Blood Sugar/Glucose Metabolism

Poor Diet Biggest Risk Factor for Early Death, Says New Study

According to a new study, poor eating habits are responsible for one-fifth of all early deaths on a global scale. In 2017, this rate was equivalent to 11 million deaths. While unhealthy foods may not directly cause those premature deaths, the researchers concluded that unhealthy diets exposed more people to noncommunicable diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease by inhibiting immunity strength. This new information suggests that simple lifestyle changes can have a prominent impact on overall health.

Diet Biggest Risk Factor for Early Death

A new study has identified poor eating habits as a top risk factor for early death worldwide, responsible for more deaths than even smoking. Conducted as a part of the Global Urban Disease Study, the research project examined the dietary habits of subjects in 195 countries for a 27-year period beginning in 1990, taking special note of the consumption of specific nutrients and foods.

While poor diet resulted in cancer and type 2 diabetes in some instances, a massive number of participants suffered from diet-related compromised cardiovascular health. In 2017, Uzbekistan ranked highest with 892 deaths per 100,000 people, and Israel came in last with just 89 diet-related deaths per 100,000 people. For perspective, the study noted that the United States was ranked 43rd with 171 deaths attributed to poor diet. Coming in at 23, the United Kingdom had 127 diet-related deaths in 2017.

In the study, the researchers paid particular attention to 15 food categories:

fruits
vegetables
nuts and seeds
legumes
whole grains
fiber
calcium
milk
omega-3 fatty acids
trans fats
polyunsaturated fats
red meat
processed meat
sugary beverages
sodium

Of this 15 items, it was discovered that specific foods, namely nuts and seeds, whole grains and milk, were especially lacking in most diets. In regard to nuts and seeds, the study found that the average intake was just three grams per individual — only 12 percent of the recommended intake. Milk consumption was lower than 16 percent, while intake of whole grains was only 23 percent of the ideal amount.

What the researchers found even more alarming than the absence of certain healthy foods was the high intake of unhealthy foods and ingredients. For example, the consumption of soda, juice and other sugary beverages was far too high. Intake of sodium and processed meat was also found to be excessive.

Can Adding Healthy Foods to Your Diet Help You Live Longer?

In plain terms, the study found that eating too few healthy foods may be more damaging to our health than eating too many unhealthy foods. While the most detrimental diets were found to be high in sodium, there were also low in several key areas. Specifically, these diets were especially low in whole grains and plant-based foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds). These diets were also very low in omega-3s, which is a nutrient most commonly found in wild-caught fish.

The study also attributed high-sodium diets which were also lacking in fruits and whole grains to one-half of 2017’s diet-related deaths. These diets were also responsible for causing two-thirds of the severe health problems in the years leading up to death.

What does this mean for the future? The head researcher, Dr. Christopher Murray, says the evidence points to a need to re-examine how we look at nutrition. In the past, the focus has been on getting people to eat fewer unhealthy foods. This new research suggests it may be time to shift that focus by placing greater emphasis on eating more healthy foods. In short, while ditching unhealthy foods is important, it’s more important to replace them with larger portions of foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients.

Lifestyle Changes to Ensure You’re Eating Healthier Meals

In light of the evidence that diet biggest risk factor in premature deaths, it stands to reason that we can each stay healthier and stronger by making simple diety-related lifestyle changes. In particular, these dietary changes can help to ensure you’re giving your body optimum levels of vitamins and minerals.

Don’t Underestimate Variety

Nutritionists recommend choosing your fruits and vegetables by color, because each color provides different tastes, different vitamins and a vast range of phyto-nutrients. The best practice is to change up your food choices every three days, since this will help you to get the most out of the various nutrients in each food.

Add Nuts and Seeds to Your Meals

We typically think of nuts and seeds as snack foods, but, if recent research has shown us anything, it’s that just snacking on these foods isn’t good enough. They can and should be added to your meals as often as possible. Sprinkle seeds in your salad or on chicken. Similarly, you can mix nuts in with your salads, whole grain pasta dishes or rice.

