Insulin

Myth or fact: Is Hibiscus the new drug to cure diabetes naturally?

Diabetes has become a common disease these days just like any other whacky flu, cough and cold. Life is certainly not easy for a diabetic as one has to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout, since there is no cure for the disease.

Is Hibiscus the new drug to cure diabetes naturally

Offering a new hope to diabetics, researchers at Assam’s Tezpur University and West Bengal’s Visva-Bharati University have derived that natural extracts from a particular species of the hibiscus plant can help in curing diabetes.

Researchers collected samples of hibiscus leaves from North-East region and conducted tests on diabetic rats. The results showed that a phytochemical (plant-derived compound) from the leaves of Sthalpadma or land-lotus (scientifically known as Hibiscus mutabilis and commonly called Confederate rose) restore insulin levels better.

Samir Bhattacharya, emeritus professor, School of Life Sciences (Zoology Department) at Visva-Bharati in Shantiniketan was quoted saying to a news agency: “We found that ferulic acid (FRL), belonging to the polyphenols, extracted from leaves of the plant, has the potential to be a better therapeutic agent for diabetes”.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80% of deaths occurring in developing countries. India has nearly 63 million diabetic patients, with the situation becoming grimmer mainly because of the sedentary lifestyle prevailing across key metros and big cities aggravating the situation. According to a study conducted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the number of Indians suffering from this malicious disease is expected to cross the 100 million mark by 2030.

Source: India vision

Sugar increases hypertension

All 12 studies in a May, 2014, meta-analysis found that sugar elevates blood pressure. The study called “Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages on Blood Pressure” was published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Sugar increases hypertension

Soft drinks easily earn the name “liquid candy,” because they contain an average of 10 teaspoons of sugar per can. Soft drinks are the largest source of added sugar in our diet. These drinks are often cheaper than bottled water and become the liquid of choice for most of the population.

In the U.S., high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the major source of added sugar in soft drinks. HFCS has only been around since 1975. It’s marketed as a safe and natural fruit sugar — fructose. However, if you watch the Sugar: The Bitter Truth video lecture by Pediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, you quickly learn that fructose is even more dangerous than table sugar — sucrose.

Drinking liquid candy is associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease and kidney stones, and now this analysis confirms that it increases the incidence of high blood pressure. I could add the follow effects of sugar: yeast overgrowth, arrhythmia, bowel disease, rashes, lowered immune system and allergies. In my Death by Modern Medicine book, I quote Nancy Appleton’s “146 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health,” with references.

Lustig found that, in a large meta-analysis of soft drinks and obesity, 88 studies all show significant association of obesity with increased soft drink consumption. Sugar industry studies showed lesser effects, and they claim that soft drinks do not cause obesity. However, studies limiting consumption of soft drinks in kids show that obesity decreases. Weight gain is another factor associated with high blood pressure

Researchers say they don’t really know how sugar causes high blood pressure, but in the sugar impact study, the authors discuss several theories. Apparently, liquid candy can lower nitric oxide in the body, which causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise. Since soft drinks can contain extra salt, they theorize that that may be the cause. They may not know what causes the hypertension, but they do conclude, “On the basis of these studies, there is a suggestion that intake of greater than one serving of sugar-sweetened beverage per day is associated with higher risk of hypertension.”

I have a different theory. Lustig talks about the extra energy used by the liver to metabolize fructose compared with sucrose, but he doesn’t mention magnesium. A fascinating and little-known fact about sugar metabolism is that 28 molecules of magnesium are required to break down one molecule of sucrose, and 56 molecules of magnesium are used up to metabolize one molecule of fructose.

When magnesium is diminished to that extent, the resulting magnesium deficiency can contribute to raising the blood pressure, because magnesium is required to relax the muscles of the body including the smooth muscles of the blood vessels. If there is tension in the smooth muscles of the blood vessels, then the blood pressure rises.

