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About Diabetes
- Symptoms of Diabetes
- Causes of Diabetes
- Risk Factors for Diabetes
- Complications of Diabetes
- Diagnosis of Diabetes
- Conventional Treatments for Diabetes
- Is there a Natural Diabetes Cure?
What is Diabetes?
In the simplest terms . . . diabetes mellitus (commonly referred to as just "diabetes") is a blood sugar disease . . . a disease in which the body either does not produce or does not properly utilize insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Because diabetics have a problem with insulin, their body's can't use glucose (blood sugar) for energy, which results in elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) and the eventual urination of sugar out of their bodies. As a result . . . diabetics can literally starve themselves to death.
There are three main types of diabetes:
- Type 1 ("insulin-dependent" and previously called "juvenile diabetes"). Type 1 diabetes is associated with a malfunctioning pancreas which does not produce adequate amounts of insulin. It develops most often in children and young adults. Type 1 diabetes is traditionally treated with insulin.
- Type 2 ("noninsulin-dependent" or sometimes called "adult-onset diabetes"). Type 2 diabetes is associated with insulin resistant cells. It is much more common and usually develops in older adults. Type 2 diabetes is now being found at younger ages and is even being diagnosed among children and teens.
- Gestational (pregnancy-related). Some women develop diabetes during pregnancy usually toward the end of pregnancy. It effects approximately 3 to 5 percent of all pregnant women. Although it goes away after pregnancy, these women have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Diabetes is the Fastest Growing Disease in the World Today!
According to the Centers for Disease Control:
- Diabetes is an epidemic.
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30.3 million Americans have diabetes . . .
with 7.2 million completely unaware that they even have the disease. - Diabetes is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States . . .
with over 1.6 million deaths each year from diabetes-related complications. - It is projected that 1 in 5 of Americans will have diabetes by 2025, and 1 in 3 by 2050
Symptoms of Diabetes
Millions of people have diabetes and don't even know it.
- Many fail to recognize the symptoms because they develop gradually.
- Some people, particularly pre-diabetics, have no symptoms at all.
Diabetics typically have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Irritability
- Poor sleep
- Very dry skin
- Extreme hunger
- Excessive thirst
- Poor circulation
- frequently fatigued
- Frequent urination
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sudden vision changes
- Unexplained weight loss
- Numbness in hands or feet
- More infections than usual
- Sores that are slow to heal
What causes Diabetes?
The cause of diabetes depends upon whether we are talking about Type 1, Type 2 or Gestational Diabetes, as each have different etiologies. Certainly any comprehensive discussion about the causes of diabetes would include topics of autoimunne disease, intercellular signaling problems and oxidative stress.
Type 1 Diabetes
Interspersed evenly throughout the pancreas, is a very specialized tissue, containing cells which make and secrete hormones. This tissue, called the "Islets of Langerhans" is named after the German pathologist Paul Langerhans, who discovered them in 1869. Through a microscope, Langerhans observed these cells cluster in groups, which he likened to little islands in the pancreas.
One such group of cells, the beta cells, produce insulin in response to blood glucose. These beta cells are tiny insulin factories that sense the level of glucose in the blood stream, and produce insulin in precise proportion to that level. Therefore, following a meal, blood sugar levels will rise significantly, and the beta cells will release a large amount of insulin. This insulin will cause body cells to take up the sugar, causing blood sugar to quickly return to its normal range. Once blood sugar is in the normal range, the beta cells will reduce the output of insulin to an idling state. In this way, the beta cells adjust their production of insulin on a minute-by-minute basis, always producing just enough insulin to deal with the amount of blood sugar presently in the blood stream.
In type 1 diabetes, the islets are destroyed by the person's own immune system, which mistakenly identifies these essential cells as foreign invaders. This self-destructive mechanism is the basis of many so-called autoimmune diseases. Once the islets are killed, the ability to produce insulin is lost, and the overt symptoms and consequences of diabetes begin.
Type 2 Diabetes
The most common causes of type 2 diabetes are poor diet and/or lack of exercise, both of which can result in insulin resistance . . . a condition where the cells in our bodies aren't sensitive enough to react to the insulin produced by our pancreas.
Recent research suggests that the root cause of insulin resistance is a breakdown in intercellular signaling. Insulin is a chemical messenger. It signals proteins called GLUT-4 transporters (residing within the cell) to rise up to the cell's membrane, where they can grab on to glucose and take it inside the cell. In patients with insulin resistance, the cells don't get the message. They simply can't hear insulin "knocking" on the door, which results in elevated blood levels of both insulin and glucose.
