Numerous studies have linked mindfulness meditation practices, such as yoga and seated meditation, to health perks including improved sleep, help coping with stress, and even enhanced heart and brain health. Now, new research suggests there are also benefits of mindfulness for diabetes patients.

Those who meditate and engage in other types of mind-body activities have been shown to experience improvements in glycemic control and blood sugar levels.

This means that if you’re struggling with your metabolic health, it’s worth adding mind-body practices to your daily self-care routine. This can include different types of meditation, yoga and breathing exercises.

Study Findings: Mindfulness Linked to Blood Sugar Control

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine found that mind-body interventions helped improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

This is a promising finding considering that more than half (51%) of people with type 2 diabetes fail to keep their blood sugar levels within the target range.

This particular analysis, which included 28 studies, focused on changes in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (FBG) among patients with type 2 diabetes after they engaged in mind-body practices. HbA1c is a hemoglobin test that reveals average blood sugar levels over the past several months, while FBG measures someone blood sugar level after an overnight fast.

Results showed a statistically significant and clinically relevant mean reduction in HbA1c in all intervention subgroups, including those with diabetes who participated in mindfulness-based stress reduction, qigong and yoga. The greatest effects were seen among those who did yoga.

The new analysis found that, on average, mind-body practices led to a reduction of 0.84% in participants’ HbA1c. Yoga led to an average reduction of about 1%.

Over the study period, for every additional day of yoga practice per week that someone completed, HbA1c decreased by 0.22% on average. However, there was no significant association found between the frequency of weekly yoga practice and change in FBG over the study period.

In conclusion:

Mind and body practices are strongly associated with improvement in glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers involved in this analysis, as well as previous studies, believe that mindfulness, yoga and qigong can “be effective, complementary, non-pharmacological interventions for type 2 diabetes.”

What It Means

How can mindfulness help with diabetes?

It’s believed that there’s an association between “stress hormones,” such as cortisol and adrenaline, and hormones that manage blood sugar levels, including insulin.

Because mind-body practices help people handle stress, they’re also capable of positively influencing hormone production. One study found that meditation is associated with reductions in stress and negative emotions and improvements in patient attitude, health-related behaviors and coping skills.

More vigorous types of mind-body activities, such as fast-paced yoga classes, can also function as exercise, which is known to help improve blood glucose levels.

Finally, studies suggest that becoming more mindful often leads to greater self-awareness, greater self-care and improvements in quality of life, including among those with diabetes. This in turn can contribute to a generally healthy lifestyle and habits, such as choosing more nourishing foods, consuming less alcohol and getting adequate sleep.

Which meditation is best for diabetes?

There are lots of ways to meditate depending on your preferences. For example, yoga is considered a “moving/active meditation” because it involves focusing on your breath and linking it with movements and different postures. Tai chi and qigong are similar.

In the analysis described above, yoga had the biggest impact on blood sugar levels, but other types of mediation are beneficial for diabetics, too, including those that involve sitting quietly and focusing attention on your breath or focusing on sounds, body sensations, images or mantras.

For instance, both body scan meditations and sleep meditations can be helpful for boosting body awareness and managing stress.

Can meditation prevent diabetes?

In all likelihood, mindfulness and meditation can help promote metabolic health, but alone they are not enough to prevent diabetes if someone also doesn’t eat well and exercise.

Mind-body practices are considered “complimentary treatment approaches” and are intended to be used along with other treatments, such as a balanced diet, weight management, physical activity and medication when necessary.

Tips to Practice Mindfulness (+ Manage Blood Sugar)

If you’re new to mindfulness, other forms of meditation or yoga and want to know how to begin practicing, here are some tips:

• To do a basic mindfulness meditation, start by finding a quiet and calm place to sit or lay down where you’re comfortable and free from distractions. Close your eyes, breath in and out of your nose slowly, and keep your attention on your breath. When your attention wanders, bring it back to your breath and body. Continue doing this for five to 20 minutes.
• If you’re new to doing yoga, start with a beginner class either in person or online. Remember to keep breathing throughout the class, linking your movements with your breath as much as possible.

To help keep blood sugar levels within the healthy range, experts recommend:

• Eating a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet that is low in processed foods (especially those with added sugar and refined grains).
• Being active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.
• Speaking with your doctor about the need for medication.

Conclusion

• How do you calm down diabetes? A new meta-analysis found benefits of mindfulness for diabetes management, including mind-body practices like yoga and qigong.
• Mindfulness seems to help manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, likely because it helps people cope with stress and make better decisions for their overall health.
• Results from the analysis indicate that yoga has the greatest effect on glycemic control, but meditation, tai chi and qigong are helpful too.