Take a Daily Supplement

There are many vitamin formulas on the market, but this is one important area where it pays to take the time to choose wisely. Look for a high-quality daily multivitamin and multi-mineral supplement that’s specifically formulated for either men or women to get the most important vitamins and minerals for optimum health. While taking a daily vitamin and mineral formula can provide a powerful boost, it is still important to use these types of supplements in conjunction with a healthy diet to maximize your health.

The science is in: Eating healthier can help you live longer. And, more importantly, it will help you stay healthier well into your senior years. Making nutrition a priority can help to protect against the cognitive and physical decline that affects many people as they get older. As this research and previous studies have confirmed, enjoying more plant-based foods and whole grains just may help you live a healthier, higher-quality life.

Muscle Strength Influences Diabetes Risk

Mar 25 by Ewcopywriting

Even though type 2 diabetes affects millions of people and is a growing problem worldwide, few people have more than a vague understanding of this illness. You probably know that this is a chronic disease that alters the body’s ability to process sugar — but there’s more to it than that. Type 2 diabetes affects the body in one of two ways: It may cause less insulin to be produced, or it may inhibit the body’s ability to process the insulin that is in the body.

Insulin plays an important role in this process, because it controls the body’s ability to move sugar through the bloodstream. However type 2 diabetes affects insulin, the end result is the same: The insulin just isn’t powerful enough to push all of the sugar through the body. This means it can’t be used for energy, and it can’t be flushed out of the system.

The truth is that type 2 diabetes is extremely common. If you don’t have it now, the chances are good you may develop the condition in the future. Most people either have type 2 diabetes themselves, or they know someone who does. If you’re concerned about developing the condition, watching for these common symptoms is wise:

excessive thirst and/or hunger
frequent urination
unexplained weight loss
fatigue
blurry vision
injuries that take a long time to heal
more susceptible to infection
discolored or darkened skin around the eyes, neck, or armpits

Diabetes Risk Factors

While there is no way to accurately predict whether or not you will develop type 2 diabetes, research has uncovered common risk factors for the disease. Even if these risk factors apply to you, there’s still no guarantee you will get type 2 diabetes; it simply means you have a greater chance of developing the condition.

Weight: While anyone can get type 2 diabetes, those who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop it.
Fat Storage: How your body stores fat also affects your risk for type 2 diabetes. If your body primarily stores fat in the abdomen, you have a greater risk than if your body stores fat in the hips and upper legs.
Sedentary Lifestyle: If you’re not active, you’re not helping your body burn sugar. This increases the chance that you’ll develop diabetes.
Genetics: People who come from a family with a history of diabetes are far more likely to become diabetic themselves.
Race: People of color, such as those of African, Asian, or American Indian descent, are more likely to become diabetic.
Age: Although people of any age can develop type 2 diabetes, it’s more common among those over the age of 45.

New Study Shows Muscle Strength Influences Diabetes Risk

A recent joint study conducted by researchers in South Carolina, Louisiana and Brisbane, Australia sought to understand how physical activity affected diabetes, and it uncovered some surprising results. Researchers found that when moderate muscle strength was maintained via regular resistance training, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was significantly decreased.

The study uncovered more unexpected results, which seemed to contradict typical assumptions. For instance, cardiorespiratory fitness did not produce the same results; only resistance training showed an effect. Additionally, moderate muscle mass is all it takes to achieve this benefit. Even when subjects worked harder to boost muscle mass further, the risk of diabetes was not decreased further. This indicates the effect is not cumulative.

The study found that maintaining moderate muscle mass combined with regular strength training reduced the risks by a 30 percent margin. While the study did reveal that maintaining muscle strength influences diabetes risk, it did not uncover how much resistance training was required. There was just no way for the researchers to determine how much strength training activity would provide this benefit. Angelique Brellenthin, who co-authored the study, said even a little strength training may provide benefits. At the very least, it will help you maintain your general overall health.

Tips for Controlling Your Blood Sugar Naturally

Eat a Healthier Diet

While some recommend an entirely plant-based diet for better diabetes management, that may be going too far to the other extreme. Although the majority of your diet should consist of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains, don’t skimp on the red meat, either. Lean red meat, poultry and fish can provide you with nutrients and protein not found in plant-based foods. A well-rounded diet, free of refined sugar and unhealthy fats, can go a long way toward keeping you healthy.

