Diabetes—A Quick Look

What is Diabetes?
(Diabetes mellitus)

Diabetes is a disorder in which the body cannot handle glucose normally. Glucose is a type of sugar that the body burns for energy. Diabetes happens when the pancreas secretes an insufficient amount of insulin (if any). Insulin is a hormone that facilitates the entry of glucose into the cells. Diabetes can also result from the failure of the cells to respond to insulin adequately. Without an adequate supply of insulin,or the effectiveness of your cells to respond to insulin, your body will not get the energy it needs from the food you eat.

When you eat carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose molecules which enter the blood.  To enter the cells, glucose needs insulin to be present and its respective insulin receptors on cell membranes to be working.  Otherwise it will build up in the blood, causing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).  

Three main types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused when your pancreas does not produce any insulin or a sufficient amount of insulin.  This form of diabetes is often called juvenile diabetes because children and adolescents are the most commonly diagnosed with it; however adults are known to develop type 1 diabetes as well.  An environmental factor (possibly a viral infection or a nutritional factor in childhood or early adulthood) causes the immune system to destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.  A genetic predisposition may make some people more susceptible to the environmental factor.  Individuals with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin in some form during their lifespan.

Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), is the most common form of diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes results from the inability of insulin to bind with its respective receptor sites on cell membranes.  In type 2 diabetes the insulin levels may be low, normal, or high.  Obesity is the chief risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.  80 to 90% of people with this disorder are overweight or obese.

Gestational diabetes
About 5 to 10% of pregnant women develop diabetes during pregnancy.  This disorder is called gestational diabetes.  Gestational diabetes, if unrecognized and untreated, can increase the risk of health problems for pregnant women and the fetus and the risk of death for the fetus.  Gestational diabetes is more common among obese women and among Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and women of Mexican, Indian, and Asian descent.  Most women with gestational diabetes develop it because they cannot produce enough insulin to handle blood glucose increases late in pregnancy.


Who is at Risk of Have Diabetes?
According to the American Diabetes Association many factors can increase your risk of diabetes:

Unmodifiable Risk Factors
•    ethnicity: African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander.
•    age:45 years or older
•    family history of diabetes
•    having gestational diabetes previously

Modifiable Risk Factors
•    overweight or obese
•    high blood glucose
•    high blood pressure
•    abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism
•    increased susceptibility to blood clots or inflammatory conditions
•    physical inactivity and smoking

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Like cancer, diabetes can begin developing long before the disease becomes severe.  To make sure that it never becomes serious, pay close attention to what your body is telling you.  Here is a list of common symptoms related to diabetes:
•    frequent urination (polyuria)  
•    excessive thirst (polydypsia)
•    extreme hunger (polyphagia)
•    unusual weight loss 
•    weakness and fatigue
•    irritability
•    unexplained nausea and vomiting
•    blurry vision
•    frequent infections
•    poor wound healing
•    itching

What can diabetes do to my body?
Diabetes often starts as a small problem but without proper treatment can soon become a complicated quandary that could take your life.
In the process diabetes increases the risk for:
•    upset of the body’s chemistry
•    abnormal deposits in the arteries
•    increased risk of heart attack
•    heart disease (cardiovascular disease)
•    blindness (retinopathy)
•    kidney disease (nephropathy)
•    nerve damage (neuropathy)
•    cholesterol
•    liver damage
•    dementia or cognitive decline

How can I treat diabetes?
There is good news for the diabetes sufferer.  Individuals with type I diabetes will need to take insulin in some form and incorporate healthful lifestyle practices such as health diet, regularity of schedule, and consistent exercise including stretches, aerobic activities, and resistance training to reduce complications.  Type 2 diabetes often can be treated successfully with lifestyle measures--appropriate weight loss, good diet, and exercise.  Individuals with diabetes should carefully monitor their blood sugar and have regular visits with their physicians and dieticians.

What can natural therapies do for diabetic individuals?
Diet
Diet is very important to the diabetic patient and can be the number one aid in the fight against severe diabetes.  Here are some simple suggestions to help you wage your battle.
You’ve heard it said before—you are what you eat, and with the diabetes patient it’s very true.

Foods to eat and why
In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis researchers studied 5,011 individuals and their risk for developing type 2 diabetes.  They found that a diet characterized by a high intake of whole grains, fruit, nuts/seeds, green leafy vegetables, and low-fat dairy was associated with a 15% lower diabetes risk.⁽¹⁾
•    Whole grain products that are high in fiber help lower elevated blood sugar levels and elevated cholesterol.⁽²⁾ Whole grains are also rich in magnesium, a mineral which improves the sensitivity of cells to insulin.
•    Fresh or frozen vegetables, northern fruits (apples, pears), and unsweetened berries are rich in antioxidants and exert anti-inflammatory properties.  This is important because diabetes is a condition which promotes inflammation and free radical production.  Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day.
•    Use garlic and onions liberally.  Garlic lowers elevated cholesterol and exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.  Some studies suggest that garlic can reduce elevated blood sugar.  Its regular consumption could help to lower the risk for diabetic-related complications.⁽³⁾ Onions offer similar benefits.⁽⁴⁾ 
•    Nuts are rich in fiber and antioxidants.  Raw, unsalted nuts provide the benefits without the drawbacks of too much sodium or added fat.  Researchers from Harvard found women who reported eating nuts at least five times per week reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts.
•    Legumes are high in soluble fiber, therefore steadying your glucose curve so as to avoid extreme highs and lows.