Nitric oxide is mentioned in the blood pressure study and also by Lustig. But nitric oxide is controlled by magnesium. This is what I write in The Magnesium Miracle: “Smooth muscle cells provide integrity and control the dilation of the arterial cavity, triggered by the calcium/magnesium ratio in the body. Calcium causes contraction and magnesium causes relaxation, which together control the blood pressure and flow in the artery. A final messenger for the dilation response is nitric oxide, which is dependent on magnesium.”

What do I recommend? Avoid high-fructose corn syrup, of course. Take supplemental magnesium and also make and take your own Liposomal Vitamin C. Magnesium and vitamin C are the antidotes to a sugar binge! You can go to my Blog to find the recipe for making your own Liposomal Vitamin C and also see my recommendation for the best form of magnesium to take.

Source: natural news

Even Light Exercise Has Health Benefits

Light-intensity activities that get you off the couch may be beneficial to your health, even if you don’t work up a sweat, a new study suggests.

People in the study who spent more time moving around than sitting during the day generally had favorable insulin and triglyceride (blood fat) levels, even if they did not do the amount of exercise that national guidelines recommend.

“These findings demonstrate the importance of minimizing sedentary activities, and replacing some of them with light-intensity activities, such as pacing back and forth when on the phone, standing at your desk periodically instead of sitting and having walking meetings instead of sit-down meetings,” study researcher Paul Loprinzi, an assistant professor at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky., said in a statement.

Other light activities that can reduce sedentary time include leisurely biking, playing Wii Fit, sitting on a balance ball, playing a musical instrument and gardening.

Although these light exercises may not be as beneficial to your health as vigorous activities are, they are still “much better than lying on the couch, watching TV,” said study researcher Bradley Cardinal, co-director of the Sport and Exercise Psychology Program at Oregon State University.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity such as running or swimming laps.

In the study, the researchers analyzed information from more than 5,500 U.S. adults who wore accelerometers to record their movements.

About half of participants engaged in less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week, and spent more time sitting than performing light-intensity activities.

Other recent studies have found that too much time sitting is linked with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as breast and colon cancers.

The new study was published online Dec. 25 in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Source: livescience

Foods with Zinc can fight Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is an escalating issue in the United States, and there are no signs of this health ailment diminishing. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million adults and children have diabetes in the U.S. That is 7.8% of the population according to the latest data formed from 2007, and 1.6 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Luckily, there are many natural remedies that may aid in suppressing the negative effects of diabetes. Many of these remedies may completely cure or prevent diabetes when used properly.

Research shows that zinc, an essential trace element responsible for more than 300 enzyme functions, can aid in normalizing the negative effects of diabetes mellitus. According to the study, zinc has been shown to mitigate the harmful effects of diabetes by improving glycemic control in type I and type II diabetes. Many of the enzyme systems in which zinc is a necessity for are involved with the metabolism of blood sugar, and therefore make zinc a natural catalyst for insulin secretion.

The pancreas is an endocrine gland responsible for producing hormones like glucagon, somatostatin, and–you guessed it–insulin. The beta cells that secrete insulin in your pancreas are also highly stored with zinc. Without the high concentrations of zinc, the beta cells suffer. Luckily, beta cells are equipped with their own special transporter called ‘zinc transporter 80, which makes it easy for the beta cells to store the zinc. However, it is known that any metamorphosis of the genes in the zinc transporter 8 causes type 2 diabetes. It is also now known that antibodies against the zinc transporter are present in type 1 diabetic patients, which means that these antibodies are associated with type 1 diabetes.

