Blood Sugar/Glucose Metabolism

Newly Discovered Link Between Vitamin A and Diabetes Offers Hope for Sufferers

Almost 30 million people in the United States suffer from diabetes, a disorder of glucose metabolism. This number is growing at an alarming rate, making this one of the most studied diseases of our times. According to a new study, vitamin A plays an incredibly important role in maintaining insulin production. Could a link between vitamin A and diabetes—namely a deficiency of vitamin A—be partly to blame for growing rates of this serious disease?

Diabetes and Insulin

There are two different kinds of diabetes, but both have to do with insulin. Insulin is a hormone that “unlocks” cells so they can take in glucose. This hormone is made by the beta cells of the pancreas in response to the body taking in glucose. Without insulin, cells begin to starve as they do without this very efficient energy source, even when it is in ample supply in the bloodstream. In addition, glucose remains in the bloodstream where it can cause damage to delicate tissues.

In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the beta cells of the pancreas so they cannot produce insulin. This is a permanent condition and the only treatment is supplementation of insulin. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body gradually builds a resistance to insulin. Over time, cells stop responding to insulin for reasons we don’t entirely understand. Even when the body has high glucose levels and high insulin levels, glucose still is not taken into cells. This condition is called insulin resistance.

The Link Between Vitamin A and Diabetes

New technology has allowed scientists to look more closely at cells on a molecular level. Researchers discovered that beta cells are covered not just in glucose receptors, but in vitamin A receptors as well. When these receptors were blocked in mice, the beta cells had difficulty sensing and responding to high blood glucose levels. They then repeated the test on human cells with the same result: Blocking the vitamin A receptors impaired the ability of beta cells to release insulin in response to high blood glucose levels. When the beta cells of people with type 2 diabetes were compared to those of people without the disease, the same results were found.

What does this mean for public health? First, getting enough vitamin A is crucial to good metabolic function, particularly to good beta cell function. Second, a childhood vitamin A deficiency may actually do lifelong damage to beta cells in the pancreas, setting the child up for future metabolic problems.

The Role of Vitamin A in Metabolism

This is not the first study to link vitamin A to beta cell function. Previous studies have shown that this nutrient is extremely important to beta cell development in the fetal period. Having low levels of vitamin A may actually decrease beta cell function by as much as 30 percent, enough to have a dramatic effect on glucose levels. Because vitamin A is uniquely involved in cell differentiation, beta cells may simply need this nutrient to develop properly. However, these new studies make it clear that vitamin A deficiency can cause diabetes-like dysfunction of insulin release even in people who have had normal development.

If you are struggling with diabetes or another type of metabolic disorder, a vitamin A deficiency may be partially to blame. Other symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include dry or itchy eyes, loss of vision, poor bone growth, poor hair growth and impairment of the immune system. This vitamin is crucial not just for children who are developing, but for adults who wish to maintain a healthy body. However, many people in the United States and the Western world are deficient in this nutrient.

Getting Enough Vitamin A

The recommended daily allowance for vitamin A is 3000 IU for adult males and 2300 IU for adult females. Some populations, such as people with diseases of the intestines, pancreas or liver may need much more than this. The foods richest in vitamin A are liver and oily fish. In addition, dairy products are fortified with vitamin A. However, there are also many plant sources. Orange or red vegetables such as carrots, orange squash, red bell peppers and tomatoes also are generous sources of this vitamin.

Despite the availability of many foods rich in vitamin A, deficiencies remain common. Oily fish and liver simply are not huge parts of most Western people’s diets. For this reason, many people benefit from taking a supplement that has their recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. This ensures that you will always have the amount of this nutrient needed to support a healthy metabolism. While vitamin A is important for insulin production and diabetes prevention, it also supports whole-body health in a variety of ways.

Getting a wide variety of vitamins and minerals is crucial to maintaining optimal health. Despite the wide availability of healthy foods, many Americans simply do not get the nutrients that they need. According to research on vitamin A and diabetes, this depleted diet may be part of the reason for our high rates of diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. If you are concerned that you have a vitamin A deficiency, it is important to find a supplement or other multivitamin that has the vitamins you need to maintain metabolic health over a lifetime.

The Dawn Phenomenon: Understanding the Circadian Rhythm of Blood Sugar

Jun 08 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing health problems in the United States and Western World, with around a third of the American adult population currently diabetic or showing signs of developing diabetes. While this disease can be difficult to manage, it can often be treated or even prevented by controlling blood sugar. An increasing body of research suggests that your circadian rhythm may be an incredibly important factor in blood glucose levels and diabetes management. Understanding the way your blood sugar changes over the course of a day is crucial to taking proactive steps to prevent wide fluctuations.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body has chronically high blood sugar levels due to defects in blood glucose metabolism. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make insulin, a hormone that is critical to getting blood glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells where it is needed. In type 2 diabetes, the problem is more complicated: Although there may be normal or even high insulin levels, the cells have become insulin resistant. This means that they do not let blood sugar into the cell even when there is enough insulin. With both types of diabetes, blood sugar remains in the bloodstream where it is very destructive, while cells often starve for fuel.

