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Diabetes is the Fastest Growing Disease in the World Today!

According to the Centers for Disease Control:

— Diabetes is an epidemic.

— 17 million Americans have diabetes with 5.9 million completely unaware that they even have the disease.

— Diabetes is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States with over 200,000 deaths each year from diabetes-related complications.

— Among U.S. adults, diagnosed diabetes increased 49% from 1990 to 2000. Similar increases are expected in the next decade and beyond.

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 sometomes 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.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Millions of people have diabetes and don't even know it because the symptoms develop so gradually, people often don't recognize them. Some people, particularly pre-diabetics, have no symptoms at all. Diabetics may have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Sudden vision changes
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
• Poor circulation
• Poor sleep
• Feeling very tired much of the time
• Irritability
• Very dry skin
• Sores that are slow to heal
• More infections than usual

What causes Diabetes?

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:

1. The ingestion of too many carbohydrates leads to a spike in blood sugar levels.
2. This is followed by a corresponding rise in insulin.
3. This in turn causes blood sugar to drop.
4. Eventually, this drastic up-and-down activity begins to take its toll on the body's ability to use insulin and thus metabolize sugar.
5. Over time, the pancreas "wears out" and can no longer pump out enough insulin to overcome this insulin resistance.
6. 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.

Risk 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)
• 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)
• 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 ocurring.
• 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:

1. 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.
2. 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

Conventional Treatments for Diabetes

Insulin Injections

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.

Insulin Pumps

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

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:

• 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

Using an insulin pump has the following disadvantages over insulin injections:

• 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

Insulin Complications:

Regardless of whether you inject insulin or pump it there are serious risks and complications associated with taking insulin:

• 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

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:

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Diarrhea

4. 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

5. 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.

Diabetics must fight two enemies.

The first enemy that diabetics must fight is the disease itself and the other enemy is 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 diabteics. A classic case of addressing the symptoms and not the cause.

Natural Diabetes Cure

Alternative Natural Treatments

Diabetes and it's complications can be treated and/or prevented safely without prescription drugs. If you have diabetes or any of the risk factors for diabetes or are just concerned about diabetes, you should start now with a natural treatment plan to reduce your risk.

There are 3 components to a natural diabetes cure:

1. Diet — The single most important change any diabetic or person at risk can make is to improve their diet. A proper diabetic diet should have a low glycemic index . . . which means containing low simple carbohydrates, moderate protein and high fiber. This diabetic diet will reduce blood sugar, reduce insulin levels, and reduce the need for medications. It will also help to reduce weight, reduce blood pressure and support overall health and energy.

2. Exercise — Many studies have shown that exercise is of great benefit to diabetics and can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Regular physical activity helps reduce weight, lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, strengthen the immune system, improve circulation, lower blood pressure, lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, and reduce risk of heart disease.

3. Nutritional Supplements — There are a number of nutritional supplements that every diabetic should be taking on a daily basis. These supplements are very effective in helping to lower blood sugar and insulin levels, reduce cholesterol levels, reduce triglyceride levels, reduce blood pressure, improve energy, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

These supplements can also protect your tissues (eyes, kidneys, blood vessels) from the damage diabetes often causes. They can also support your immune system, protect your heart, and improve circulation.

The effectiveness of these supplements is not at all theoretical, but rather is fact. There are thousands of published studies proving the beneficial effects these supplements have on diabetics. Amazingly enough, despite the overwhelming evidence, most M.D.'s do not recommend nutritional supplements to their diabetic patients. Fortunately, a prescription is not required.

If you have diabetes supplementation is more than important, it is vital!

Every diabetic should take these proven supplements: Cinnamon, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Chromax®, Vanadium, Banaba Leaf, Momordica, Gymnema Sylvestre and Fenugreek

Diabetes Daily Care® is unique, because it contains ALL of these vital nutrients TOGETHER in a 100% vegetable capsule!

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, it has demonstrated great medical application in preventing and combating diabetes. According to cellular and molecular studies conducted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Iowa State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cinnamon plays the role of an insulin substitute in type II diabetes.

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. "We expected it to be bad. But it helped," he says.

Anderson's team found that people who eat apple pie have a significantly lower probability of getting Type II diabetes. Upon further examination, he isolated cinnamon as the substance in the apple pies that was preventing the diabetes.

