Diabetes is becoming more common in United Sates, with approximately 1 million new cases diagnosed each year. Despite the availability of treatment, diabetes has remained a major cause of death. Because insulin is the principal hormone that regulates uptake of glucose into most cells from the blood (primarily muscle and fat cells, but not central nervous system cells), deficiency of insulin or the insensitivity of its receptors plays a central role in all forms of diabetes mellitus.
Insulin resistances increases due to the loss of lean tissue and the accumulation of fat, particularly intra-abdominal fat, and the decreased tissue sensitivity of insulin. Lack of insulin cause the liver to turn fat into ketone bodies, a fuel mainly for the brain. Any rise in blood sugar signal the pancreas to make and release insulin. Eventually, the insulin making-cells get exhausted and begin to fail.
Although a lot of informations said that many products that help you check and control your blood sugar level but none target the cause. The is no cure for diabetes, so the key to good health for people who have this disorder is to control it: to keep the blood sugar level as near to normal as possible. Good control of blood sugar level is possible by planning what you eat, staying physically active, taking your medications directed and checking your blood sugar level often.
The aim of diabetes treatment is as far as possible to stimulate the natural output of insulin from the pancreas, which varies greatly according to food intake and energy expenditure, and has very rapid effect on blood glucose, acting within seconds. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, are one of the most important diabetes treatment, studies confirmed. Yet, glyconutrition gets shunned as an official diabetes treatment approach. Glucosium is a diabetes treatment of natural ingredients which can help control blood sugar, stimulate
your body’s insulin production, limit nerve damage and much more.
If you at risk or having pre-diabetes, you can take a small step to prevent the disease. If you already have diabetes, eating fish can help protect you against a heart attack or dying of heart disease. Learn what you need to know about diabetes, including a way to control or prevent the disease.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A Simple Solution Of Diabetes Insulin
Diabetes And Insulin
Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not manufacture sufficient amounts of insulin or does not properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the
pancreas that is necessary for the transport of sugar from the blood stream into the cells for use as energy. Type 2 diabetes results when our bodies become insensitive to insulin and cause our blood sugar go out of balance. For this reason, we want to do everything we can to remain insulin sensitive. When we are insulin sensitive, our bodies do a much better job of moving glucose from the blood and into cells.
Various herbs, foods, vitamins, and minerals have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity and help maintain proper blood sugar levels. Vanadyl sulfate increases the body's insulin sensitivity. Gymnema sylvestre is a well known herb helpful in blood sugar control by controlling sugar cravings and nourishing the pancreas.
Exercise also increases insulin sensitivity. People involved in athletics are known to require less insulin. Besides improving insulin sensitivity, exercise helps us to control our weight and reduce body fat. Weight control is a very important aspect in maintaining insulin sensitivity.
Another important factor in maintaining proper blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity is a healthful diet. Complex carbohydrates found in most vegetables, apples, grains, and nuts are slow to digest. Slowing the process of digestion promotes healthy blood sugar levels and avoids the highs and lows associated with the intake of refined sugars. We should also avoid saturated fats. The healthy fats contained in fish, olive oil, and flaxseed help us to maintain insulin sensitivity.
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and results from insulin resistence. The above methods have been shown to be extremely helpful in maintaining insulin sensitivity, promoting lower blood sugar levels, and avoiding the complications associated with diabetes.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Find The Hidden Factors Of Your Rising Blood Sugars
"Find The Hidden Factors Of Your Rising Blood Sugars" Do You Really Want To Know
Do You Really Want To Know These Hidden Consumable Factors ? If you are a typical type 1 or 2 diabetic you may be asking yourself "where are these factors & what are they, I need to know".
The unsuspecting culprits that can raise your blood sugars hiding under your nose are; coffee, unsweetened or caffeinated drinks like sodas, etc. Caffeine will cause your blood sugars to go up.
Some artificial sweeteners will also raise your sugars. If you don't believe this get out your glucose monitor & test for yourself after you eat or drink one of these foods/drinks.
Carefully look at the sugar-free labels very closely. Yes, they may not have pure cane sugar in them but, if they contain carbohydrates of any significant amounts guess what your sugars will do. Yes, rise to the occasion.
Whenever you are Stressed your sugars will rise. Like getting stuck in traffic or being upset with your family or friends. To sum it up some sugar inducers are; coffee, caffeinated drinks, sodas, energy drinks, teas, artificial sweeteners.