The post Study Shows Benefits of Mindfulness for Diabetes appeared first on Dr. Axe.

According to researchers who study metabolic disorders, both genetics and lifestyle factors — especially one’s diet and exercise habits — can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

We’ve known for decades that to prevent and reverse diabetes naturally, eating a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet is key.

In fact, a new study found that the quality of someone’s diet plays as big a role as genetics do in determining if someone will develop diabetes.

What types of foods are included in a diabetic diet plan? As explained more below, some of the best choices include fresh veggies and fruits, high-fiber foods like legumes and nuts, fish, and whole grains.

Study Findings: Nutritious Diet May Lower Diabetes Risk

A study published in the journal PLOS Medicine in April 2022 sought out to determine if people’s genetics and diets interact in a way that leads to higher incidence of type 2 diabetes.

The study included nearly 36,000 adults living in the U.S. who participated in either the Nurses’ Health Study or the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. At the start of the diet, none of the participants had diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Participants’ genetic risk was characterized using polygenic scores, while diet quality was assessed using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI).

Findings showed that despite someone’s genetic risk for type 2 diabetes, if that person ate a “low quality diet” he or she had approximately a 30% increased risk of developing diabetes compared to if that person ate a “high quality diet.”

Overall, low diet quality and increased genetic risk seemed to have about equal impact on determining if someone will develop type 2 diabetes.

In conclusion, eating a healthy diet is associated with lower diabetes risk across all levels of genetic risk.

What It Means

If you follow a diet that scores high on the AHEI, you’ll be better protected against type 2 diabetes and other health conditions, too, including certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

What is a “high quality diet” according to the AHEI?

The AHEI was created by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It’s intended to serve as an alternative to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Eating Index.

The AHEI grades people’s diets based on scores ranging from 0 (non-adherence) to 110 (perfect adherence). Scores are based on how often someone eats certain foods, including healthy/whole foods and unhealthy/processed foods.

Foods that contribute to a high score on the AHEI, and therefore foods that should be emphasized in people’s diets, include:

• Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits (ideally five or more servings a day) — leafy greens, cruciferous veggies and berries are among the best choices
• Whole grains (five to six servings a day)
• Nuts and seeds
• Beans, legumes and vegetable protein (such as tofu)
• Fish (two to three servings per week)
• Healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado oil, flax oil, peanut oil
• Low-fat dairy products, such as unsweetened yogurt or kefir
• Water, herbal tea, teas and coffee

Foods that should be avoided, which contribute to a low-quality diet include:

• Sugary drinks, such as soda or fruit juices
• Ultra-processed foods made with added sugar, additives and lots of sodium
• Fast food and fried foods
• Butter and saturated fats, such as lots of cheese and processed meats

How does a healthy diet reduce the risk of diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that impairs your body’s ability to process nutrients properly, especially glucose (sugar/carbs). It occurs when someone’s body doesn’t make or respond to proper amounts of the hormone called insulin, which helps take glucose from the blood and move it to cells to be used for energy.

A healthy diet is essential for keeping blood sugar levels steady. It also helps reduce inflammation, which can worsen metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Finally, eating well can ward off weight gain and obesity, which are tied to a higher risk for diabetes.

The best type of diet for diabetics should include a mix of nutrient-rich, low-carb ingredients, including non-starchy veggies, protein foods and heart-healthy fats. Added sugar intake should be kept to a minimum to help keep blood sugar levels in the normal range. Protein, fiber and fat all help slow absorption of sugar, so these are important components of every meal.

Tips for Eating with Diabetes

Which nutrients help prevent diabetes? As mentioned above, some of the most important nutrients in an insulin resistance diet include:

• fiber
• antioxidants
• prebiotics
• probiotics
• protein
• healthy fats, such as omega-3s and monounsaturated fats

Here are tips for adding these nutrients to your diet:

• Read ingredient labels when shipping. Avoid things with added sugar and long lists of ingredients.
• Add more veggies and fruits to all of your meals. Aim to make half your plate fresh produce.
• Opt for plant-based protein options, such as beans and legumes, as well as fish over proteins like beef, pork or fried chicken.
• Add prebiotic and probiotic foods to your meals, which support gut health and therefore can help manage inflammation. These include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, artichokes, chicory, barley, asparagus, cocoa, berries, apples and other high-fiber foods.
• Use healthy fats when cooking, such as olive oil, but avoid frying with vegetable oil or using too much butter.
• Skip most foods found in packages and boxes, especially processed meats, frozen meals and many dairy products.
• Cook more at home, and eat less takeout and restaurant food. This will help slash your sodium, fat and calorie intake.