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:

• All three of the groups given cinnamon showed reduced blood sugar levels.
• Collectively, all three levels of cinnamon resulted in:
  • Reduced blood sugar levels by by 18-29%,
  • Reduction of triglycerides by 23-30%
  • Reduced LDL cholesterol by 7-27%
  • Reduced total cholesterol by12-26%
• Even the group with the lowest amount of cinnamon (1 gram per day), produced an approximately 20% drop in blood sugar.
• When daily cinnamon was stopped, blood sugar levels began to increase.
• No significant changes were seen in those groups receiving placebo.

The researchers' concluded: "Including cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases."

"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."

• Cinnamon triples insulin's efficiency
• At least 1/2 teaspoon is critical to "soften" the cell membranes.

Further studies by the Anderson team have coroberated cinnamon's ability to improve insulin activity; and have led to the discovery of cinnamon's active ingredient; as well as an understanding of it's structure, and the mechanism by which it enhances insulin activity.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy, the Anderson team was able to describe the chemical structure of a molecule with "insulin-like" activity in cinnamon, as a water-soluble polyphenol compound called methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP).

Dr. Anderson discovered that MHCP not only stimulates glucose uptake by our cells, but it can even help in the synthesis of glycogen, a polymer of glucose that our bodies produce as a means of storing energy for later use, when it is depolymerized back to glucose. Producing adequate amounts of glycogen is a principal function of blood sugar metabolism, and MHCP can help. Anderson notes: "The chemical is very easily obtained." One of his colleagues tried soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. "He isn't diabetic but it lowered his blood sugar." said Anderson. The Anderson team was awarded patents related to MHCP in 2002.

In their latest paper, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Anderson et al. conclude that MHCP mimics insulin, has effects similar to that of insulin and works almost as well as insulin. He asserts that both of these substances work by chemically modifying our cells' insulin receptors in a manner that activates them to do their job, which is to allow glucose molecules to pass through the cell wall into the insulin cascade. He also discovered that when MHCP and insulin act together, the effect is synergistic, i.e., the total effect is greater than the sum of its parts." They characterize the insulin-enhancing complexes in cinnamon as "a collection of catechin/epicatechin oligomers that increase the body's insulin-dependent ability to use glucose roughly 20-fold".

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. Both test tube and animal studies have shown that compounds in cinnamon not only stimulate insulin receptors, but also inhibit an enzyme that inactivates them, thus significantly increasing cells' ability to use glucose.

Additionally, 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 with the insulin-enhancing compounds.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (also known as thioctic acid or lipoic acid), is a very powerful, natural antioxidant; and is the single most important supplement you can take to treat diabetes. Alpha Lipoic Acid (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 Lipoc 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. if you are diabetic you simply must take ALA daily. There is a mountain of evidence supporting the major benefits it provides all diabetics.

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 doctors found that in just 10 days, ALA helped cure insulin resistance, normalize blood sugar levels and cure diabetes.

The researchers pointed out that "Thioctic acid is a co-factor of key mitochondrial enzymes, involved in the regulation of glucose oxidation, such as the pyruvate dehydrogenase and the alpha-ketoglutatarate dehydrogenase, both enzyme complexes which are known to be diminished in diabetes." In plain words, this means ALA works with our bodies' enzymes to prevent glucose from being oxidized. They concluded "The clinical and experimental data indicate that this compound has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, correcting several metabolic pathways known to be altered in type 2 diabetes, such as insulin stimulated glucose uptake, glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis." The authors quote two human studies published in Diabetologica 1995 and Arzneimittelorschung 1995. "Here insulin sensitivity was increased 27 to 51% in merely 10 days!"

This is nothing less than incredible! Keep in mind these are real human studies, conducted at a major university, with 39 citations and with no funding from anyone. Results like this are far more than any pharmaceutical drug, anywhere on earth, at any cost could even begin to approach.

Other studies have shown that ALA Increases glucose effectiveness. When ingested, ALA decreases serum lactate and pyruvate concentrations improving glucose effectiveness in both lean and obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, because ALA inhibits glycosylation and peroxidation of nervous tissues and increases the levels of intra-cellular glutathione, it has been used to improve diabetic nerve damage and reduce pain associated with that nerve damage.