Live an Active Lifestyle

Even though the latest research points to the importance of strength training, aerobic training is just as important. A variety of exercise helps the body use and strengthen more muscle groups, which means you’ll be giving your body additional ways to burn higher quantities of sugar. When you exercise regularly, you help your body manage blood sugar levels more efficiently.

Take a Supplement

There are some new, innovative dietary supplements on the market today that are engineered to help the body maintain healthy blood sugar levels. For instance, certain natural supplements provide natural ingredients specifically chosen for the effects they have on blood sugar. Banaba leaf, bitter melon, and fenugreek are some of the plant-based ingredients that comprise these supplements.

Lose Weight

Finally, losing excess pounds is also going to help reduce your risks of developing type 2 diabetes. Even if you have already been diagnosed with this illness, taking control and getting yourself down to a healthier weight can still help. Your body will be better able to process sugar. Some people can return to a pre-diabetes state just by getting within their target weight range.

You may have type 2 diabetes, or the illness may be common in your family. In either case, you should ask your doctor to test you for the illness. If you do have diabetes, your doctor can tell you more about getting your condition under control. Better management starts with healthy living, allowing you to live a better quality of life for a longer period of time.

How to Support Healthy Weight and Shed Holiday Pounds Naturally This Spring

Mar 07 by Ewcopywriting

Spring is a time of renewal and rejuvenation. All around us, trees are budding and new patches of green line the earth. In this time of new growth, many people seek to become healthier, ridding themselves of old habits while ushering in a new and healthier lifestyle. Often, maintaining a healthy weight becomes a focus.

Whether you want to address the issue of weight to improve your health and fitness, to fit into skimpier summer clothing, or simply to be a better version of yourself, there are several natural ways to embark on your fitness journey. The following safe and natural ingredients are known to promote healthy weight maintenance and can help support your efforts to shed those stubborn pounds.

1. Chromium for Energy and Metabolism

Chromium has long been one of the most popular weight maintenance supplements on the market. This mineral is essential to a healthy lifestyle because it helps your body to convert calories to usable energy rather than storing them as fat.

In addition, recent studies have shown that chromium has huge benefits for people who have metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and other issues with blood sugar. Chromium appears to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, which can be especially helpful to people who are trying to maintain a healthy weight.

2. African Mango for Fiber and More

Eating more dietary fiber is a well-studied way to maintain a healthy weight. Sufficient intake of dietary fiber helps to stave off hunger, slow the absorption of sugar and may even prevent some calories from being absorbed.

African mango is an excellent source of dietary fiber. However, it appears to have other weight-related benefits as well. In a study comparing African mango to oat fiber, participants who took African mango experienced increased weight loss. The exact reason is unknown, but this natural supplement appears to have huge potential for your weight maintenance arsenal.

3. Bitter Orange to Boost Calorie-Burning

Many people who want to lose weight turn to stimulants to increase the speed at which the body burns calories and fat. These can have unwanted and even dangerous side effects such as higher blood pressure and heart rate.

Bitter orange appears to offer a metabolic boost without the unwanted effects of stimulants. People who take this supplement have been found to burn calories more quickly without increased blood pressure or other dangerous adverse effects. That’s a win-win situation that can quickly contribute to a slimmer waistline.

4. Green Tea: An Anti-Oxidant With Fat-Burning Benefits

Green tea is popular as an anti-oxidant and detox agent. The extract of this tea helps cells to clean out metabolic wastes and modulate inflammation, helping to support healthy cell growth and promote overall health.

However, green tea also has another key benefit: It supports healthy fat-burning. Green tea also helps to increase energy levels, giving a much-needed boost to those who are trying to lead a more demanding healthy lifestyle. Because it has been used for thousands of years both as a health supplement and as a beverage, the safety of green tea is well-known.

5. Hawthorn for a Healthy Heart and Healthy Weight

Hawthorn has been used in traditional medicine for centuries for cardiovascular health. This plant is known to support healthy blood pressure already within normal ranges and to offer a wide range of benefits for people with heart issues.

This can be particularly important for people who are trying to lose weight and to exercise. Being overweight takes a toll on your cardiovascular system. Getting back into shape can be difficult when maintaining heart health is also a concern. Hawthorn helps promote optimum cardiovascular health while also reducing feelings of tiredness and other challenges encountered early in a fitness journey.