In summary:
A diet high in minimally processed, high-fiber, plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts will markedly blunt the post-meal increase in glucose, triglycerides, and inflammation that fuel diabetic complications.^(5),(6)

Severely restrict the following:
•    Sugar, soft drinks, sweets.  An excessive amount of sugar depletes the body of chromium—a  trace mineral essential for glucose metabolism—and other minerals.
•    Refined foods are deficient in fiber and magnesium that improve the ability of cells to respond to insulin.
•    Saturated, hydrogenated, or trans fats elevate cholesterol in the body.
•    Caffeine increases blood sugar and blood fat levels.
•    Alcohol damages the liver and pancreas.
•    Processed or canned foods are usually high in sodium.  Diabetes already increases the risk for high blood pressure.

Exercise

Many diabetics struggle with weight control and can be greatly helped by the addition of a dynamic whole body exercise program done in the fresh air.  Plenty of total body exercise will help the insulin-blood sugar balance very markedly.  Because exercise burns up food, the body will then require less insulin to manage it.  This explains why it is recommended to take a light-moderate walk just after eating a meal.  Muscles cells become more receptive when they are exercised and require less insulin in order to absorb the blood glucose.  Regular exercise, including resistance training, reduces the risk of muscle atrophy which often occurs in diabetes. Exercise also improves the ability of the blood vessels to dilate.  Two of the best exercises are walking and tending a garden. If you have diabetes, discuss with your physician what type, intensity, and duration of exercise he/she recommends.

Herbs

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Animal studies suggest that fenugreek helps to improve the ability of the body to handle glucose in diabetes and enhance antioxidant capacity.  Fenugreek helps raise blood levels of HDL (good cholesterol) and at the same time it lowers elevated cholesterol and triglycerides.⁽⁷⁾

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia)
Also called balsam pear, bitter melon, and many other names, bitter gourd can help to lower blood sugar levels significantly.  It also improves the antioxidant activity in the body.⁽⁸⁾

Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre)
This herb has compounds that reduce elevated blood glucose and promote cholesterol excretion.⁽⁹⁾

Cautions regarding herbs:
These herbs with lifestyle changes can help individuals with type 2 diabetes to reduce their medications.  However, individuals who want to try herbs should consult with their doctors first as to avoid any possible drug-herb interactions and monitor their blood sugar even more closely.

Where do I go for more help?
There are many more natural alternatives that can prevent and in many cases can actually reverse diabetes.  However, due to the seriousness of the disease it is important to have a dedicated health care professional working with you.  This is not a “do-it-yourself” matter—you need to be well-informed and cooperate closely with a knowledgeable and concerned professional health counselor who can plan a program for you that will include an individualized dietary, exercise, and weight control plan.

A stay of two or three weeks in a rural lifestyle center is especially helpful in introducing and reinforcing the essential lifestyle changes that are needed to obtain your optimal health.

To contact a doctor personally and discuss further care and treatment, see: Where do I go for more help?

Wildwood Lifestyle Center & Hospital can help you achieve that peak of healthful living. For more information, call 1(800) 844-1099 or visit us at 435 Lifestyle Lane | PO Box 129 | Wildwood GA | 30757

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References
(1). Nettleton, JA, Dietary patterns and risk  of incident type 2 diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), Diabetes Care,  2008 Sep;31(9):1777-82.
(2). Kaline K, et al., The importance and effect of dietary fiber in diabetes prevention with particular consideration of whole grain products, Horm Metab Res. 2007 Sep;39(9):687-93. Review.
(3). Liu CT, Does garlic have a role as an antidiabetic agent? Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Nov;51(11):1353-64. Review
(4). Campos, KE, et al., Hypoglycaemic and antioxidant effects of onion, Allium cepa: dietary onion addition, antioxidant activity and hypoglycaemic effects on diabetics, Int J Food Sci Nutri., 2003 May;54(3):241-6.5.
(5). O’Keefe JH, et al, Dietary strategies for improving post-prandial glucose, lipids, inflammation, and cardiovascular health, J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Jan 22;51(3):249-55. Review.
(6). Spiegel G Carbohydrate counting for children with diabetes: why, what and how? School Nurse News.  2008 Sep; 25(4):36-8.
(7).  Hannan, JM,et al., Soluble dietary fibre fraction of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seed improves glucose homeostasis in animal models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes by delaying carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and enhancing insulin action, Br J Nutri. 2007 Mar;97(3):514-21
(8). Chandra A, et al., Effect of Indian herbal hypoglycemic agents on antioxidant capacity and trace elements content in diabetic rats, J Med Food.  2008 Sep; 11(3):506-12.
(9).Sugihari Y, et al. Antihyperglycemic effects of gymnemic acid IV, a compound derived from Gymnema sylvestre leaves in streptozotocin-diabetic mice, J Asian Nat Prod Res., 2000;2(4):321-7.