In the early stages of insulin resistance, the pancreas compensates by producing more and more insulin, and so the "knocking" becomes louder and louder. The message is eventually "heard", enabling glucose transportation into the cells, resulting in the eventual normalization of blood glucose levels. This is known as "compensated insulin resistance".
Over time, the stress of excessive insulin production wears out the pancreas and it cannot keep up this accelerated output. As a result, glucose levels remain elevated for prolonged periods. This is called "uncompensated insulin resistance" and is the essence of advanced type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a series of chain reactions:
- The ingestion of too many carbohydrates leads to a spike in blood sugar levels.
- This is followed by a corresponding rise in insulin.
- This in turn causes blood sugar to drop.
- Eventually, this drastic up-and-down activity begins to take its toll on the body's ability to use insulin and thus metabolize sugar.
- Over time, the pancreas "wears out" and can no longer pump out enough insulin to overcome this insulin resistance.
- This results in a decreased insulin production and/or increased insulin resistance which propagates the cycle and leads to the onset of diabetes.
It is not known if obesity causes insulin resistance; or if insulin resistance causes obesity; or if they develop independently. We do know that insulin resistance is correlated to obesity . . . particularly the type where your weight collects around your middle (like an apple). We also know that physical inactivity contributes to insulin resistance, as does eating too much dietary carbohydrate.
Diabetes and Oxidative Stress
Most researchers are in basic agreement that the theory of oxidative stress is central to explaining the cause of diabetes. To understand the theory, one must first conceptualize that a "free radical" is any atom or molecule which has an "unpaired electron" in it's outer ring. Because it is lacking an electron, it is unstable and very much wants to find one electron to fill its need. This "free radical" will steal an electron from any other molecule it encounters that is more willing to give one up . . . and thus it becomes satisfied . . . but now the victim molecule has become a free radical itself and so it now will look for another victim molecule to steal it's much desired electron from . . . thus propagating this cycle over and over again. This cycle is called "the chain reaction of free radicals".
The chief danger of free radicals comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs.
To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principle antioxidants are: glutathione, SOD (superoxide dismutase), beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, CoQ10, melatonin, and alpha lipoic acid.
According to the theory of oxidative stress, free radicals run rampant through the body reeking havoc. In the case of type 1 diabetes . . . damaging beta cells in the pancreas, negatively impacting their ability to produce insulin . . . in the case if type 2 diabetes . . . damaging cell membranes, leading to a breakdown in intercellular signaling.
And if that were not bad enough . . . free radicals deplete our body's reserve of antioxidants . . . further contributing to the problem.
This is why it is so important to lower the oxidative stress with better diet, more exercise, improved lifestyle; and to take all the antioxidant supplements known to neutralize the excess free radicals.
There is still a lot to learn about the causes of diabetes, but what is known, is that our bodies may begin to malfunction five to seven years before we are ever diagnosed with diabetes. That is why researchers believe that nearly 30-50% of the people who have diabetes don't even know it.
Read LessRisk Factors for Diabetes
The two major factors contributing to today's alarming rise in diabetes are: poor diet and lack of exercise. In today's fast paced culture, with its emphasis on "fast foods", and it's de-emphasis on exercise, more and more of us are eating unhealthy diets and choosing poor lifestyles.
Our typical diet has become way out of balance. We eat way too many simple sugars, way too often. Most people consume candy, french fries, potato chips, ice cream, pasta etc on a regular basis. We eat twice the calories we need, twice the protein we need, and each year the average person consumes over 160 pounds of sugars and sweeteners we don't need at all.
When you consider that so many of us are overfed and so few of us get any regular exercise. . . and then add to that . . . the fact that many of us overuse alcohol and nicotine which increases oxidative stress. . . it's no wonder that millions of us already suffer from diabetes, or are at great risk of developing diabetes in the near future.
The ever increasing number of overweight, out of shape, oxidatively stressed people in today’s societies around the world, is directly proportional to the epidemic rise of diabetes.