6. Java Tea to Support Fat-Burning and Healthy Appetite

Long used as a medicine in Asian culture, java tea is quickly becoming popular in the West for its benefits in healthy weight maintenance. Java tea may soon be one of the most important natural remedies for achieving a healthy weight.

In addition to supporting healthy fat-burning, this supplement increases levels of the hormone leptin. Leptin is a hormone made by our bodies when we eat fatty meals and is known for creating a feeling of fullness. As a result, people who take java tea have been reported to feel fuller with less food and eat a significantly smaller amount of food. This can be very helpful for people who are struggling with newly decreased portions and the hunger that these can bring.

Losing Weight the Natural Way

Maintaining a healthy weight is important, but this should never come at the expense of whole-body health. Taking natural supplements can help many people who are struggling to maintain a healthy weight while leading a natural and wholesome lifestyle. In addition, there are other healthy ways to support healthy weight, such as:

Drink more water; around eight glasses a day.
Use yoga, walking and other gentle exercise in addition to your fitness regimen.
Avoid sugar and other sweeteners.
Make all of your meals at least half fruits and vegetables.

Maintaining a healthy weight is hard work. With the right help and a little willpower, you can make this spring a time of healthier new habits and a new you!

Spring Detox: Recharge, Revitalize and Replenish for Ultimate Energy and Health

Mar 05 by Ewcopywriting

Although some regions are still in the icy grips of winter, the days are slowly getting longer, signaling the start of a bright new season. Traditionally, spring is a time of new beginnings. Whether you are going strong on your New Year’s resolutions or adjusting your habits for other reasons this season, a spring detox can help you shed unwanted weight, restore gut health and boost your mood. Here we examine just a few benefits of engaging in some “spring cleaning” in preparation for the warmer months ahead.

Drop Unwanted Weight Naturally

By eating more naturally and reducing your dependency on processed foods, you will make it easier for your body to burn excess fat. Some natural foods actually contain compounds that help to speed up metabolism, which is the process of converting fat into energy. Additionally, certain constituents in some fruits and vegetables can actually affect the hormones that control appetite. By eating these types of foods, you will feel full for longer periods of time. In addition to eating healthier foods, you can also supplement your diet with a high-quality formula containing ingredients that help promote healthy weight maintenance for further benefits.

Green Tea

Green tea is recommended for a number of reasons. It’s especially helpful in promoting healthy cell growth. It also supports overall health because its antioxidant properties can protect against free radicals and oxidation in the body. It’s also a natural stimulant that supports healthy fat metabolism. Due to its diuretic actions, green tea also stimulates urine production, which means it can help alleviate bloating and excessive water retention.

African Mango and Bitter Orange

There is some research to suggest that African mango helps protect against the unhealthy production of fat cells. This can result in less fat storage around the waist. There is also evidence to suggest that African mango may help the symptoms of metabolic syndrome in people with diabetes.

Bitter orange is similar to African mango in that it promotes healthy metabolism, supporting efforts to maintain a healthy weight. Additionally, a dietary supplement that provides bitter orange extract can also help to boost energy levels. Maintaining energy levels is vital for fostering the ambition and enthusiasm needed to stick to a regular exercise schedule, which is essential to better weight control.

Chromium

A chromium formula is one of the most potent supplements you can take, because it has one of the biggest effects when it comes to supporting healthy metabolism. In addition to metabolic benefits, chromium also helps the body build lean muscle faster, and promotes the utilization of stored fat in the body. As a result of these properties, chromium can contribute to healthy weight maintenance and the maintenance of lean muscle mass. Chromium also supports healthy blood sugar levels in the body.

Found primarily in brewer’s yeast, kidneys and mushrooms, chromium is somewhat difficult to come by in most western diets, which is why taking a chromium supplement is often preferable.

Revitalize Your Gut Microbiome

Your body is filled with bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes and, while these microorganisms may be harmful under other circumstances, when present in the proper balance they actually help the digestive system. They thrive in a community called the microbiome, which is located in the small and large intestine, the skin and throughout the body.

The microbiome is essentially an extra organ that helps the body maintain health in a variety of ways. A microbiome that’s operating efficiently can help you properly digest fiber, milk and other foods, manages how the immune system functions and even protects the health of the brain.