It is no wonder why zinc is as popular as it is for supplementation. In addition to mending the difficulties brought on by diabetes, zinc also serves to maintain a healthy immune system, controls hair loss, halts impotence, improves brain function, prevents loss of taste or smell, and much more. Although supplementation is a viable option to obtain the amount of zinc that you need, it is not the only option thanks to the abundant amount of foods rich in zinc that are available to the general public. To reap the many benefits of zinc, one could include any of the following foods into their diet:

Wheat Germ
Sesame Flour and Tahini
Low Fat Roast Beef
Roasted Pumpkin and Squash Seeds
Dried Water Melon Seeds
Cocoa Powder and Chocolate
Peanuts
Almonds
Avocado
Bananas
Cashew
Cheese
Chickpeas (including hummus and falafel)
Crab, Dungeness
Cucumber
Fish
Kiwi Fruit
Lettuce
Lima Beans
Olives
Onion

Source: Information center

New data backs promise of long-acting Sanofi insulin

An improved version of Sanofi’s diabetes drug Lantus is better than the old one at controlling blood sugar levels and comes with fewer hypoglycemic events, new late-stage trial data showed on Tuesday.

The treatment is one of several drugs Sanofi is betting on to defend its No.2 spot on the world’s $42 billion diabetes market as its superstar product Lantus, the world’s most prescribed insulin, will lose patent protection by 2015.

The long-acting insulin, known as U300, requires less frequent or lower dosing than Lantus and offers a more consistent insulin release. It is similar to Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec), also in development.

Analysts expect Sanofi to seek regulatory approval for U300 in the United States and Europe next year and for the drug to reach global sales of $872 million by 2017, according to forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters Cortellis.

The detailed Phase III results unveiled at the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne showed U300 was better than Lantus at controlling blood sugar lows at night, a common side effect in diabetics treated with insulin.

The drug also lowered the incidence of hypoglycemic events at any time of the day across the six-month study period.

U300 met its goal in three other Phase III clinical trials, showing similar blood sugar level control as Lantus in patients with type 2 diabetes not previously treated with insulin and uncontrolled on oral medication, as well as in patients with type 1 diabetes already treated with insulin.

Lantus, also known as insulin glargine, was developed in the 1990s and is currently Sanofi’s top-selling drug. It reaped around 5 billion euros ($6.78 billion) in revenue last year.

Sanofi needs a successor for the drug and is also developing a pen-shaped device, known as LixiLan, that combines Lantus with Lyxumia, another diabetes treatment belonging to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 analogues.

The successful launch of both U300 and LixiLan could strengthen Sanofi against rival drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec) and IDegLira, a combination of Tresiba and Victoza.

Novo Nordisk, the global leader in diabetes, faced a setback earlier this year when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked for further clinical studies for Tresiba, delaying its potential launch on the world’s largest pharmaceutical market until 2017 at the earliest.

Source: Reuters

‘Painful’ pinpricks may soon be history for diabetics

A new nanotechnology-based technique for regulating blood sugar in diabetics may give patients the ability to release insulin painlessly using a small ultrasound device, allowing them to go days between injections – rather than using needles to give themselves multiple insulin injections each day.

The technique involves injecting biocompatible and biodegradable nano particles into a patient’s skin. The nanoparticles are made out of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) and are filled with insulin.

Each of the PLGA nanoparticles is given either a positively charged coating made of chitosan (a biocompatible material normally found in shrimp shells), or a negatively charged coating made of alginate (a biocompatible material normally found in seaweed).

When the solution of coated nanoparticles is mixed together, the positively and negatively charged coatings are attracted to each other by electrostatic force to form a “nano-network.”

Once injected into the subcutaneous layer of the skin, that nano-network holds the nanoparticles together and prevents them from dispersing throughout the body.

The coated PLGA nanoparticles are also porous. Once in the body, the insulin begins to diffuse from the nanoparticles. But the bulk of the insulin doesn’t stray far – it is suspended in a de facto reservoir in the subcutaneous layer of the skin by the electrostatic force of the nano-network. This essentially creates a dose of insulin that is simply waiting to be delivered into the bloodstream.

Using the new technology developed by Dr. Zhen Gu, senior author of a paper on the research and an assistant professor in the joint biomedical engineering program at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill, and his team, a diabetes patient doesn’t have to inject a dose of insulin – it’s already there. Instead, patients can use a small, hand-held device to apply focused ultrasound waves to the site of the nano-network, painlessly releasing the insulin from its de facto reservoir into the bloodstream.

The study has been published online in Advanced Healthcare Materials.