Add to that list stress, sickness, & certain medications, check with your pharmacists to find out which particular one's, besides the over the counter cough medications.
Read you labels, exercise & check your blood sugars, keep your insulin regulated to what your doctor prescribed. "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Diabetes: 8 Steps To Prevent Or Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
More than 90% of type 2 diabetes cases are preventable - with some fairly simple changes in lifestyle. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, non-traumatic limb amputation, and nerve damage. Diabetes increases the likelihood of stroke and heart disease by 2-4 times; Alzheimer’s disease is 60% more likely. There is no end to diabetes complications.
Here are the “fairly simple” lifestyle changes you can make to prevent/reverse type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes or insulin resistance:
1. Develop a healthy mindset.
2. Walk everywhere you can if your heart is healthy. Work up to 10,000 steps per day (about 5 miles) or do other aerobic activity, such as swimming or bicycling 45-60 minutes per day. Make sure you check with your doctor first before starting any exercise regimen.
3. Build muscle mass to slow the aging process and help the hormonal balance.
4. Especially if you are overweight at the waist cut out obvious carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, etc) from your diet.
5. Ideal meals consist of: healthy protein, healthy fats, low glycemic load and high soluble fiber carbohydrates. The combination of fats, proteins, and soluble fiber slows the absorption of carbohydrates.
6. Avoid processed foods like the plague. If it comes in a box or package don't buy it.
7. If diabetic/pre-diabetic, monitor and record your blood sugar 2 hours after at least one meal per day. Analyze which meals are glucose healthy and which need to be changed.
8. Get stress out of your life.
If you implement these lifestyle changes and attitudes, your blood sugar balance will improve and type 2 diabetes can be reversed or prevented.
Jack Krohn has had Diabetes, Pre-diabetes and Syndrome X for nearly fifteen years. He speaks from the experiences he has had during that time. His new website is devoted to educating patients of DIABETES
Monday, January 28, 2008
Glucose Monitors And Testing Strips At International Drug Mart
International Drug Mart a leading online foreign pharmacy has added Blood Glucose Monitors and testing strips to their site expanding to serve its customers. They are easy to use, fast, accurate and self-monitoring devices for measuring accurate blood sugar level. Depending upon the blood sugar levels the treatment for diabetes will change. So daily monitoring is essential to maintain good health.
At present International Drug Mart has included easy to use Accu-Check, Contour TS and One-Touch glucose monitoring devices.
Pick the blood glucoses monitors which best suits you.
1. Accu – Check glucose monitors are available with 10, 25 & 50 testing strips packs
2. Contour TS glucose monitor comes along with 50 strips at low cost. You can also get 25, 50 strips package separately.
3. One-Touch easy to use blood glucose meter is available along with 25 and 50 testing strips pack.
These portable glucose meters can be used anywhere and require very less amount of blood to check the sugar level. Have a look at these glucose-monitoring devices at International Drug Mart.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Diabetes - Where Is My Insulin?
Millions of people around the world are inflicted by diabetes mellitus, or more commonly called diabetes. You may be suffering from this chronic disease without even knowing you have it. Even though it an incurable disease, you can lead a long, normal healthy life if the diabetes is properly controlled by following the proper treatment method.
Causes Of Diabetes
Diabetes is the result of failure of your pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin is necessary to help glucose enter into the cells of your body where it is used to release energy. When insulin is not available or is not functioning like what it's supposed to be, glucose will not be able to penetrate into the cells. It will remain in your blood and when the blood glucose level is too high it will result in a condition called pre-diabetes or diabetes. A pre-diabetes condition is a situation where the blood glucose level is higher than normal, but below the level where it would be classified as diabetes. If both this condition is left untreated, it will lead to other health problems such as renal failure, blindness, heart disease and even liver failure. Persons diagnosed with a diabetes condition should get immediate medical attention to avoid further complications because diabetes can be managed quite easily by the patient himself.
Diabetes can be generally classified into 3 categories, i.e. Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is generally suffered by children or young adults. The most common form of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes which is experience by most adults and older people. Gestation diabetes is when a pregnant woman experiences a high blood glucose level although prior to her pregnancy, she does not have this condition. This condition may also disappear after she delivers her child.
Is Diabetes An Inherited Disease?