Conclusion

• Results from a 2022 study found that consuming a nutritious diet may reduce diabetes, regardless of someone’s genetic risk.
• What nutrients control diabetes? The best type of diet to follow for metabolic health is one that’s low in added sugar and refined carbs and high in fiber, protein, healthy fats, prebiotics and probiotics.

The post Study: A Nutritious Diet May Reduce Diabetes Risk Regardless of Genetics appeared first on Dr. Axe.

People with diabetes know how important dietary choices are for controlling symptoms and reducing the risk of serious disease. While watching carbohydrate and sugar intake is a common recommendation, a new study suggests that taking meal timing into account may also contribute to long-term health.

Meal timing for diabetes is still being researched, and before any specific recommendations can be made, it remains important to focus on eating nutrient-rich foods and a balanced combination of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats.

Study Findings: Meal Timing for Diabetes

A March 2022 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism investigated whether food intake time across three meals is associated with long-term survival for people with diabetes.

The study included 4,642 diabetic patients who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003–2014. Based on results on meal times and dietary choices, researchers analyzed the relationship between patient survival and food intake times.

The survey answers highlighted some interesting relationships between how not only food choices, but the time those foods are eaten playing a role in health among diabetic patients.

Researchers found that high intake of potato or starchy vegetables in the morning, whole grains in the afternoon, and dark vegetables and milk in the evening was associated with better long-term survival in people with diabetes. They also noted that lower intake of processed meats in the evening had beneficial effects.

What It Means

The results of this survey indicates that when it comes to diabetes management, both what you eat and when are important factors. That said, experts say they need more research before making specific recommendations for what foods to eat during specific times.

We know that people with diabetes are much more likely to develop other health conditions, including heart disease. Reducing this risk with a healthy diet is critical, and diabetic diet plans lay out which foods should be consumed and which ones avoided.

This latest study suggests that the timing of food consumption should be considered, too.

The best foods for diabetes allow you to maintain a healthy weight and normal blood sugar levels, while providing the energy and satiety you need. The key is filling your diet with nutrient-rich foods, and while food timing may play a role in your long-term health, researchers have to dive a little deeper before this concept is added to meal plans.

Although the survey results point to interesting facts regarding food timing, other factors that contribute greatly to health among diabetic patients, including physical activity and stress levels, should also be considered.

How to Eat to Manage/Prevent Diabetes

The best way to manage and prevent diabetes is to eat a healthy, balanced diet made up primarily of the following foods:

• Non-starchy vegetables, including leafy greens, broccoli, celery and carrots
• Organic meats, like grass-fed beef, poultry and lamb
• Wild seafood, including wild-caught salmon and mackerel
• Cage-free eggs
• Healthy fats, like olive oil, coconut oil and avocado

Some foods that diabetics can enjoy in moderation include:

• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits, like berries, apples and pears
• Organic dairy products, like unsweetened yogurt and feta cheese

If your diet is made up of the foods above, you’re in good shape! Load your plate up with these healthy options, and minimize or avoid the following:

• Grains and refined carbohydrates
• Legumes, like beans and lentils
• Starchy vegetables
• Processed and packaged snacks
• Sugar-sweetened beverages

In addition to eating these healthy foods, physical exercise is critical for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and weight. Activities like walking, swimming, biking and yoga are excellent additions to your day.

Conclusion

• A March 2022 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism analyzed whether food intake time across three meals is associated with long-term survival for people with diabetes.
• Survey results from over 4,600 diabetic patients indicate some interesting relationships between how not only food choices, but the time those foods are eaten playing a role in health among diabetic patients.
• Researchers found that high intake of potato or starchy vegetables in the morning, whole grains in the afternoon, and dark vegetables and milk in the evening was associated with better long-term survival in people with diabetes. They also noted that lower intake of processed meats in the evening had beneficial effects.
• The results of this survey indicates that when it comes to diabetes management, both what you eat and when are important factors. That said, experts say they need more research before making specific recommendations for what foods to eat during specific times.
• The key to diabetes management is to eat a nutrient-dense diet from real, organic foods, while avoiding irritating foods and processed foods.

The post New Study Explores Meal Timing for Diabetes appeared first on Dr. Axe.