The following is a list of risk factors for getting diabetes:
- Being more than 20% overweight
- Physical inactivity
- Having a first degree relative with diabetes (parents or siblings)
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Belonging to any of the following ethnic groups:
African American, Native American, Latin American, Asian American, Pacific Islander -
Having an "Impaired Fasting Glucose" (IFG)
or "Impaired Glucose Tolerance" (IGF) on previous blood tests. - Having Triglycerides (blood fats) which are more than 250 mg/dl
- Having HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol ) which is less than 35 mg/dl
- Having a history of hypertension (high blood pressure)
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Having a history of gestational (pregnancy-related) diabetes
or giving birth to a baby which weighed more than 9 pounds
Complications of Diabetes
The most important health impacts of diabetes are the long-term complications it can cause. Most of these long-term complications are related to the adverse effects diabetes has on arteries and nerves.
Complications related to artery damage
Diabetes causes damage to both large and small arteries. This artery damage results in medical problems that are both common and serious:
- Cardiovascular disease. Diabetics have up to a 400% greater chance of heart attack or stroke. Heart disease and stroke cause about 65% of deaths among people with diabetes.These deaths could be reduced by 30% with improved care to control blood pressure and blood glucose and lipid levels.
- Amputations. About 82,000 people have diabetes-related leg and foot amputations each year. Over 60% of non-traumatic lower limb amputations are diabetes related. Foot care programs that include regular examinations and patient education could prevent up to 85% of these amputations.
- Kidney disease. About 38,000 people with diabetes develop kidney failure each year. Treatment to better control blood pressure and blood glucose levels could reduce diabetes-related kidney failure by about 50%.
- Eye disease and blindness. Each year, 12,000-24,000 people become blind because of diabetic eye disease, including diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20-74 years old. Screening and care could prevent up to 90% of diabetes-related blindness.
- Sexual Dysfunction. Approximately 70% of all adult males with diabetes currently suffer or will experience sexual dysfunction or impotence.
Complications related to nerve damage
60 to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage. This diabetic neuropathy may result in numbness, tingling, and paresthesias in the extremities and, less often, debilitating, severe, deep-seated pain and hyperesthesias. The following are examples of diabetic neuropathy
- Peripheral neuropathy The feet and legs can develop tingling, pain, or a loss of feeling. This problem makes foot ulcers and foot infections more common, adding to the possibility that an amputation may be needed.
- Stomach and bowel problems The nerves that trigger normal movements of the stomach and intestines can become less active or less predictable. This can result in nausea, constipation or diarrhea. A stomach that is slow to empty has a diabetes condition called gastroparesis.
- Dizziness when standing Your circulation has to make some adjustments to move blood from your toes to your torso when you are standing up, since it is pumping against gravity. When your body is working correctly, this adjustment includes tightening of blood vessels to prevent pooling of blood in your lower body. The circulation relies on nerve signals to know when to make this adjustment. These signals can fail in diabetes, leaving you with low blood pressure and lightheadedness when you are standing.
- Sexual-function problems Impotence is especially common in people with nerve damage from diabetes. Artery damage also contributes to impotence.
- Localized nerve failures A nerve that controls a single muscle can lose its function. Examples of problems that might result are eye movement problems with double vision, or drooping of the cheek on one side of the head (commonly known as Bell's palsy).
Other Complications
- Flu and pneumonia-related deaths. Each year, 10,000-30,000 people with diabetes die of complications from flu or pneumonia. They are roughly three times more likely to die of these complications than people without diabetes.
- Pregnancy complications. About 18,000 women with preexisting diabetes deliver babies each year, and an estimated 135,000 expectant mothers are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. These women and their babies have an increased risk for serious complications.
Many of these potential complications can significantly shorten the life of a person with diabetes, and all of them can diminish the quality of life.
Diabetes complications are primarily caused by 2 factors:
Excessive Glycosylation and Sorbitol Accumulation
Excessive Glycosylation
- Glycosylation is the process by which the sugar molecule binds irreversibly to a protein molecule. This process takes place in all humans, but because diabetics have higher levels of glucose in their blood and for longer durations than non diabetics, they have a much higher degree of glycosylation occurring.
- Excessive glycosylation results in abnormal protein structures which lead to a host of cellular dysfunctions such as: inactivation of enzymes, inhibition of regulatory molecule binding, decreased susceptibility to proteolysis, abnormalities of nucleic acid function, altered macromolecular recognitions and increased immunogenicity.
- In diabetics, glucose binds to proteins in the blood, nerves and the eyes. This pathological process causes much of the damage in the complications of diabetes.