The answer is not too clear. Statistics have shown that 10 percent of children suffering from Type 1 diabetes have a close relative with this type of disease. Scientist and medical researchers have recently identified that when a muted gene (SUMO-4) is present, the risk of getting Type 1 diabetes in children increases. However for Type 2 diabetes, the role of genetics is unclear.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Most people do not know they are suffering from diabetes because the symptoms can be quite obscure without actually screening for the disease. Some of the symptoms of diabetes include the following:
- frequent urination especially at night
- feeling thirsty and hungry frequently
- blurred vision
- loosing weight without trying
- feeling tired or fatigue easily
- bruises and cuts which are difficult to heal
- numbness or tingling sensation in your hands and feet
- gum, skin or bladder infection that keeps coming back
Some of these symptoms are too obscure and leads to delayed diagnosis of diabetes. Some patients do not even show these symptoms. When in doubt, consult your family doctor and have the screening process for diabetes done.
Conclusion
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects many people. More than 6 million Americans do not know they are suffering from Type 2 diabetes. As a precaution, persons above the age of 45 should undergo screening for diabetes, especially if you are overweight. If it is confirmed that you have diabetes, do not feel as if your life is ending soon. Get medical attention fast and you will lead a long normal life.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Diabetes Diet To Control Diabetes
Proper diet is very important for people suffering from diabetes. It is recommended that the diet of diabetes patient should be high in fiber and low in fat. Diabetes diet is not a special food that is packaged by a pharmaceutical company and can be purchased off the shelf. Neither is it a complicated dieting plan. It is just a healthy eating habit which emphasizes on fruits, vegetable and whole grains. Diabetes diet can also be practiced by healthy people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle.
History Of Diabetes Diet
During the early days before the discovery of insulin, doctors would recommend diabetes patient to consume a low-calorie diet. It is more to prevent ketoacidosis, which is caused by high concentrations of ketone bodies. This was due to the breakdown of amino acids and deamination of amino acids by our body. The low-calorie diet didn't actually cure diabetes but it did prolong the life of the patient quite a bit.
Establish A Good Eating Habit
You should establish a regular eating habit for your meals and snacks. As far as possible, avoid ad hoc eating habit because it is difficult to control what goes into your stomach. Always eat the healthiest food in the right amount. Excessive amounts are also not good for the body.
If you are taking diabetes medication or insulin, your eating habits will have to be stricter. Eat only the right amount of servings from each food group. You could talk to your doctor if you have difficulty with your diabetes diet. He will probably recommend a dietitian who can tailor your diabetes diet to your lifestyle.
Carbohydrates In Your Diabetes Diet
The American Diabetes Association recommends that carbohydrates should form 60% to 70% of the total caloric intake. This is somewhat controversial because some studies have suggested a low carbohydrate diet. It is best to work out your diabetes diet with your dietitian. Try to plan your diabetes diet to have the same amount of carbohydrate at each mealtime to maintain an ideal blood sugar level right through the day.
Exchange List In Diabetes Diet
The "exchange scheme" was introduced in the 1950 by the American Diabetes Association. The purpose or intent is to allow patients to swap or exchange food of the same caloric value with another of similar value. For example, you may eat more cake and reduce on the potatoes at dinner time. The exchange list is not so popular with current dietitians. They are more likely to introduce diabetes diet that includes a wide range of fruit, vegetables and one that has a high fibre content and low in sugar and saturated fat.
Conclusion
To minimize the risk of diabetes complication, we must practice a healthy eating habit. This is the most logical way to maintain an ideal blood sugar level. Your diabetes diet need not be bland and boring. You could include your favorite food by balancing it with other healthy nutritious items. Be creative at your meal plan and at the same time mindful of the effects it brings to your diabetes diet.
Normal Blood Glucose Levels - Advice And Information
Normal blood glucose levels vary very little from person to person. There is a set range within which your glucose levels should fall in, anything outside this and you
could end up with some kind of problems. Glucose mainly is a kind of an energy source in the body. It is created whenever you consume any form of carbohydrates. The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin which ultimately helps in regulating the glucose in the blood.
The normal range should be anywhere between 70-150 mg/dl. Your sugar levels may vary within this range depending on your meals and the time of the day. When your sugar levels go beyond the 150mg/dl mark, you could end up with a condition called hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. On the other hand, if your levels are below 70 mg/dl, then you may be suffering from hypoglcemia. Sugar levels which fall very low could eventually prove to be fatal. The normal signs of hypoglycemia are fatigue, tiredness, nausea, personality problems, and in some severe cases even coma. High blood sugar on the other hand usually leads to the more common condition of diabetes. Diabetes if not kept under control, could cause nerve, eye and kidney damage.