We already know there are many health benefits of being outdoors and that walking as little as 10 minutes a day can help extend life span. It turns out, simply living in walkable neighborhoods can help reduce the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, according to new research from the Endocrine Society.

Study: Walkable Neighborhoods Reduce Prevalence of Obesity, Diabetes

For this study, published in the Endocrine Society’s journal Endocrine Reviews, researchers examined data on what is called the built environment. The built environment is a strategy implemented by U.S. policymakers to provide people access to “living, working and recreational spaces” in order to help combat the obesity and diabetes epidemics in America.

“This environment includes buildings, neighborhoods, parks, bike paths, restaurants, shops, roads and public transportation. Human health is affected by the physical environments we construct,” says the Endocrine Society.

This is important considering more than 37 million people, including an estimated 8.5 million who are undiagnosed, have diabetes in the United States and another 96 million adults have prediabetes (a staggering 38% of the U.S. adult population), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Couple that with the troubling numbers on obesity — namely that nearly 50% of the population is considered obese — and it’s easy to see why it’s vital to encourage people to be more active.

“The built environment can influence physical activity levels by promoting active forms of transportation, such as walking and cycling over passive ones, such as car use,” said Gillian L. Booth, M.D., M.Sc., the University of Toronto, St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto and ICES in Ontario. (Booth is co-author of the study.) “Shifting the transportation choices of local residents may mean that more members of the population can participate in physical activity during their daily routine without structured exercise programs.”

In reviewing numerous studies on how the built environment affects health, the researchers “found walkable, activity-friendly cities and neighborhoods were associated with a lower risk of obesity and diabetes.”

One study of 32,767 people in a population-based model found obesity prevalence was 10 percentage points lower in people living in highly walkable neighborhoods compared to those who don’t. In those living in walkable neighborhoods, the prevalence of obesity was 43% compared to 53% for the other participants.

What about the effect on diabetes? From the Booth and co-author Nicholas A. Howell, M.D., Ph.D., the University of Toronto:

A study of 1.1 million adults with normal blood sugar levels found the incidence of pre-diabetes was 20% higher among people living in less walkable areas after 8 years of follow up. Another study of 1.6 million adults found a 30% to 50% higher likelihood of developing diabetes among people living in low versus highly walkable areas. In a population-based Canadian study, moving from an unwalkable to a highly walkable neighborhood was associated with a 54% lower likelihood of being diagnosed with high blood pressure.

What It Means

Clearly, this research shows just how beneficial walking for weight loss and diabetes prevention is. It’s much better to walk when you can as opposed to getting in the car and passively sitting while you drive.

Of course, that’s not all walking has to offer in the way of benefits. It’s been linked to protection against:

• fatigue and low energy
• thyroid disorders
• PMS symptoms
• hormonal imbalances
• arthritis
• dementia and cognitive decline
• depression and anxiety
• heart disease and related risk factors

In addition, walking is a low-impact exercise that’s easy on the joints, supports bone health and can be done anywhere.

Other Tips for Obesity, Diabetes Prevention

To help prevent, manage or even potentially reverse diabetes, try the following:

• Remove and/or limit consumption of refined sugar, gluten grains, conventional cow milk, alcohol, GMO/bioengineered foods and hydrogenated oils.
• Consume a healthy diabetes diet full of fiber, chromium, magnesium, healthy fats, clean protein and low-glycemic foods.
• Supplement with chromium, cinnamon, omega-3 fish oil, alpha lipoic acid and bitter melon extract.
• Exercise to manage blood sugar levels.

When it comes to preventing obesity and keeping body fat in check, do the following:

• Consume more fat-burning foods, namely high-fiber foods and vegetables.
• Limit sugar, alcohol, soda and grains in the diet.
• Avoid obesogens that contribute to obesity, including phthalates, bisphenol A, polychlorinated biphenyls, atrazine, tributyltin, perfluorooctanoic acid and cigarette smoke.
• Practice mindful eating, and try intermittent fasting.
• Exercise regularly.
• Lower stress.
• Get enough sleep.

Conclusion

• Research from the Endocrine Society found that living in walkable neighborhoods can decrease the prevalence of obesity and diabetes among the population.
• Built environments, in which the design allows for active and walkable neighborhoods, are proving effective in combating the diabetes and obesity epidemics. People living in these type of walkable neighborhoods had lower incidence of obesity, diabetes and even some risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, in the studies examined.
• To maintain optimal health and stave off diabetes and obesity, walk as much as you can, eat a healthy diet, lower stress, get enough sleep and exercise regularly.