Diabetes has increased in modern times to the point that it is now considered an epidemic. It is one of the most pervasive and expensive health problems in the United States. Even more distressing, rates of this disease and related disorders of the metabolism are expected to continue increasing for the foreseeable future. Americans have too much access to carbohydrate-rich foods; in fact, these are often the most accessible and affordable.

The Dawn Phenomenon and the Circadian Rhythm of Blood Sugar

Recent research indicates that circadian rhythm is a very important part of how our bodies metabolize blood glucose. Whether you are diabetic or not, your blood glucose likely follows a rhythm known as the “dawn phenomenon.” In this phenomenon, hormones released in the morning drive cortisol levels high. Cortisol is released, which decreases insulin and increases glucagon. This causes blood sugar to increase, ensuring that we are conserving energy to be used after we awake.

This hormonal release appears to be an important link between the circadian rhythm and blood sugar. Although this phenomenon is troublesome mainly for people with diabetes and other metabolic diseases, it occurs in almost all people. This is partially due to the influence of glucocorticoids such as cortisol. When researchers studied mice who had been administered glucocorticoids, they found that these hormones increased the activity of three different genes linked to circadian rhythm. In addition, the mice’s blood sugar levels increased.

Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Naturally

Whether you have type 2 diabetes or are in perfect health, maintaining stable blood glucose will help you to feel better and actually be healthier. There are several ways that you can accomplish this, including:

Lose weight. Even getting a few pounds closer to a healthy weight can level out your blood sugar.
Exercise for at least a half hour a day. Late night exercise can be especially beneficial if you often wake up with high blood sugars.
Choose carbs wisely. People with diabetes can still eat carbs, but they should choose carbs mixed with fiber and other macronutrients rather than white sugar and white flour.
Eat carbs at strategic times. There are likely times of day when you need a blood sugar bump, but eating carbs at night can lead to waking up with high blood glucose.
Eat small and regular meals with balanced amounts of carbohydrates.
Avoid nicotine and caffeine, which contribute to blood glucose fluctuation.
Get eight hours of sleep a night, taking care to go to bed and awaken at roughly the same time. A healthy circadian rhythm contributes to better glucose metabolism.
Eat a wide range of antioxidants.
Follow your doctor’s recommended regimen, if you have one. It is important to take medications at the correct times and in the correct amounts.
Take a multivitamin with plenty of antioxidants.
Know your triggers. Every person reacts uniquely to different foods. It is important to know both your triggers and your safe foods.

There are also several healthy and natural supplements that can be used to keep blood sugar under control. Consider taking a supplement designed to support healthy blood sugar with ingredients such as chromium picolinate, N-acetyl cysteine, bilberry fruit, banaba leaf, vanadium, Gymnema, fenugreek and bitter melon. These ingredients each work in a different way to support healthy blood glucose and maintain metabolic balance. Magnesium has also been shown to protect against the development of diabetes.

While diabetes is common, there are many healthy and natural ways that people can prevent and even treat it. Maintaining control of your blood sugar will help you to feel better and actually be healthier, both now and over the course of your life. Understanding your circadian rhythm and how it affects your blood glucose is an important piece of this puzzle.

Surprising Ways to Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Naturally

Apr 04 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

More than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes. Even more have high blood sugar levels or insulin resistance, both of which are precursors to type 2 diabetes. While there are many medications that can help diabetics, these are expensive and can often have serious side effects. Many people do not know that there are a variety of natural ways to maintain healthy blood sugar levels to protect against insulin resistance, decreasing the risk of developing diabetes and other concerns.

Diabetes and Metabolic Disorder: A Modern Epidemic

When we eat food, our body converts the carbs to glucose. This glucose is fuel for our cells, but only once it enters them. Glucose can only enter cells when insulin “unlocks” the cell receptors that allow it to enter. Without insulin, glucose remains in the blood vessels where it can contribute to cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, the cells that make up our tissues and organs go without the food they need for optimal function.

There are two conditions in which glucose has impaired ability to enter the cells: type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body simply stops making insulin. This disease is treated by replacing the insulin that is missing. In type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar levels over time lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which cells stop responding to insulin even though the body is making plenty of it. This leads to type 2 diabetes where blood sugar is chronically high due to this insulin resistance. This can be very difficult to treat because the body already has plenty of insulin; it simply isn’t responding to the hormone.

Diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, has become so common that it is considered an epidemic. Millions of people struggle with chronically high blood glucose levels and the resulting health effects. Many more people are prediabetic, which means their body is beginning to show signs of insulin resistance but has not yet become completely diabetic.