Sorbitol Accumulation
- Sorbitol is the byproduct of glucose metabolism and is produced through the action of the enzyme aldose reductase.
- In non-diabetics, sorbitol is converted to fructose and is easily excreted from the cell, but inside the cells of diabetics, when glucose levels become elevated (even after glucose levels outside of the cell return to normal), sorbitol is produced faster than it can be broken down. Since it cannot cross the cell membrane, it builds up to a toxic level inside the cells, creating an imbalance and causing a loss of electrolytes and other minerals. This accumulated sorbitol draws water in to the cell, by the process known as osmosis, and ultimately leads to the collapse of its architecture and loss of its function.
- Sorbitol-induced osmotic swelling is believed to be one of the main causes of tissue damage in diabetics. This condition seems to target organs and tissues that are not dependent on insulin for their absorption of glucose. Elevations of sorbitol levels are a major problem in peripheral nerves, blood vessels, the cells of the retinal blood vessels, the lens of the eye, the pancreas, kidneys and other organs due to their lack of insulin dependence.
How Is Diabetes Diagnosed?
Diabetes is diagnosed by evaluating both symptoms and lab test results.
There are two common lab tests:
- Fasting Plasma Glucose test (FPG): With the FPG test, your blood glucose level is measured after an 8 hour fast. If your glucose is higher than normal (100 mg/dl), you have what's called "Impaired Fasting Glucose" (IFG), which suggests pre-diabetes. A diagnosis of Diabetes is made when an FPG level of greater than 125 mg/dl is measured on two occasions.
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): An OGTT may be helpful in diagnosing type 2 Diabetes in patients whose FPG is between 115 and 125 mg/dl. During an OGTT test, your blood sugar is measured after a fast and then again 2 hours after drinking a beverage containing a large amount of glucose. Two hours after the drink, if your glucose is higher than normal (140 mg/dl), you have what's called "Impaired Glucose Tolerance" (IGF), which suggests pre-diabetes. A diagnosis of Diabetes is made when an OGTT level is greater than 200 mg/dl.
FPG | OGTT |
Conventional Treatments for Diabetes
M.D's are great at treating acute or emergency traumas, but no so good at treating chronic disease, tending to mask symptoms rather than addressing the underlying cause. Modern medicine's approach to treating diabetes is no exception to this theme. We will be discussing the conventional treatment options for diabetes in detail, pointing out that diabetics face two enemies: the disease itself and the prescription drugs designed to temporarily control the effects of diabetes.
Traditional medical treatment is to prescribe drugs that increase insulin levels. According to medical research, within 7 years, the body builds a resistance to these drugs, in many cases making them less effective or ineffective. This results in changing medication or increasing dosage. The toxicity in the bloodstream can stress the kidneys and liver. Therefore, the very drugs a person takes to control glucose levels, over time can contribute to the kidney and liver damage frequently experienced by diabetics. A classic case of addressing the symptoms and not the cause.
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Insulin Injections
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Insulin Pumps
- Basal doses
- Delivered continuously over 24 hours
- Keeps your blood glucose levels in range between meals and overnight
- Different amounts of insulin are often programmed for different times of the day and night.
- Bolus doses
- When you eat, you use buttons on the pump to give additional insulin called a bolus
- You take a bolus to cover the carbohydrate in each meal or snack.
- Correction or supplemental doses
- If you eat more than you planned, you can simply program a larger bolus of insulin to cover it
- You also take a bolus to treat high blood glucose levels. If you have high blood glucose levels before you eat, you give a correction or supplemental bolus of insulin to bring it back to your target range
- totally eliminates individual insulin injections
- delivers insulin more accurately than injections
- improved A1C
- fewer large swings in your blood glucose levels
- reduces severe low blood glucose episodes
- eliminates unpredictable effects of intermediate- or long-acting insulin
- more flexibility about when and what you eat
- allows you to exercise without having to eat large amounts of carbohydrate
- Can cause weight gain
- Can be expensive
- Can be bothersome since you are attached to the pump most of the time
- Can require a hospital stay or maybe a full day in the outpatient center to be trained
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Insulin Complications:
- Insulin causes weight gain.
- Insulin is THE most fattening hormone.
- Its purpose is to take energy out of the bloodstream and store it as fat . . .
the very thing that conventional treatment is aimed at stopping. - Diabetics who have to inject insulin find it almost impossible to lose weight.