The post Walkable Neighborhoods Can Lower Risk for Diabetes, Obesity appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Pancreatic cancer is considered to be one of the most deadly of all cancers. (Only one in 10 diagnosed with this condition survives for five+ years.) Not only is it very difficult to treat, but it’s hard to screen for and to detect in its early stages.

Although pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer compared to others, such as skin or breast cancer, it’s expected to remain one of the most lethal cancers in the decades to come. This is why researchers are determined to find more early warning signs in hopes of stopping this type of cancer from progressing.

In 2022, a study uncovered an association between type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Type 2 diabetes affects more than 37 million Americans (about one in 10).

How are the two connected? Let’s find out below.

Study: Diabetes an Early Warning Sign of Pancreatic Cancer

It’s been known for tears that pancreatitis and diabetes are both risk factors for pancreatic cancer. In addition, researchers have recently learned that pancreatic attacks among diabetics seem to be even riskier.

A 2020 study conducted at the University of Auckland School of Medicine in New Zealand followed 139,000 people for 18 years. Participants involved in the study either had type 2 diabetes or pancreatitis (an inflammation of the pancreas) or both conditions at the same time.

Findings from the study showed that adults who developed diabetes after an attack of pancreatitis were seven times more likely to get pancreatic cancer compared to adults with type 2 diabetes who did not develop diabetes after pancreatitis.

Another study conducted in 2008 uncovered that people who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are between six and eight times more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years of their diagnosis compared to the general public.

Why is pancreatic cancer more prevalent in diabetics?

Diabetes affects the pancreas, which is a small organ tucked in the upper abdomen behind the stomach. The pancreas contains specialized cells that produce insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar (glucose) levels.

While there’s still more to learn about the link between type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer, scientists now believe type 2 diabetes may develop in some people who have cancer “hidden” in the pancreas. In other words, dysfunction of the pancreas due to cancer may trigger changes in insulin production and diabetes.

Diabetes and pancreas issues also share many of the same risk factors, such as heavy alcohol consumption, smoking, a poor diet and obesity.

Recently, researchers have also identified a gene, called UCP-1, that seems to help predict whether someone with diabetes will develop pancreatic cancer.

Other Signs and Symptoms to Look Out For

Type 2 diabetes can cause a range of symptoms that usually develop over the course of several years. While the condition is worsening, many people are unaware that they have diabetes and therefore fail to get diagnosed or treated.

If you’ve developed type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (higher than normal blood sugar level), which occurs before type 2 diabetes, you may not have any symptoms at all, or you may experience some.

Type 2 diabetes symptoms can include:

• Weight changes
• Changes in appetite
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Poor wound healing

While type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition that can sometimes be life-threatening, it’s not as deadly as pancreatic cancer in most cases.

Pancreatic cancer is often “silent but deadly” because it doesn’t tend to cause symptoms until it progresses. When it is detected at an early stage it’s usually because someone had an unrelated abdominal scan or surgery done, and then the cancer was found.

Anther tricky thing about pancreatic cancer symptoms is that they’re commonly “nonspecific,” meaning they can be attributed to other conditions.

While they’re not always obvious, signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer — which can start developing 18 to 36 months before diagnosis, can include:

• Stomach pains/abdominal discomfort
• Constipation
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Muscle loss and weakness
• Changes in blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides)
• Increased body temperature

If you have chronic pancreatitis — which can create scar tissue and make it difficult to produce insulin properly and absorb nutrients — you’ll likely have some symptoms. Chronic pancreatitis symptoms, which is a big risk factor for pancreatic cancer, include:

• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea
• Digestive upset
• Oily or fatty foul-smelling stools that float
• Clay-colored or pale stools
• Deep abdominal pain and tenderness that radiates to the back
• Glucose intolerance

How to Lower Risk of Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer

To help protect yourself from pancreatitis, pancreatic dysfunction, diabetes and potentially cancer, experts recommend these lifestyle changes (even if you already take insulin or other diabetes medications):

• Eat a healthy diet from as young an age as possible. A pancreatitis diet and one that protects against diabetes emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods with lots of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals (think: veggies, fruits, herbs, fish, whole grains, olive oil, etc.).
• Limit or avoid processed foods with added sugar, refined grains and poor-quality oils/fats.
• Maintain a healthy BMI, since obesity interferes with metabolic health and insulin sensitivity. This is very important for reversing diabetes naturally.
• Stay active, since exercise helps promote insulin sensitivity and can help protect against obesity.
• Quit smoking and using tobacco. (Smoking doubles the risk of many forms of cancer.)
• Avoid excess alcohol consumption, which can cause inflammation of the pancreas and other organs.
• Protect yourself against workplace/environmental exposure to certain chemicals, like those used in dry cleaning and metal work industries.
• Keep up with regular doctors’ visits and exams, especially as you age. About two-thirds of pancreatic cancer cases occur in those 65 and older. If you have a family history of cancer or inherited genetic mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, be sure to mention this to your doctor.