Nerve damage or neuropathy effects over 50% of diabetics and is one of its most damaging complications. A study published in "Diabetes Care" has shown that supplementing with ALA can partly restore diabetic nerve function after only four months of high-dose oral treatment. In 2001, Nutrition 17 published a study which was conducted at the University of Southern California, titled "Molecular Aspects of Lipoic Acid in the Prevention of Diabetes Complications". The researchers concluded "Available data strongly suggest that ALA, because of its antioxidant properties, is particularly suited to the prevention and/or treatment of diabetic complications, In addition, ALA increases glucose uptake, increases glucose disposal in type 2 diabetics and markedly reduces the symptoms of diabetic pathologies, including cataract formation, vascular damage and polyneurpathy". These are rather powerful statements coming from very well respected research groups.

Chromium and Vanadium are two very important minerals for diabetics.

Chromium can actually help insulin transport sugar to the cells. It works to make insulin more effective by "bridging" insulin to cell membranes, thus increasing the number of active insulin receptors, resulting in increased insulin sensitivity.

The trace mineral chromium is found in skin, fat, muscle, brain and adrenal glands. There is only about 6 mg in you, 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. Studies show that chromium supplements can help both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar.

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 exhibits a variety of significant insulin-mimetic properties, actually doing the job of insulin and transporting sugar to the cells.

linical trials indicate that "in vitro", vanadium salts have most of the same major effects of insulin on insulin-sensitive tissues. Favorable results are seen, as well, in animal models of insulin deficiency, where vanadium significantly reduces blood glucose levels, and in insulin-resistant diabetic animals, where vanadium improves glucose homeostasis.

In "in vivo" animal studies, examining the relationship between hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and hypertension, vanadium compounds produce significant, sustained decreases in both plasma insulin concentration and blood pressure. Restoring plasma insulin levels reversed the blood-pressure effect.

Clinical trials with vanadium compounds have produced benefits in both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. Results have been better, however, in type 2 patients. Six type 2 diabetic subjects treated with 100 milligrams of vanadyl sulfate daily for four weeks had significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose; beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity persisted for up to four weeks after vanadium treatment ended.

Banaba Leaf (Lagerstroemia speciosa) is a plant native to India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines and has several medicinal uses. In many cultures the banaba leaf is brewed into a tea and used as a treatment for diabetes and as a weigh loss aid. Banaba Leaf Extract provides a blood sugar lowering effect similar to that of insulin in that it induces glucose transport from the blood into body cells.

Recently, researchers have isolated an active ingredient in the banaba leaf called corosolic acid which was originally thought to be "the" blood sugar regulating 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 concluded that the whole herb has a glucose lowering effect. Another study reported that banaba leaf extract contains at least three active ingredients that effect blood sugar.

In animal studies, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in a significant decrease of blood glucose. The same studies suggest that corosolic acid may stimulate glucose transport into tissue. In other animal studies, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in reduced weight gain, reduced triglyceride accumulation and reduced adipose tissue, with no changes in diet. In noninsulin-dependent animals, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in suppressed blood plasma glucose, lower serum insulin and lower urinary excretion of glucose.

In clinical studies conducted by Dr William Judy and associates at the Southeastern Institute of Biomedical Research in Bradenton, Florida, a one per cent corosolic acid extract of banaba leaf reportedly reduced serum glucose 20-30% in people with type 2 diabetes, but did not reduce serum glucose in healthy individuals.

In a prior study, some of the same researchers observed that individuals receiving the corosolic acid extract also had an increased tendency toward weight loss . . . an average of about 3.2 pounds.

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. Widely sold in Asian groceries as a vegetable, bitter melon is employed as a folk remedy primarily for regulating blood sugar in cases of diabetes, as well as for colitis and dysentery, intestinal worms, jaundice and fevers. Current understanding of the phytochemicals in bitter melon suggests that these multiple uses are well founded.

Among the constituents in bitter melon, charantin is identified as a primary agent for blood-sugar regulation. Charantin demonstrates hypoglycaemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit in diabetes. The fruits also contain insulin-like peptides, including one known as polypeptide P, and alkaloids. It is likely that several substances in bitter melon contribute to its blood sugar-modifying effects. In human studies, bitter melon demonstrates significant blood-sugar control after food intake and overall blood sugar-lowering effects.