Lifestyle Changes for Healthy Blood Sugar

While there appears to be a genetic predisposition to diabetes, it also is heavily affected by lifestyle. People who have a difficult time maintaining healthy blood sugar are at much higher risk of developing insulin resistance. Obesity and a lack of exercise also are major risk factors. There are several ways that people can lower their risk of developing this disease, lower their blood sugar and turn insulin resistance around:

Achieve a healthy weight.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
Eat fewer carbs and saturated fats.
Choose foods that are high fiber or otherwise support a healthy digestive system.
Avoid tobacco products.
Get any sleeping issues treated, as these can contribute to insulin resistance.
Take in a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including antioxidants.

However, even with these changes, many people struggle to keep their blood glucose levels within a healthy range. This is because lifestyle is only one piece of the puzzle. Lifestyle changes alone often cannot completely halt insulin resistance and reverse the cellular mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes. For these people, there is still hope. There are many natural remedies that can give them the boost they need.

Natural Answers for Supporting Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Several natural remedies can help to protect against insulin resistance and maintain healthy blood sugar levels within normal ranges. If you are concerned about your blood sugar levels, consider taking a supplement that contains:

Chromium picolinate, a supplement that positively affects insulin resistance, promotes healthy insulin function and protects the cardiovascular system.
Banaba leaf, which supports healthy blood glucose levels and is for diabetes by indigenous cultures.
Gymnema, which has been found in studies to promote healthy blood sugar levels and lipid levels while supporting healthy pancreatic function.
Bitter melon, a popular Asian gourd that contains compounds similar to insulin that similarly work to support healthy blood glucose levels.
Vanadium, which keeps insulin receptors from being deactivated, thus helping with insulin resistance.
Fenugreek, an Indian and Middle Eastern spice that naturally supports healthy blood sugar.
Bilberry fruit, which contains compounds that help to balance blood sugar levels while preventing many of the effects of high blood sugar such as retinopathy and damage to blood vessels.
N-Acetyl Cysteine, an antioxidant that reduces damage from free radicals in people with high blood sugar and/or diabetes.

These natural supplements not only help to protect against the development of blood sugar imbalances but also have a variety of other positive health effects. They help to support a healthy body in many ways, allowing people to support healthy blood sugar protect against insulin resistance without negative side effects.

The high sugar, high fat Standard American Diet often leads to a variety of negative effects including diabetes. However, there are many ways to protect against insulin resistance before it progresses enough to harm your health. Lifestyle changes and natural supplements can help you to enjoy good health—including healthy blood sugar levels—over the rest of your life.

Researchers Discover Link Between Vitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome

Jan 25 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

New research investigating the link between vitamin D and metabolic syndrome suggests that a deficiency of this nutrient may be a factor in rising rates of chronic illness.

Are you dealing with low energy, malaise and a lack of motivation? Are you also, like many Americans, struggling with maintaining healthy blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol levels? If so, the link between vitamin D and metabolic syndrome may offer both hope and a way of overcoming your challenges. With the winter looming over many of us, vitamin D has become a major topic of conversation—and a very common source of nutrient deficiency. Have you stored up enough of this vital nutrient to make it through the winter with optimal health?

The Power of the Sun

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and teeth as well as a variety of metabolic activities. If you have a severe deficiency, you are at risk of developing rickets, a disease in which people have soft bones that bow under their weight. However, even mild Vitamin D deficiencies can have an impact on life and health. People who are low in this vital nutrient may suffer from fatigue, depression and slow mental function. They also are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, a disorder characterized by high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and an accumulation of fat around their waist.

The reason so many people in the U.S. and Northern Europe are deficient in vitamin D is not a shortage of nutritious food, but rather a lack of sunshine. Vitamin D precursors can be found in some foods such as fatty fish and eggs as well as fortified cereals, to which it is added. It is then converted to a usable form in a series of steps involving the liver and kidneys. In addition, our skin cells can synthesize this vitamin when exposed to sunlight. People in far northern areas spend half of the year with sunlight that is not strong enough to fuel this chemical reaction; in addition, many of us wear sunscreen in warmer months to prevent skin cancer. The result is that vitamin D deficiencies and the associated health problems are becoming increasingly common in the Western world.

Vitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome

Several major recent studies have strengthened the previously known links between a lack of vitamin D and metabolic syndrome. Elderly people who have low levels of this nutrient are more likely to develop this disorder. In general, elderly people with high levels of vitamin D have lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol whether they have metabolic syndrome or not. In addition, diabetics who have vitamin D deficiencies are more likely to have out-of-control blood sugar, putting them at risk of developing serious complications such as damage to their eyes and kidneys.