As you expose your digestive system to harmful foods, such as processed meats, refined sugar and unhealthy fats, the functioning of the microbiome is inhibited. Fortunately, changing your diet can help you to restore your microbiome to a healthier state. Here are just a few ways to restore your gut health for better overall health this spring.

Mix Up Your Plate

By eating a broad range of plant-based foods, you can introduce new types of bacteria into your microbiome. This will make the microbiome stronger, so it can function more efficiently. Fruit, legumes and beans are among the best foods for promoting a healthier microbiome.

Fermented Foods to Fight Disease

Kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut are the more widely known fermented foods, so these items may be easier to find in stores. Eating more of these foods will provide your microbiome with Lactobacilli, bacteria that help the gut rid itself of disease-causing agents.

Ditch the Artificial Sweeteners

If your purpose for drinking diet soft drinks is to lower your blood sugar levels, you’re only contributing to the problem. Sweeteners like aspartame promote the growth of enterobacteriaceae, harmful bacteria that boost glucose levels.

Add Prebiotic Foods or Supplements to Your Diet

Prebiotic foods promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine. Examples of prebiotic foods include bananas, asparagus, oats, artichokes and apples. Supplementing the diet with a formula that contains both prebiotics and probiotics (“friendly” bacteria that help balance the microbiome) is also a wonderful way to boost the health of your microbiome.

Boost Your Mood and Energy Levels With Vitamins and Minerals

In addition to helping you to maintain a healthy weight and improving your gut health, taking a high-quality daily vitamin and mineral supplement can also elevate your mood and give you a boost of energy. According to Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, daily vitamin supplements can boost mood and energy, especially for those suffering from mood disorders. In a study involving a group of 97 adults with mood disorders, Dr. Kaplan’s team served the subjects a higher dosage of vitamin supplements. The test subjects exhibited higher cognitive functioning as a result of the increase in nutrients.

While most of us maintain energy levels with unhealthy, artificial stimulants, this practice actually promotes an energy imbalance. By following up a spring detox with a healthier daily routine, you will create more sustainable energy levels. For instance, the energy provided by certain fruits and vegetables is regulated by the body, so the energy stays consistent throughout the day. Conversely, the energy derived from coffee, soft drinks and candy is released in one burst that results in a temporary high. That high is followed by a crash that leaves the individual feeling fatigued by mid-afternoon.

If you resolved to live healthier this year, but are feeling a bit defeated by holiday binges in the early half of the year, there’s still time. A little “spring cleaning” now and a decision to live healthier for the remainder of the year can help you improve your health and get in shape. While supplements won’t do it all for you, they can give you a needed boost, so you can achieve your nutrition and fitness goals much sooner.

Optimism Lowers Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Jan 31 by Ewcopywriting

If you don’t have diabetes, you likely know someone who does have it — and you may even be at risk of developing the condition later in life. This is because diabetes is serious health concern that has become more common with the passage of time. When the Center for Disease Control started tracking the illness in 1958, they found that only one percent, or 500,000, people in the U.S. had been diagnosed with diabetes. By 2015, that percentage had risen to 9.4 percent of the U.S. population; a number which includes 30.2 million adults in addition to children affected by early development of the condition.

In the 20 year span from 1990 through 2010, the CDC calculated that the number of diabetics tripled. Additionally, they found that twice as many people were being diagnosed with the disease from one year to the next. While anyone can develop diabetes, the risks increase with age. The recent CDC report highlighted the percentage of people living with diabetes within each age group:

18-44 years – 4 percent
45-64 years – 17 percent
65 years and up – 25.2 percent

We already know that modifiable factors, such as eating habits, exercise and physical fitness, can affect the risks of developing diabetes. Conversely, there are risk factors, such as genetics, age and race, which cannot be changed. We’re learning more each year about how certain factors either raise or decrease the risks of developing diabetes. Now, a new study has revealed that one’s mindset also plays a part.

Can a Positive Attitude Affect Diabetes Risk?

Research has suggested that diabetes and depression are closely related. People who frequently experience the symptoms of depression are also more prone to develop incident-related diabetes. Individuals who report frequent feelings of cynicism or hostility have also been found to have a higher risk of developing diabetes. Additionally, studies revealed that these same emotions may also cause post-menopausal women to experience more severe metabolic syndrome symptoms.