When visiting your doctor for annual exams, discuss whether your blood glucose level has been rising, especially if it’s happening rapidly and is difficult to control. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and are starting medication, be on the look out for warning signs of pancreatic-related issues.

Conclusion

• What is the relationship between pancreatic cancer and diabetes? Both of these conditions affect the pancreas (an organ that produces the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels).
• A recent study found that pancreatitis significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
• It’s speculated that some people may develop diabetes after pancreatitis attack (inflammation of the organ) because they actually have hidden cancer growing in the pancreas.
• To help limit your risk for both diseases, eat an anti-inflammatory diet, maintain a normal BMI, exercise, quit smoking and drinking lots of alcohol, and discuss your family history and genetic susceptibility with your doctor.

The post The Connection Between Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer appeared first on Dr. Axe.

We know that maintaining normal blood sugar levels is extremely important and can sometimes be challenging, but do you know how the body works to regulate this important function? A hormone called glucagon plays a major role.

Glucagon function kicks into action when your glucose levels become too low. It works with insulin to ensure that you maintain adequate blood glucose and can supply your body with fuel.

Unfortunately, these two important hormones don’t always work appropriately or can’t be produced at all. This can lead to major health issues if left unrectified.

What Is Glucagon? (Role in Body)

Glucagon is a peptide hormone that’s produced to maintain appropriate glucose levels in the bloodstream. Research indicates that it prevents blood glucose levels from becoming too low.

This is done through a process called glycogenolysis, which occurs when glucagon in the liver stimulates the conversion of stored glycogen to glucose. It’s this process that allows the body to maintain adequate plasma glucose concentrations.

Research suggests that glucagon is secreted from the alpha cells of the pancreas in response to:

• hypoglycemia
• long-term fasting
• exercise
• eating protein-rich meals

When you fast for a long period of time, this important protein promotes the use of stored fat for energy, which preserves the body’s use of glucose.

How It Works with Insulin

Glucagon and insulin are two hormones that work together to control blood sugar levels, but they have the opposite effects.

Glucagon is released when blood sugar levels become too low, while insulin is released when blood sugar levels are become too high.

In the case of hypoglycemia, the release of glucagon is stimulated in order to correct the imbalance. This may happen when a person has been fasting for a prolonged period of time or when he or she has eaten a meal containing high-protein foods.

Insulin, on the other hand, is stimulated during hyperglycemia, when blood sugar levels are too high.

Insulin signals your cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream to use it as energy. As the cells take in glucose, your blood glucose levels go down.

Any excess glucose is stored in the liver and muscles as a substance called glycogen. The body uses glycogen for energy in between meals.

Glucagon function promotes the conversion of glycogen to glucose when blood sugar levels become too low in order to keep this happy balance.

The body detects which hormone is needed to sustain blood sugar balance. Studies prove that glucagon release is prevented when blood glucose levels are elevated and after meals high in carbohydrates. On the flip side, the hormone is released after a meal high in protein.

Insulin plays a role in this balance as well — with its release triggered after high-carb meals and prevented after meals high in protein. The actions of glucagon and insulin goes back and forth throughout the day, regulating your blood glucose levels and body’s fuel supply.

Glucose Disorders

Abnormal glucose metabolism occurs when the body is unable to process sugar into energy. Humans need to maintain normal blood sugar levels in order to fuel the central nervous system.

The most common condition that hinders the body’s ability to maintain normal blood glucose is diabetes.

Insulin and glucagon aren’t produced or secreted properly for diabetics. This can lead to dangerously high blood glucose levels.