Clearly vitamin D is important in preventing metabolic syndrome. However, once people have been diagnosed with this disorder, getting enough vitamin D becomes even more important. One recent study has indicated that low vitamin D levels are necessary for metabolic syndrome to progress into the serious diseases associated with it such as diabetes and heart disease. Preventing these complications is the major goal of metabolic syndrome treatment, so getting enough vitamin D may be crucial to the health of the millions of Americans with this disorder.

Increasing Vitamin D Levels

If you suspect that you have low vitamin D, there are simple blood tests to measure levels of this nutrient that any doctor can prescribe for you. However, different people need different levels to function optimally, so a normal score does not automatically mean that you are not at risk. Be sure to get time in the sun every day without sunscreen; even short amounts of time in the summer can make a huge difference. Keep these exposures small so you do not tan or burn, raising your risk of skin cancer and premature aging.

If you live in an area where sunlight is weak or cloud cover is common, consider adding more fortified cereals, oily fish and eggs to your diet. Alternately, you can simply take a vitamin D supplement or a comprehensive multivitamin that contains vitamin D. There are several forms of vitamin D, with D3 (cholecalciferol) being the most potent, so it is important to get the right kind. In addition, it is always good for your health to eat less sugar and saturated fats, lowering your risk of metabolic syndrome overall.

While we have been trained to fear the rays of the sun, a few minutes of its potent light can make a large difference in your health. Not only will higher vitamin D levels leave you feeling more energetic and motivated, but they will also help to prevent some of the most serious chronic illnesses faced by people in the West.

Magnesium Health Benefits Include Reduced Risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke

Dec 21 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

People in the Western world have more food availability and eat more calories than ever, as evident by our expanding waist lines. However, many of us still are not getting the vitamins and minerals that we need. This can have extremely detrimental health effects, especially when it comes to magnesium. This mineral plays an important role in so many different cell processes that if you aren’t getting enough, you may be at higher risk of devastating diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

What Is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral that is present in our foods and also used as a medicine in some cases. You may be familiar with Epsom salts, which are made of magnesium salts and a popular home remedy for constipation, muscle aches and a wide variety of complaints. Magnesium plays a crucial part of more than 300 biochemical processes in the human body, including protein synthesis, nerve function, muscle function, maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm and maintenance of cardiovascular health. Magnesium is essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth as well as synthesizing DNA and RNA. It is part of the process of oxidative phosphorylation, which converts the calories we eat to energy our cells can use. Magnesium also functions as an electrolyte, helping to maintain the ionic gradients that allow optimal nerve, muscle and cardiac function.

It is impossible to live without magnesium. However, even a minor deficiency in this mineral can deprive you of the many magnesium health benefits and leave you functioning at less than optimal speed. People who have low magnesium may have chronic pain including migraines, headaches, joint pain and muscle cramps. They may also suffer from insomnia, depression and fatigue. When people have critically low levels of magnesium, they can develop seizures as well as cardiac arrhythmias, both of which can be fatal. Unfortunately, our modern diets tend to have substandard levels of this critical nutrient, leading many health experts to call low magnesium the “silent epidemic of our times.”

Magnesium Health Benefits

According to new research, magnesium may have more long-term health benefits than we previously realized. People who get the required amount of this mineral, which is 300 mg a day for men and 270 mg a day for women, may actually have a lower risk of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Researchers followed people from around the world and tracked their dietary intake of nutrients. People who ate magnesium-rich diets over the course of their lifetimes had a lower overall risk of these diseases. This was true even when controlling for variables such as overall dietary quality and socioeconomic factors.

Getting enough magnesium is especially important for women of childbearing age. Magnesium is essential to a developing fetus’s needs and also important for breastfeeding infants. Many women do not get the additional magnesium that they need to support reproduction, which means that they can end up with immense deficiencies even while eating what they believe to be a reasonable diet. Getting enough magnesium is also important for people who are in the process of growth or healing, such as children and those who have recently been ill. Magnesium is essential to manufacturing proteins, muscle and other essential elements of the human body.

Do You Need More Magnesium?

If you suspect you may be low on magnesium, you are not alone. Experts estimate that around one in 50 people in the Western world is seriously deficient in this mineral. Magnesium can be found in a variety of foods such as fish, soybeans, avocados, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, yogurt and even chocolate. People who need more magnesium can also take a supplement or even a multivitamin, as these usually contain a healthy range of minerals. Popular antacids contain this mineral because it quickly coats and soothes heartburn and ulcers. Soaking in Epsom salts is also believed to act as a supplement because magnesium can be absorbed through the skin. Regardless of how you choose to take in this mineral, the magnesium health benefits are too powerful to be passed up.

If you are trying to get more magnesium, health benefits may await you both now and over the course of your lifetime. Not only will you have a lower disease risk, but you will enjoy more energy and less aches and pains over the course of your life. Consider adding magnesium-rich foods or a supplement that contains magnesium to your diet if you believe you may be deficient in this very important element.