While these previous studies examined the negative effects of emotions on physical health, a new study sought to evaluate how positive emotions affected diabetes. Researchers gathered data from the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) in an effort to evaluate how strong positive emotions affected blood sugar levels in post-menopausal individuals. Juhua Luo, Ph.D., out of Bloomington’s Indiana University, was the senior author of the paper, which was recently published in Menopause magazine.

Dr. Luo and his team examined records for 139,924 subjects. The earliest records for these women indicated that each subject was post-menopausal and had not yet been diagnosed with diabetes. The study followed these subjects through clinical check-ups across a 14-year time span. By the end of the study, research showed that 19,240 of the women developed type 2 diabetes.

Going further, the research team separated the women by personality traits. In doing so, they found that women with a more optimistic mindset were 12 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Women with more negative emotions were found to have 9 percent greater risk of developing the illness, while those women shown to possess the most hostile emotions had a 17 percent higher risk of developing diabetes. The only factor that mitigated this increased risk was obesity: Overweight women were less affected by hostility and negative emotions when it came to diabetes risk.

This research also suggested that women who experience hostility and negative emotions throughout their lives may still reduce their risk of developing diabetes. By seeking out mental health treatment for frequent negative emotions, not only can women reduce their risks of diabetes, they can also improve their overall mindset.

Preventing or Reversing Type 2 Diabetes is Possible

The bottom line: If you really want to lower your diabetes risk, it’s necessary to make changes in your life now. While people are often born with type 1 diabetes, a condition in which your body isn’t making insulin, type 2 diabetes, a condition that involves your cells’ inability to properly process the insulin, develops over time and its development is often influenced by lifestyle choices.

Just as poor lifestyle habits can promote the onset of type 2 diabetes, healthier choices can help control or prevent the condition. The first step to take is to change your diet. Diabetes concerns your body’s inability to process sugar or glucose, so limiting your sugar intake is essential. In addition to the obvious sugary foods and beverages, you should also limit or eliminate your intake of refined carbs. Once ingested, refined carbs are broken down into sugars and stored for use, which causes a spike in blood sugar levels.

Additionally, you should be getting a sufficient level of exercise each day. Doctors recommend a minimum of moderate to high-intensity exercise in 30-minute daily intervals. The physical activity will increase insulin sensitivityin your body’s cells, making it easier for you to process glucose. While 30 minutes is recommended, getting more exercise will only help your body become more sensitive to insulin.

You might also consider taking a daily supplement to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels already within normal ranges. If you choose to add a supplement to your daily routine, look for one that provides ingredients such as chromium picolinate, vanadium and fenugreek.

Before making any lifestyle changes, it’s important to discuss your concerns with your doctor. He may have more recommendations for you that directly relate to your situation. Even when developing type 2 diabetes is not avoidable, making these lifestyle changes can help you live better with the condition.

New Diabetes Research Finds Link to Gut Health and Cognitive Decline

Jan 09 by Ewcopywriting

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the body’s ability to properly handle glucose, or sugar, in the blood. In type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce any insulin — the hormone responsible for ushering sugar from the blood into the cells where it can be used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, the body can make insulin but the cells are unable to properly utilize the insulin. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes result in too-high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Over time, high levels of sugar in the bloodstream can negatively affect the heart, kidneys, nerves, eyes and more.

Type 1 diabetes, whose exact cause is unknown, is usually acquired at a young age and is irreversible. Type 2 diabetes, however, is often attributed to diet and lifestyle factors and can be reversed in certain cases. Some common symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, slow wound healing, blurred vision and unintended weight loss. As new diabetes research uncovers links to cognitive decline and gut health, the emphasis falls on preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes.

New Study Looks at a Correlation Between Type 2 Diabetes and Cognitive Decline

Recently, a team of University of Tasmania researchers led by Michele Callisaya conducted a study to find out why cognitive decline is prevalent in people with type 2 diabetes. The project looked at 705 adults between the ages of 55 and 90. The testing included brain size measurements as well as cognition evaluations.