- Insulin increases risk of heart disease
- Insulin increases risk of thrombosis
- Insulin increases plaque formation
- Insulin prevents plaque regression
- Insulin stimulates connective tissue synthesis
- Insulin stimulates IGF-1
- Insulin elevates blood pressure:
- Insulin causes kidney Na+ retention
- Insulin enhances flow of Na+ and Ca++ to vascular smooth muscle cell
- Fasting and postprandial insulin levels have significant positive associations with systolic and diastolic BP
- Hyperinsulinaemia (HIGH blood insulin level) can cause:
- hypoglycemia (LOW blood glucose levels) which can lead to coma and death
- Hyperinsulinaemia is also known to be involved in:
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Prostate cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Breast cancer
- Insulin is suspected in:
- Gestational hypertension
- Preeclampsia
- Osteoporosis
Oral Diabetes Drugs
- Sulfonylureas (chlorpropamide [Diabinese], tolazamide [Tolinase], glipizide [Glucotrol] and others): Until 1994, sulfonylureas were the only oral medications for diabetes available in the US. These medications act to force your pancreas to make more insulin, which then lowers your blood sugar. For this medication to work, your pancreas has to make some insulin. If your pancreas makes no insulin at all, you aren't a good candidate for this class of drugs. Also, if you have an allergy to sulfa drugs you should probably avoid sulfonylureas.
- Side Effects:
- weight gain
- low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- an upset stomach
- skin rash or itching
- Nonsulfonurea Meglitinides (repaglinide [Prandin], nateglitinide [Starlix]):
Similar in action to sulfonureas, but used in people with sufa sensitivity. The mechanism of action is to stimulate insulin production. This activity is both dose dependent and dependent on the presence of glucose, so that these drugs have reduced effectiveness in the presence of low blood glucose levels. Nonsulfonurea Meglitinides work fast and your body uses them quickly. This fast action means you can vary the times you eat and the number of meals you eat more easily than you can with other diabetes medications. These work like short acting sulfonylureas.The meglitinides may be used alone, or in combination with metformin, but never in combination with other drugs that enhance insulin secretion. - Side Effects:
- weight gain
- low blood sugar
- Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitors (acarbose [Precose], miglitol [Glyset]):
These medications block the enzymes that digest the starches you eat. This action causes a slower and lower rise of blood sugar through the day, but mainly right after meals. These drugs do not prevent conversion, but only delay it, reducing the peak blood glucose levels. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors may be used alone or in combination with sulfonylureas or other hypoglycemic agents. - Side Effects:
- stomach problems such as:
- gas
- bloating
- diarrhea
- Biguanides (metformin [Glucophage]):
Helps lower blood sugar by making sure your liver doesn't make too much sugar. It also decreases intestinal absorption of glucose and increases peripheral glucose uptake and use. Metformin also lowers the amount of insulin in your body. You may lose a few pounds when you start to take metformin. This weight loss can help you control your blood glucose. Metformin can also improve blood fat and cholesterol levels, which are often high if you have Type 2 diabetes. Biguanides may be used alone or in combination with a sulfonylurea. - Side Effects:
- weakness
- tired or dizzy
- trouble breathing.
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- taste of metal in your mouth
- sick when drinking alcoholic beverages
- potential worsening of existing kidney problems
- Thiazolidinediones (Rosiglitazone [Avandia], pioglitazone [Actos], Troglitazone [Rezulin, Resulin, Romozin]): These drugs act by both reducing glucose production in the liver, and increasing insulin dependent glucose uptake in muscle cells. They do not increase insulin production. Thiazolidinediones are only used in combination with other medications. Troglitazone was introduced in the late 1990s but turned out to be associated with an idiosyncratic reaction leading to drug-induced hepatitis. Furthermore, it can cause a rare but life-threatening condition called primary pulmonary hypertension. This condition is caused when blood vessels narrow, causing the heart to pump harder and in turn increase blood pressure. The heart must pump harder to supply the lungs with blood, and eventually this will weaken the heart muscle itself and result in total heart failure. Troglitazone was withdrawn from the USA market on 21 March 2000, and from other markets soon afterwards.
- Side Effects:
- weight gain
- low blood sugar
- anemia
- decreased effectiveness of birth control pills
- swelling in the legs or ankles
- Medications to manage elevated blood lipids or hypertension are also often prescribed to help treat type 2 diabetics.
