). Diabetes complications should not be taken lightly, and you need to do everything you can to ensure to stay healthy when dealing with diabetes.

Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Thursday, February 11, 2010 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

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

Type 1 Diabetes Signs and Symptoms

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

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

Type 2 Diabetes Causes

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

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

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

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

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

Vanadyl Sulfate Helps Control Blood Sugar -- But Is It Toxic?

Friday, December 4, 2009 by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Vanadyl sulfate is one of the supplements I recommend to help control blood sugar because it mimics the action of insulin and helps with glucose uptake in cells. But despite its amazing benefits, I find that questions about its safety periodically come up.

Take, for example, a note I received from a reader in Oklahoma City not too long ago. Although he was taking vanadyl sulfate to control blood sugar, he’d heard that it could also cause green tongue and other problems. I’m happy to answer this concern, because it pops up from time to time.

Vanadyl sulfate is a stable, inorganic form of vanadium, a metallic element used primarily as an additive in steel production. Acute exposure to the dust or fumes of vanadium or various vanadium compounds can certainly be toxic to the nervous and respiratory systems, liver, and other organs. And “green tongue” (as the name suggests, a greenish discoloration of the tongue) is indeed a classic symptom of toxicity in miners, industrial workers, or others exposed to high levels of vanadium.

But the accusation—often repeated on the Internet and elsewhere—that nutritional supplements containing minute amounts of vanadyl sulfate are toxic, is completely unfounded. On the contrary, studies demonstrate that vanadyl sulfate is safe when taken in doses of 75, 150, and even 300 mg per day for prolonged periods. Some study subjects taking the higher dosage reported gastrointestinal disturbances, but this resolved over the study course.

What these studies do show—and there are hundreds of them, some dating back more than 20 years—are profound benefits. In average doses of 100–150 mg, vanadyl sulfate increases insulin sensitivity and helps lower blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C—without danger of hypoglycemia. It has even been shown to reduce insulin requirements in individuals with type 1 diabetes. But what I find most remarkable is that benefits usually endured after the supplement was discontinued, suggesting that vanadyl sulfate has an ameliorating effect on the underlying diabetic condition.

So why do rumors of toxicity persist, despite the fact that vanadyl sulfate is, hands down, much safer than the scores of FDA-approved type 2 diabetes treatments? A cynic might say it’s because widespread use would cut into the enormous profits reaped by the pharmaceutical companies—not to mention that a number of vanadium compounds are in the pipeline. Whatever the reason, I stand by my recommendations for patients dealing with diabetes: 100–150 mg of vandyl sulfate daily along with other targeted nutrients, a low-glycemic diet, exercise after every meal, and weight loss. You can take it with confidence.

Metabolic Syndrome Risk Cut in Half with Antioxidants

Friday, June 19, 2009 by Tom Callahan

Here's a simple recipe for preventing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease: pour glass of tomato juice. Drink. Repeat.

Metabolic Syndrome -- which for many is the first step towards obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease -- may be prevented by upping your antioxidant carotenoid levels, according to a recent study from the University Medical Center Ulrecht in The Netherlands.

In the study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Dutch scientists report that those with the highest carotenoid levels had a 58 percent decreased incidence of Metabolic Syndrome, drastically reducing their future risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Higher levels of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, were associated with smaller waist size and less body fat, as well as lower triglyceride levels. Waist size above 40" in men (35" in women) and increased triglyceride levels are two major signs and symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome.

The highest levels of protection seem to come from lycopene and beta-carotene, with lycopene in particular associated with a 45 percent lower incidence of the syndrome.

Clearly if you're looking for a new diabetes treatment or a simple lifestyle change for better health, getting more lycopene in your diet is a healthy place to start. Lycopene, which is abundant in tomato juice and widely available in supplement form, not only lowers your risk of diabetes, heart attack and diseases of the prostate, lung, colon, stomach, and pancreas, but studies have also found it can significantly decrease exercise-induced asthma too.

Metabolic Syndrome is particularly dangerous because so many have it and don't even realize it. As many as 75 million Americans have the risk factors associated with Metabolic Syndrome (also known as "Syndrome X") which include low HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood glucose levels and blood pressure above 135/85.

Taking steps to manage blood sugar and reduce weight can not only prevent Metabolic Syndrome, but the more serious Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems that so often follow behind it.

Who knew that an alternative treatment for diabetes could be as close as your next V-8? Just make it the low sodium variety, please.