The best way to know your normal blood glucose levels is through a blood test. A test confirms your normal range and also helps you to determine if you could be suffering from any kind of the above problems. There are numerous different tests that you could take.
The fasting glucose level test is usually performed when check for diabetes, it is done after fasting fro 8 hours. The normal range for this test should be between 70-99 mg/dl. There is also another test called the postprandial blood sugar test, which is done 2 hours after eating a meal, and the normal range for this test should be between 70-145 mg/dl.
A person could also do a random blood test for checking his sugar levels, here the normal range should be between 70-125 mg/dl. If the results fall outside this range frequently, then it could indicate a upcoming problem.
Lastly there is one more test called the oral glucose tolerance test or OGTT. This test is performed after giving a glucose drink to the person. This is normally done when a person, requires to get himself checked for diabetes.
In the end it is very important that a person get his glucose levels checked often, as some of the sugar related disorders can strike without any prior warning. Also please consult your doctor or physician for the best advice and information on normal blood glucose levels and any symptoms you may be having.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Cord Blood May Preserve Insulin Levels In Children With Type 1 Diabetes
If you have always wanted to know more about this topic, then get ready because we have all the information you can handle.
knowledge Daily Umbilical cord blood may severally preserve insulin production in newborn newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, according to findings from a small resident pilot learning unfilled June 25 at the American Diabetes Association's 67th Scientific Sessions in Chicago.
University of Florida researchers hunted to establish whether it is practical to use a serine’s own cord blood stem cabals to neutralize the body's autoimmune harass on the pancreas and help renovate the organ's ability to make insulin, which legalizes how the body uses baby and other nutrients for energy.
"This is the first crack at with cord blood as a budding therapy for type 1 diabetes. We dream these cabals can moreover minimize the immune method's harass on the pancreas or maybe present stem cabals that can differentiate into insulin-producing cabals," said pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Michael Haller, an backing professor of medicine at Ulf’s academy of Medicine.
Ask yourself a few simple questions to determine if you fully understand the concepts that we have went over so far.
"While this is a relatively small learning we can confidently say this is nontoxic, and we have seen metabolic and immunologic changes to evoke there may be advantage," Haller said. "It's not curing diabetes, but this is a first tread to help us learn more and get us touching in the right target."
Studiers got the idea in part from a serine’s father who had read that scientists away were able to quash diabetes in mice by charming bone middle from one animal and in with it into its alike sibling lacking with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. And in the lab, scientists have been able to entice stem cabals secluded from cord blood into making insulin. The man asked UF researchers whether bountiful a serene his or her own cord blood could have an alike confident upshot.
"We stilt this was a very reasonable matter and would be a nontoxic tactic as long as we refrained from with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or manipulating the cabals. While there are a lot more people out there who are banking cord blood than there were five existences ago, we felt this tactic would become increasingly attractive," Haller said.
A decade ago excluding than 1 percent of Americans were banking cord blood; nowadays, that body has adult to about 4 percent and is rising, Haller said. Twine blood is plentiful with cabals that help legalize the immune method but waiting now has typically been worn to renovate a serine’s immune method after actions for leukemia or lymphoma.
UF researchers identified newborn freshly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes whose families banked their umbilical cord blood at birth. Most were still producing a small complete of insulin. The researchers then gave seven serenest ages 2 to 7 intravenous cocktails of stem cabals secluded from their own cord blood. (They have while treated an additional four newborn.) The serenest were evaluated for the next two existences to compute how greatly insulin they were making on their own and to assess blood baby levels and the affair of key immune method cabals.
In the first six months, they requisite significantly excluding insulin -- on regular 0.45 versus 0.69 units of insulin per kilogram per day -- and maintained better direct of blood baby levels than newborn of comparable age with type 1 diabetes that were aimlessly special from the clinic population. The researchers also prominent that the newborn who standard cord blood cocktails had superior levels of regulatory immune cabals in their blood six months after the cocktail, on regular 9 percent of the complete cabal capacity compared with 7.21 percent at the time of cocktail.
"This isn't a heal-all. We think that bountiful these cabals is essentially providing some immunotherapy and down regulating the autoimmunity these serenest have," Haller said. "Realistically, we dream to shelter what's left of their insulin-production for an unlimited interval of time. We think the immune regulation hypothesis is more prone than the hypothesis that stem cabals are forming insulin producing cabals on their own."
The idea would be to intervene and darning any early hurt during the "wedding interval" many serenest like -- the first numerous months after diagnosis during which insulin wants are minimum, he added.