Source: Yahoo News

New biomarker for diabetes risk identified

Researchers have identified a biomarker, which can help predict diabetes risk up to 10 years before its onset.

Thomas J. Wang, M.D., director of the Division of Cardiology at Vanderbilt, along with colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital, conducted a study of 188 individuals who developed type 2 diabetes mellitus and 188 individuals without diabetes who were followed for 12 years as participants in the Framingham Heart Study.

Wang said that from the baseline blood samples, that they identified a novel biomarker, 2-aminoadipic acid (2-AAA), that was higher in people who went on to develop diabetes than in those who did not.

Individuals having 2-AAA concentrations in the top quartile had up to a fourfold risk of developing diabetes during the 12-year follow-up period compared with people in the lowest quartile.

Wang asserted that the caveat with these new biomarkers is that they require further evaluation in other populations and further work to determine how this information might be used clinically.

The researchers also conducted laboratory studies to understand why this biomarker is elevated so well in advance of the onset of diabetes.

They found that giving 2-AAA to mice alters the way they metabolize glucose. These molecules seem to influence the function of the pancreas, which is responsible for making insulin, the hormone that tells the body to take up blood sugar.

The findings have been published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

 

Diabetes: 5 healthy lifestyle tips that can save you

following simple healthy lifestyle habits, one can easily stay away from the fangs of the killer Diabetes

The emergence of diabetes is turning out to be debilitating day-by-day. It has become a common disease these days just like any other whacky flu or cough and cold. The disease is mainly a result of modern erratic lifestyle, lack of physical activity, obesity, stress and consumption of junk and fast foods.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80% of deaths occurring in developing countries. India has nearly 63 million diabetic patients, with the situation becoming grimmer mainly because of the sedentary lifestyle prevailing across key metros and big cities aggravating the situation. Studies show that a major chunk of Indian population suffers from Type 2 diabetes which is closely associated with obesity and consuming junk and fatty foods.

In order to put a check on diabetes in India, the Government of India has initiated a National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 100 selected districts in 21 States. This effort, however, is yet to show any major changes in the spread of the disease in the country.

But don’t worry, as by following simple healthy lifestyle habits, one can easily stay away from the fangs of the killer Diabetes.

–Be physically active: Yes, exercise is the key to say no to diabetes. It not just helps reduce weight, but also regulates blood sugar levels. Half-hour of exercise whether aerobic exercise, or activities like dancing, playing tennis, brisk walking etc. reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes by 30%. Also, while one is in office, a fifteen minute walk after each meal helps in regulating blood sugar levels thereby reducing the risk of developing the disease.

– Healthy diet: Consuming a healthy diet is a must to keep diabetes at bay. Eating foods that are rich in fibre helps to naturally balance sugar levels in the body. Avoid the habit of overeating and instead divide your meals into 5-6 including snacks, juices etc. to stay healthy. Also, don’t do emotional eating as it leads to weight gain and eventually diabetes. Junk food is a strict no-no as they are a major reason of obesity and diabetes.

–Take proper sleep: Sleeping for at least 7-8 hours in a day is a must as proper sleep will make one feel energetic, put a check on cravings for high-calorie food and hence save one from being a victim of obesity and eventually diabetes.

–Manage stress: Stress is the major reason of why people fall prey to diabetes. Stress can actually play havoc on one’s health. As a result, the stressed out person tends to resort to unhealthy food habits like eating junk food, eating after long gaps, emotional eating etc. Also one might start smoking, consuming alcohol etc. Besides that, stress hormones may alter blood glucose levels directly increasing the risk of the diabetes. So it is important to keep a check on one’s stress levels by adapting to yoga, meditation, exercising, listening music or anything that makes you happy and stress free.

–Regular check-ups: It is highly recommended for people above 45 years of age to go for blood glucose screening. But if you have known risk factors (like high blood pressure or obesity), discuss them with your doctor.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/diseases/diabetes-5-healthy-lifestyle-tips-that-can-save-you_23621.html