Of the 705 participants, 348 suffered from type 2 diabetes, while 357 exhibited no signs of the illness. MRI scans of all participants were used to measure the ventricular and total brain mass on an effort to link brain atrophy and type 2 diabetes. The level of cognitive functioning was also examined, with testing conducted periodically over the 4.6 years of the study. Ms. Callisaya and her team adjusted the research to account for contributing factors, such as age, gender and health status.

The findings suggested that brain atrophy has no bearing on how diabetes affects cognitive decline. They also found that brain atrophy was similar among those with and without type 2 diabetes. It was noted, however, that the subjects with type 2 diabetes already had more advanced atrophy at the beginning of the study.

This new diabetes research also showed that cognitive decline was affected by diabetes. Specifically, those without diabetes exhibited improved verbal fluency over the course of the study, while the diabetic subjects showed a notable decline. This was a point of concern in the University of Tasmania study, because everyday activities, such as adhering to medication schedules, may be affected. Callisaya concluded that verbal fluency and memory decline gradually over a five year period in people with type 2 diabetes.

New Diabetes Research Suggests Gut Bacteria Affects Diabetes Medication

While we have multiple medications to help treat type 2 diabetes, the effectiveness of those drugs varies from person to person. This means a large number of the 415 million diabetes sufferers may not experience adequate relief from those drugs. Until now, there was no way to know why the effectiveness of the drugs varies to such an extreme degree. Working out of Winston-Salem, Hariom Yadav, Ph.D led a study to see if gut bacteria played a role in altering the effectiveness of diabetes medications.

The possibility of gut bacteria playing a role in how well diabetes medication worked seemed plausible because researchers know from previous studies that an abnormal balance of gut bacteria can be a contributory factor in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, it has been found that drugs taken orally can be ineffective, while the intravenous medications work more often. This is partially due to the fact that drugs taken orally must pass through the gut to work, raising suspicions that something happened in the gut to affect the drugs.

Through testing, the researchers found that they could alter the effectiveness of diabetes medication by manipulating the gut microbiome. Depending on how the microbiome was altered, the effectiveness of the drugs was either improved or reduced. Hariom Yadav concluded that the metabolic capacity of the gut microbiome affected how well the medication was absorbed. It could also alter the nature of the drug, making it more effective, rendering it inert or making it toxic to the patient. While this research did point to a correlation, Mr. Yadav says more research is needed. This field of study is still young, but, with additional research, we may learn more about how gut bacteria affects diabetes medications. This knowledge may even help us treat diabetics more effectively.

Taking Steps to Prevent Diabetes

If you don’t have type 2 diabetes now, it’s important to make sure you’re doing all you can to prevent it. Making just a few lifestyle changes can keep you from developing this disease. Even if you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes these same changes may help you to better control your condition.

Get More Exercise

Increasing the amount of physical activity you get on a daily basis can help you prevent diabetes in a number of ways. Since obesity is linked to diabetes, losing weight is an excellent way of preventing the illness. Additionally, regular physical activity lowers blood sugar levels, while also improving your body’s sensitivity to insulin.

Eat More Fiber

You may know that fiber intake is related to heart health, but research shows that it also assists in regulating blood sugar levels. Since fiber helps you feel full for longer, consuming more may also contributes to weight loss.

Eat More Whole Grains

Whole grains also play a big role in diabetes prevention, though we don’t know why as of yet. We do know that people who switch to whole grains exhibit better blood sugar levels. Look for whole grains in breads, cereals, pasta and rice.

Take a Daily Supplement

If you want to get better control over your blood sugar, turning to a supplement may help. It will require choosing a supplement that contains the right ingredients, however. Chromium picolinate, banaba leaf, bitter melon, gymnema, fenugreek and vanadium are all ingredients that have been shown to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels within normal ranges.

Get Better Sleep

Research has also found that poor sleep patterns affect how blood glucose is processed. Looking for ways to resolve sleep disorders can help you protect against developing diabetes. Try relaxation techniques or improving your sleeping quarters to eliminate restlessness.

Diabetes research continues to move forward, uncovering more about how other conditions affect the development of the disease. In the meantime, we can use what we have already learned to help control and prevent the disease. Lifestyle changes and even changing how we take medication can help diabetics live a better quality of life.