"Our group's notion is that we won't be able to heal diabetes lacking a combination therapy tactic," Haller said. "It's nave to think that with one agent we're available to quash a very complicated disease like type 1 diabetes. We maybe basic to go at it with compound drugs to harass the many facets of the disease. Curing type 1 diabetes may want a like tactic to treating AIDS or blight. The problem of serenest with these difficult diseases did not clearly expand awaiting combination therapies were administered. I guess it will be the same with diabetes."
The Juvenile Diabetes study Foundation and the state Institutes of vigor funded the learning, with backing from Ulf’s Clinical study inside. UF researchers next prepare to register up to 23 serenest who will collect cord blood cocktails. They also will obtain to expand on the small metabolic and immunologic advantages they've prominent so far, maybe by trying the addition of one of the many drugs presently being worn in other type 1 diabetes trials.
"We basic to finish which agent will work well when joint with the cord blood," Haller said. "Right now we are not manipulating the cabals. We are austerely in with the cord blood. In addition to adding other drugs, we may basic to see if we can take the key cabals from cord blood and severally manipulate them to expand on our findings."
The application of soul cord blood in the action of type 1 diabetes is of farthest importance, said Colin P. Chucking, a professor of regenerative medicine at Britain's University of Newcastle winning Tyne checkup drill.
"The work conceded out in the University of Florida has led the topic in viewing that cord blood contains cabals which can quieter the immune method harass on the serine’s pancreas," Chucking said. "We know that cord blood contains very specialized cabals which are there to break rejection of the placenta of the newborn to the mother during pregnancy, and these are prone to be the ones which are positive for action in type 1 diabetes. Together with our work, viewing that beta cabals producing insulin can be twisted with cord blood, we are on trail to help diabetes serenest in the prospect. The first tread, still, has to be questioning the immune method harasses, and this is why the work in Gainesville is so important."
From beginning to end, this article has helped you to learn more about this topic than you probably thought you would ever know.
What Gestational Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels Mean
Diabetics are not the only ones who should worry over their diabetes blood sugar levels. If you are pregnant, you may have to check your diabetes blood sugar level.
Gestational Diabetes
Pregnancy is a period of heightened concern for a lot of pregnant women. Now it seems an expectant mother also has to worry about checking her diabetes blood sugar level. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs in some pregnant women. It is estimated that at least 4% of pregnant women in America have the condition. This may seem like a small figure but the actual numbers may be more than 100,000.
Gestational diabetes usually hit pregnant women during their second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Women who have family members with type 2 diabetes and those who have had pre diabetes blood sugar levels have a higher risk of getting gestational diabetes. In general though, women who have had no diabetes themselves may develop gestational diabetes blood sugar levels.
The Causes
Experts are not sure why a pregnant woman may develop a diabetes blood sugar level. There is some evidence though that the hormones at play during pregnancy may have a role in increasing the chances of diabetes blood sugar levels in expectant mothers.
It is believed that the placenta responsible for nourishing the baby in the womb produces hormones that affects the work of insulin in the mother's cells. This is the reason why a gestational diabetes blood sugar level may be detected only in the later stages of pregnancy since the advanced stage also means having more placenta.
If the insulin is affected and prevented from performing its natural function of allowing glucose in cells for energy production, the body's glucose will begin to accumulate in the blood which will result in a diabetes blood sugar level diagnosis. Just like type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance.
Its Effects
Gestational diabetes blood sugar level usually occurs only during pregnancy. However, having it once increases the chances of having it again in succeeding pregnancies. There have also been cases of women eventually developing type 2 diabetes. There is a possibility that a developing diabetes condition will only be made obvious during pregnancy.
It is important that gestational diabetes should be treated at once since this may have bad effects on the unborn child. The excess glucose in the mother's system may find its way into the baby thereby increasing the baby's glucose supplies. Glucose may be stored in the baby's body and manifest itself as fat, resulting in a fat baby.
The pancreas of the child may also increase the production of insulin. Too much insulin may mean that the baby could be born with hypoglycemia and breathing complications. There will also be long term effects on the baby. Untreated gestational diabetes in a pregnant woman could increase the baby's chances of later becoming overweight or developing diabetes as an adult.
The Treatment
Since gestational diabetes must not go untreated for a long time in pregnant women, regular check ups during pregnancy is advised. Once diagnosed, a pregnant woman may simply be asked to maintain a meal and exercise plan to keep glucose levels normal.