If your have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas no longer makes enough insulin, so the conventional approach then is to introduce insulin into your body. However, because insulin is a protein, it can not be ingested as a pill or taken orally. If it were taken orally, your body would break it down and digest it before it could get into your blood system to lower your blood glucose. So most type 1 diabetics take insulin as a subcutaneous shot . . . injected just under the skin with a small, short needle. Most type 1 diabetics need at least two insulin shots a day for good blood glucose control. Some take three or four shots a day to have a more flexible diabetes plan.
There are six main types of insulin. They each work at different speeds. Many type 1 diabetics take two types of insulin. if you take regular insulin alone or with a longer-acting insulin, it should be injected 30 minutes before a meal. If you take a rapid-acting insulin, you should take your shot just before you eat.
An insulin pump is a portable, battery-operated device (about the size of a deck of cards) worn outside the body, usually attached to a belt or waistband or kept in a pocket. Insulin pumps deliver rapid- or short-acting insulin 24 hours a day. The insulin is pumped from a reservoir through a system of plastic tubing (infusion set) that ends with a catheter needle inserted just under the skin of the abdominal wall.
Insulin doses are separated into 3 kinds:
In recent years there have been many technological advances with insulin pumps. Now a days, type 1 diabetics of all ages use insulin pumps and people with type 2 diabetes have started to use them as well.
Using an insulin pump has the following advantages over insulin injections:
Using an insulin pump has the following disadvantages over insulin injections
Regardless of whether you inject insulin or pump it . . . there are serious risks and complications associated with taking insulin:
As discussed above, type 1 diabetics can't use oral medications. These medications are only prescribed for type 2 diabetes and work best in those who have only had high blood sugar for ten years or less and who have normal weight. It's not uncommon for oral medication to control blood sugar well for years and then stop working. Some people who begin treatment with oral medications eventually need to take insulin. Many of the diabetic medications have significant side-effects and/or liver toxicity issues.
Oral Diabetes Drugs can be broken down into 5 classes:
Is Diabetes Daily Care® a Natural Diabetes Cure?
-
First of all, even within the pharmaceutical drug world, there is NO cure for diabetes . . .
only treatment options, which typically have undesirable side effects. - Secondly, Diabetes Daily Care® is a Dietary Supplement NOT a drug.
- pursuant to The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 . . .
- can NOT make "drug" claims such as "to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease".
- can ONLY make "health benefit" claims, referred to as "structure or function claims"
- Diabetes Daily Care® "supports healthy blood sugar".
- It is NOT a "natural diabetes cure".
-
manufacturers of dietary supplements:
Diabetes Daily Care® is the most powerful formula of its kind . . . containing ALL these naturally supportive nutrients TOGETHER in a 100% vegetable capsule
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known as a quill. It is available in either its whole quill form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known.
It turns out that cinnamon is much more than just a spice . . .
This initial discovery was made quite accidentally, by Richard Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.
"We were looking at the effects of common foods on blood sugar," he told New Scientist. One was the American favourite, apple pie, which is usually spiced with cinnamon.
They recently completed a human study with associates in Pakistan using cinnamon. Their study included 60 Pakistani volunteers (30 men and 30 women ranging in age from 44 to 58 years) with type 2 diabetes, who were not taking insulin. Subjects were divided into six groups. For 40 days, groups 1, 2 and 3 were given 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon per day, while groups 4, 5 and 6 received placebo capsules.
The results were quite remarkable:
"I don't recommend eating more cinnamon buns, or even more apple pie . . . there's too much fat and sugar," says Anderson."The key is to add cinnamon to what you would eat normally."
Using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy, the Anderson team was able to describe the chemical structure of the active ingredient in cinnamon, as a water-soluble polyphenol compound called methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP).
Don Graves of UCSB (a former professor of Anderson) has focused his studies on the way cinnamon operates at cellular and molecular levels, looking at how it works with the cell's insulin receptor and other proteins involved in the action of insulin.
Graves found that cinnamon is a very powerful antioxidant with the ability to neutralize free radicals, often elevated in diabetics, helping to minimize oxidative stress which plays such a big role in the disease. In fact, when compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla) and three chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate), cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint) and more effectively then any of the chemical antioxidants.