There are several types of diabetes that affect insulin and glucagon levels, including:

• Type 1 diabetes: A less common form of diabetes in which the immune system destroys cells that make insulin, so the hormone is never produced and must be taken instead. Type 1 diabetes usually causes more severe diabetes symptoms, and symptoms usually develop sooner and at a younger age than type 2 diabetes.
• Type 2 diabetes: This is when your body makes insulin, but your cells don’t respond to it properly. Type 2 diabetes leads to high blood glucose levels because insulin isn’t able to take it from the bloodstream for energy.
• Prediabetes: Prediabetes symptoms occur when your blood glucose levels are above normal but below the defined threshold of diabetes. This is considered an “at risk state,” and it can usually be prevented with lifestyle and diet changes.
• Gestational diabetes: Gestational diabetes is diagnosed between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy and occurs when a pregnant woman’s blood sugar levels are too high.

The two situations that can occur when your insulin and glucagon hormones aren’t functioning properly are:

• Hypoglycemia: Low blood glucose can happen as a result of fasting, excessive physical exertion and when diabetic patients unintentionally receive too much insulin or glucose-lowering medicine. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
  • hunger
  • anxiety and shakiness
  • sweating
  • dizziness
  • headache
  • muscle weakness
  • brain fog
• Hyperglycemia: High blood glucose occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it properly. This occurs in diabetic patients and people with hormonal imbalances. Symptoms generally include:
  • increased thirst
  • frequent urination
  • trouble concentrating
  • blurred vision
  • headaches
  • weakness
  • numbness

Glucagon Injection Uses

Our bodies make glucagon naturally, but there is also a synthetic version that’s available as a prescription medication.

Glucagon injections are sometimes needed in severe cases of hypoglycemia. Injectable glucagon kits are available to patients with diabetes, in case they become unconscious from a severe insulin reaction, or to people with an unusual case of glucagon secretion deficiency.

An emergency kit typically contains freeze-dried glucagon in powder form, which can be used as an injection in a one-milliliter syringe of diluent. The powder contains one unit of glucagon, which is 1 milligram, and 49 milligrams of lactose. The unit is mixed with the diluent before injection.

The effect of a glucagon injection is limited. A person dealing with severe hypoglycemia would need to consume carbohydrates once he or she is able to do so in order to maintain blood sugar balance.

Dosage

One unit of glucagon typically contains 1 milligram, which is the suggested dose for adults and children over 44 pounds with hypoglycemia. Children under 44 pounds should receive 0.5 units, which would be a 0.5 milligram dose of glucagon.

Another common dosage recommendation is 20–30 micrograms per one kilogram of body weight.

Glucagon units can be administered with an emergency kit intravenously, intramuscularly or subcutaneously.

After a hypoglycemic episode that requires glucagon administration, a health care professional should be notified, and glucose levels should be monitored until they are restored.

Risks, Side Effects and Interactions

Glucagon side effects may include nausea and vomiting. However, these are also symptoms of hypoglycemia for which synthetic glucagon may be used.

In rare cases, glucagon medications can cause allergy symptoms, such as rash, itching, respiratory issues and low blood pressure.

For people with conditions that won’t allow their livers to produce glucose properly, taking glucagon will not be effective. This may include patients with adrenal insufficiency and chronic hypoglycemia.

In these cases, oral glucose may be more effective.

It’s possible to secrete too much glucagon, which is caused by a rare tumor in the pancreas called a glucagonoma.

Excessive glucagon can cause health issues like:

• diabetes mellitus
• thrombosis
• skin rash
• weight loss

Glucagon does interact with certain medications, specifically anticoagulants like Warfarin. Patients who must take the hormone for low blood pressure while using anticoagulants should be monitored by a health care professional.

The safety of glucagon during pregnancy and while nursing is unclear, but the risk to the unborn fetus is considered low.

Conclusion

• Glucagon is a peptide hormone that works together with insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
• This hormone is secreted when blood sugar levels become too low. It triggers the conversion of stored glycogen to glucose, which can then be used by the body for fuel.
• For people with hypoglycemia, glucagon injections can be used to immediately regulate blood glucose. This is typically used for severe emergency situations.
• The best way to resolve low blood sugar in normal situations is to eat a meal high in carbohydrates.

The post What Is Glucagon? Roles, Side Effects & How It Works With Insulin appeared first on Dr. Axe.

The statistics are alarming, and they get even worse. Another 86 million people have prediabetes, with up to 30 percent of them developing type 2 diabetes within five years. And perhaps the most concerning, about a third of people who have diabetes — approximately 8 million adults — are believed to be undiagnosed and unaware.

That’s why it’s so vital to understand and recognize diabetes symptoms. And there’s actually good news. While there’s technically no known “cure” for diabetes — whether it’s type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes — there’s plenty that can be done to help reverse diabetes naturally, control diabetes symptoms and prevent diabetes complications.