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, concluded that bitter melon has potent anti-diabetes effects. 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. When tested in muscle and fat cells, the researchers found, the compounds stimulated the glucose receptor GLUT4 to move from the cell interior to the cell surface, thus promoting more effective glucose metabolism. Several of the tested compounds had effects comparable to those of insulin. Tests in mice of two of the compounds found that they promoted both glucose tolerance and fat burning, and one was particularly effective in promoting glucose tolerance in animals consuming high fat diets.

The researchers note that there may be as many as 70 active compounds in bitter melon. "The present study provides an important basis for further analysis of structure-activity relationship to develop optimized leads from (bitter melon) for the treatment of insulin resistance and obesity," they conclude.

Momordica has also been found to be just as effective as glibenclamide in reducing blood sugar levels (J Ethnopharmacol 2003; 88(1): 107-111). In fact, a large study at Harvard University Medical School concluded that mormodica is one of the best natural remedies for diabetes (Diabetes Care 2003; 26(4): 1277-1294). It appears that mormodica contains compounds similar in structure to insulin, which have the same effects in regulating blood sugar levels. There is also evidence that mormodica can prevent the release of excess glucose into the bloodstream from the liver (Am J Health Syst Pharm 2003; 60(4): 356-359).

Gymnema Sylvestre is another herb, whose traditional use in treating diabetes, has been backed up by recent medical 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. When taken internally, it helps to control blood-sugar levels in diabetes.

The leaves of Gymnema sylvestre perform two significant functions relative to diabetes. First, they suppress blood glucose, especially after eating. Secondly, they are insulinotropic and promote insulin secretion. By this two-pronged approach, Gymnema sylvestre proves a valuable aid in diabetes control.

Scientists think its active ingredients (gymnemic acids) protect the cells of the pancreas from free radical damage, so allowing them to regenerate and produce insulin more effectively (Nutrition 2004; 20(3): 280-285). Studies have shown that gymnema can also reduce glucose absorption from the intestine, so helping to regulate blood sugar levels. A recent Harvard study indicates the Gymnema lowers blood sugar levels in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. A recent King's College, London, study states that Gymnema acts by increasing cell permatibility, therefore reducing insulin resistance.

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.

Studies reveal that fenugreek helps regulate blood glucose. The glucose-regulating, antidiabetic properties of fenugreek seed are linked to a novel free amino acid, 4-hydroxyisoleucine. This compound stimulates insulin secretion, thereby limiting the extent to which blood glucose is elevated; by promoting insulin secretion and inhibiting the rise of blood glucose, it helps stabilise blood sugar and reduces body fat production. In one human study, 15g/day fenugreek significantly reduced glucose levels after meals. Today fenugreek shows value as an antidiabetic agent with potential for weight control due to its 4-hydroxyisoleucine content. Some supplements are capsules of powdered seed, while others are more concentrated extracts standardized to 4-hydroxyisoleucine.

Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated the antidiabetic properties of fenugreek seeds. The active ingredient responsible for the antidiabetic properties of fenugreek is in the defatted portion of the seed that contains the alkaloid trogonelline, nicotinic acid and coumarin. Fenugreek contains six compounds that help regulate blood sugar levels. Modern research shows that fenugreek seeds not only lower blood glucose but reduce insulin levels, total cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL (the good cholesterol).

Diabetes Daily Care® uses all Natural Ingredients to Safely and Effectively Improve Glucose Metabolism.

There are other natural diabetes treatment formulas out in the market place today, but there is is none that combines the proven effectiveness of Alpha Lipoic Acid, Chromax® 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 treatment out there that compares to the quality and value of Diabetes Daily Care®

The vast majority of people who use Diabetes Daily Care® experience substantially reduced blood glucose levels. Most are able to cut back on or totally eliminate the use of prescription drugs with the blessings of their medical doctor. Most experience great improvement in many of the complications that are generally associated with diabetes, many have reported increased eye sight, better sleep, more energy, better circulation and improved weight management. Many men have also reported increased or restored sexual function.

It is very important to note that, because Diabetes Daily Care® may have significantly positive effects on your blood glucose levels, your medication needs may change and so your blood sugar and medication levels should be closely monitored. Even if your doctor does not know about or believe in natural alternative treatments, he should be informed of any changes you make in the management of your disease.