Some scientists had been concerned about potentially toxic effects of regularly consuming cinnamon. The latest research shows that the potentially toxic compounds in cinnamon bark are found primarily in the lipid (fat) soluble fractions and are present only at very low levels in water soluble cinnamon extracts, which are the ones used in Diabetes Daily Care®.
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Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha Lipoic Acid (also known as thioctic acid or lipoic acid or ALA), is a very powerful, natural antioxidant . ALA is a medium length, disulfide fatty acid. In other words . . . it is an 8 carbon, fatty acid, containing two sulfur atoms. It occurs naturally in our bodies, but not in the free form. The body actually converts Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) to DiHydro Lipoic Acid (DHLA).
ALA was first isolated in 1953 and was quickly discovered to be a very important cofactor in the Krebs cycle (the body's main process for converting carbohydrates into energy). ALA and its cousin DHLA are often referred to as the "ultimate universal antioxidants". They (referred to collectively as LA) are the only antioxidants that are both fat and water soluble. Both can actually cross the blood/brain barrier to enter the brain. These unique qualities are important, because it means that LA can access all parts of all cells, giving it tremendous ability to scavenge free radicals wherever they may be.
Additionally, LA can also recharge other antioxidants that have been used up. In the body, LA helps regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione. And, because LA functions much like a B-vitamin, it also helps convert food into energy.
Although the body makes some alpha lipoic acid, it is not enough for optimal nutrition. Likewise, there are only very small amounts of ALA found in some of our daily foods such as broccoli, potatoes, and liver. In these foods, it actually occurs as lipolylysine though, and not actual lipoic acid itself. You'll never get any useful amount of ALA from your diet alone . . . broccoli (one of the best food sources), for example, contains a mere 100 micrograms per 100 gram serving. This means you would have to eat over two pounds of broccoli to get one single milligram of lipolylysine to convert into alpha lipoic acid.
Everyone over the age of forty (diabetic or not) should be supplementing with 200 mg/day of ALA, for its powerful antioxidant properties. Supplementation is the only way to get this vital nutrient in your body.
The journal BioFactors (volume 10, 1999) published a study conducted at the Eberhard-Karls University in Germany titled "Thioctic Acid-Effects on Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose-Metabolism". In their study, real adult human diabetics were given various doses of ALA.
The researchers concluded that the results of their testing were nothing less than incredible.
Nerve damage or neuropathy effects over 50% of diabetics and is one of its most damaging complications. In 2001, Nutrition 17 published a study which was conducted at the University of Southern California. The researchers conclusion are rather powerful statements coming from very well respected research groups.
Read LessChromium and Vanadium are two very important minerals.
The trace mineral chromium is found in skin, fat, muscle, brain and adrenal glands. There is only about 6 mg in our bodies, but it is ever so important! Chromium absorption through the small intestine is very poor; so normally, a lot of it gets excreted in urine. People with diabetes excrete even more chromium than healthy people; and the loss of this vital nutrient makes it harder for their bodies to respond to insulin.
There are various forms of chromium suitable for human ingestion. The picolinate form of chromium called "chromium picolinate" is the most absorbable. It is a unique molecule that combines chromium with picolinic acid, a compound found in breast milk, which helps the body better absorb and process minerals.
In June of 2002, Chromax® (the "Nutrition 21" patented brand of chromium picolinate) was affirmed by the FDA as "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) for use in food products, one of only a handful of ingredients to have secured this status at clinically effective doses for use in foods marketed for weight loss and glucose control. In addition, Chromax®; has demonstrated that it is significantly more bioactive than other forms of chromium.
Vandium (vanadyl sulfate) is a trace element that is thought to exhibit a variety of insulin-mimetic properties . . . such as being involved in transporting sugar to the cells.
Clinical trials indicate that "in vitro", vanadium salts have most of the same major effects of insulin on insulin-sensitive tissues.
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Banaba Leaf
Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) is a plant native to India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. In many cultures the banaba leaf is brewed into a tea.
Recently, researchers have isolated an active ingredient in the banaba leaf called corosolic acid, which was originally thought to be "the" active substance in the leaf. Other researchers have found that corosolic acid may NOT be the ONLY active ingredient in banaba leaves. A study published in the journal Planta Medica in 2001 compared a whole-leaf extract of banaba with insulin in cell cultures. The researchers reported that banaba leaf extract contains at least three active ingredients.
