Diabetes:  the risks and how to defend against it! 

Carbohydrates are the biggest dietary culprit. In the last e-bulletin, I told you about glycemic load. Glycemic load is determined by how many carbohydrate grams there are per serving of a given food and how quickly the carbohydrate is broken down into glucose. Foods with a high glycemic load – like white bread, potatoes, cereal and rice – cause a blood sugar spike in diabetics and should be avoided. But foods with a low glycemic load – like fresh fruits, corn, beans, peas and tomato juice – can help balance blood sugar levels.

Exercise is another important piece of the puzzle. The more you move your muscles, the more efficiently insulin works to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range. A study of 3,234 people with pre-diabetic symptoms found that those who lost five to seven percent of their body weight and exercised moderately for 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of Type II diabetes by 58 percent. Choose activities that are fun, such as dancing, swimming, water aerobics or gardening.

Research has also shown that supplements can lower your risk. In one study, Type II diabetics were able to lower their medication after taking chromium, which boosts insulin sensitivity. Other research has found that men with low levels of vitamin E had nearly four times the risk of those with higher levels. Zinc and magnesium levels are also commonly low in diabetics, so including a balanced mineral supplement may improve glucose tolerance.

Another mineral, vanadium, has also been a hot topic in diabetes research. Clinical studies have found that doses of 75-300 mg. per day produce moderate improvements in blood sugar and insulin action. Vanadium may also lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. But be aware that doses over 75 mg. may cause cramping and diarrhea, so check with your health care practitioner before taking this mineral.

One last thing . . .

While eating foods with a low glycemic load can help balance blood sugar levels, don’t turn your back on all carbohydrates. A recent report by Harvard researchers has found that insulin sensitivity improved in a group of overweight and obese adults when they consumed a diet rich in whole-grain foods such as brown rice, oats, corn and barley.

In the study, 11 sedentary adults with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 27 consumed a diet in which 55 percent of total calories came from either whole-grain carbohydrates or processed carbohydrates, for six weeks. A BMI – a measurement of weight in relation to height – of at least 25 is considered overweight, while 30 and above is considered obese.

Following the initial 6-week period study volunteers ate their usual diet for six to nine weeks and then switched to the alternate diet for the following six weeks.

Insulin levels were 10 percent lower and blood glucose levels were slightly reduced when study volunteers ate a whole grain-rich diet, regardless of body weight.

If you’re overweight and looking to avoid diabetes, this study shows that whole grains can help. But make sure you check the ingredient label of whole grain products. Too often, manufacturers will say that a product contains whole grains. But if you look at what’s really in the product, you may find that it’s made with mostly refined grains – with only a smidgen of the whole grain. To be authentic, whole grains should be the first ingredient listed.

This just in . . .

As if there weren’t enough reasons to eat a low glycemic diet, a new study just crossed my desk that links elevated insulin levels with Alzheimer’s disease. The small speculative study found that giving older people very high doses of insulin (higher than the doses normally given to diabetics) increased the amount of beta-amyloids, a starchy protein that forms plaques in the brain.

To investigate insulin's effect on the abnormal proteins, the researchers studied 16 healthy adults aged 55 to 81. Half of the volunteers received an intravenous dose of insulin followed by a placebo. The other half of the participants received the placebo first.

When the researchers compared the levels of beta-amyloid in the fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord, they found that insulin raised the levels of AB42, the major form of beta-amyloid deposited in plaques. The increase was most pronounced in participants age 70 and over.

These results suggest that, for diabetics and those with insulin resistance, lowering insulin levels or improving its effectiveness may help delay or prevent Alzheimer's disease. But diet alone doesn’t always do the trick. One way to ensure that your body is using insulin efficiently is with alpha lipoic acid (ALA). This multifunctional antioxidant has been used in Germany for over 30 years to improve the insulin response.

In one four-week study, the effects of ALA were evaluated to see whether oral treatment improves insulin sensitivity. Seventy-four patients with Type II diabetes were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or ALA in various doses of 600 mg once, twice or three times a day. By the end of the study, those taking the ALA supplements had significantly better insulin sensitivity compared to those taking the placebo. Thanks to the ALA, their bodies disposed of glucose much more efficiently, so not as much insulin needed to be produced.

Whether you are diabetic or not, it’s important to keep your body and mind in top working order. The natural solutions above just might help prevent the onset of insulin resistance or Type II diabetes. And if you’re already battling the disease, they might just help you reduce the amount of medication needed to control your blood sugar.