Momordica
Bitter melon is the common name for Momordica charantia, also known as African cucumber, balsam pear and bitter gourd. The plant is aptly named, as all parts of the plant, including the fruit, taste bitter. Momordica is widely sold in Asian groceries as a vegetable. In a study published in the journal Chemistry & Biology- March 2008, a research team, headed by Dr. Mon-Jia Tan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, investigated the potential effects of bitter melon.
In their study, Tan and colleagues isolated and described several compounds from bitter melon known as cucurbitane triterpenoids, and tested their effects on glucose (sugar) and fat metabolism in cells and in mice.
The researchers note that there may be as many as 70 active compounds in bitter melon.
Gymnema Sylvestre
Gymnema Sylvestre is another herb, whose traditional use by diabetics, has been the subject of recent research. Originating from India, Gymnema Sylvestre is known as gur-mar, or "sugar destroyer." When gymnema leaf is placed directly on the tongue, it eliminates the sensation of sweetness, even if sugar is put in the mouth immediately following.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a tall annual herb that is native to the Mediterranean, Ukraine, India and China. The plant bears pods filled with numerous light brown, diamond-shaped seeds that possess a sweet maple aroma and are commonly used in cookery and flavouring.
Fenugreek's potentially glucose-regulating seeds are linked to a novel free amino acid, 4-hydroxyisoleucine.
Diabetes Daily Care® Contains all Natural Ingredients
There are other natural diabetes support formulas out in the market place today, but there is is none that combines Alpha Lipoic Acid, Chromaium and Vanadium together with the extracts of Cinnamon Bark, Banaba Leaf, Fenugreek, Gymnema Sylvestre and Momordica . . . None that contain such generous amounts of each ingredient . . . None that contain plant extracts that are both standardized and of such high potency extraction ratios. In short . . . there is no other natural diabetes support formula out there that compares to the quality and value of Diabetes Daily Care®
Diabetes Daily Care®
Contains:
- Cinnamon 20% Extract
(250 mg/serving) - Banaba Leaf 1% Extract
(100 mg/serving) - Alpha Lipoic Acid
(200 mg/serving) - Momordica 10% Extract
(500 mg/serving) - Fenugreek 60% Extract
(250 mg/serving) - Gymnema Sylvestre 25% Extract
(200 mg/serving) - Chromium
(200 mcg/serving) - Vanadium (1.425 mg/serving)
- 1 bottle
- $29.95
- 2 bottles $28.95 each
- $57.90
- 3 bottles $27.95 each
- $83.85
- 6 bottles $26.95 each
- $161.70
- 12 bottles $24.95 each
- $299.40
Diabetes Daily Care® Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 3 Capsules
Capsules per container: 90 Servings per container: 30 |
||
Amount per Serving | % Daily Value | |
---|---|---|
Cinnamon (20% Water Soluble Extract) (Standardized to 3% Type A Polymers) |
250 mg | * |
Banaba Leaf Extract (Standardized to 1% Corosilic Acid) |
100 mg | * |
Momordica Extract (Standardized to 10% Charantin) |
500 mg | * |
Fenugreek Extract (Standardized to 50% Saponins) |
250 mg | * |
Gymnema Sylvestre Extract (Standardized to 25% Gynemic Acid) |
200 mg | * |
Alpha Lipoic Acid (as Thiotic Acid) |
200 mg | * |
Vanadium (from Vanadyl Sulfate) |
1.425 mg | * |
Chromium (from Chromium Picolinate) |
200 mcg | 571% |
*Daily value not established.
Other ingredients: Vegetarian Capsule, Rice flour, L-Leucine, Syloid®
Directions:
Take one capsule three times per day (once with each meal).
Diabetes-Cholesterol Combo Pack
Cholesterol Metabolizer® is the perfect companion product to Diabetes Daily Care®
-
1 Combo pack
(1 bottle of each) - $52.16
-
2 Combo pack
(2 bottles
of each) $50.23 per combo - $100.51
-
3 Combo pack
(3 bottles
of each) $48.36 per combo - $145.07
-
6 Combo pack
(6 bottles
of each) $46.46 per combo - $278.73
-
12 Combo pack
(12 bottles
of each) $42.66 per combo - $511.86
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International: 1.805.322.0005
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This information here within is designed to provide accurate information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that NHS Global Distributors LLC is not engaged in rendering medical advice. If expert assistance is required, the services of a competent medical professional should be sought. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always read and follow manufacturer's directions that come with this product.
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