The Most Common Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that results from problems controlling the hormone insulin. Diabetes symptoms are a result of higher-than-normal levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood. With type 1 diabetes, symptoms usually develop sooner and at a younger age than with type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes also normally causes more severe symptoms. In fact, because type 2 diabetes signs and symptoms can be minimal in some cases, it sometimes can go diagnosed for a long period of time, causing the problem to worsen and long-term damage to develop.

While it’s still not entirely known how this happens, prolonged exposure to high blood sugar can damage nerve fibers that affect the blood vessels, heart, eyes, limbs and organs. In fact, hyperglycemia or high levels of blood sugar is a telltale sign of diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) as well as prediabetes. When left untreated, diabetes can cause complications like an increased chance of coronary heart disease, trouble getting pregnant or a risky pregnancy, vision loss, digestive issues, and more.

While at least certain diabetes mellitus symptoms usually become obvious after some time, some people with type 2 diabetes have symptoms so mild that they go totally unnoticed. This is especially true among women with gestational diabetes, the type that develops during pregnancy and usually only lasts for a short period of time. Women with gestational diabetes often have no noticeable symptoms at all, which is why it’s important for at-risk women to be tested and monitored in order to prevent complications and ensure a healthy, vibrant pregnancy. (2)

Common symptoms and signs of type 1 diabetes include: (3)

• frequently feeling thirsty and having a dry mouth
• changes in your appetite, usually feeling very hungry, sometimes even if you’ve recently eaten (this can also occur with weakness and trouble concentrating)
• fatigue, feeling always tired despite sleeping and mood swings
• blurred, worsening vision
• slow healing of skin wounds, frequent infections, dryness, cuts and bruises
• unexplained weight changes, especially losing weight despite eating the same amount (this happens due to the body using alternative fuels stored in muscle and fat while releasing glucose in the urine)
• heavy breathing (called Kussmaul respirations)
• potentially a loss of consciousness
• nerve damage that causes tingling sensations or pain and numbness in the limbs, feet and hands (more common among people with type 2 diabetes)

Common diabetes symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes include: (4)

Type 2 diabetes can cause all of the same symptoms described above, except they normally start later in life and are less severe. Many people develop type 2 diabetes symptoms in midlife or in older age and gradually develop symptoms in stages, especially if the condition goes untreated and worsens. Besides the symptoms mentioned above, other type 2 diabetes symptoms or signs can include:

• chronically dry and itchy skin
• patches of dark, velvety skin in the folds and creases of the body (usually in the armpits and neck). This is called acanthosis nigricans.
• frequent infections (urinary, vaginal, yeast and of the groin)
• weight gain, even without a change in the diet
• pain, swelling, numbness or tingling of the hands and feet
• sexual dysfunction, including loss of libido, reproductive problems, vaginal dryness and erectile dysfunction

Symptoms Caused by Diabetes Complications

While diabetes itself often causes the symptoms described above, it’s also possible to experience many complications from diabetes that cause other, usually more drastic and harmful symptoms. This is why early detection and treatment of diabetes is so important — it can greatly decrease the risk of developing complications like nerve damage, cardiovascular problems, skin infections, further weight gain/inflammation and more.

A 2018 Swedish study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology highlighted that there are five different groups of patients with significantly different disease progression characteristics and risk of diabetic complications. The data-driven cluster analysis, which studied newly diagnosed diabetes patients, revealed that the group most resistant to insulin had a remarkably higher risk of diabetic kidney disease. Those who were grouped as “insulin deficient” had the highest risks of retinotherapy (diabetic eye disease). The groups classified in this study were compared to the characteristics and risk of diabetic complications in traditional type 2 diabetes patients. This revelation represents the first step in creating tailored medicine for diabetes patients. (5)

How likely are you to experience complications? Several factors influence whether you will develop worsened symptoms or complications due to diabetes, including:

• how well you control blood sugar levels, including potentially becoming hyperglycemic (having abnormally high blood sugar)
• your blood pressure levels
• how long you have had diabetes
• your family history/genes
• your lifestyle, including your diet, exercise routine, stress levels and sleep

The Diabetes Prevention Program conducted a randomized clinical trial over three years and found that diabetes incidence in high-risk adults was reduced by 58 percent after they followed intensive lifestyle intervention compared to 31 percent after taking medication (metformin). Both were significantly more impactful at preventing complications compared with taking a placebo or not making lifestyle changes. And the positive changes lasted at least 10 years after the study was done! (6)

Symptoms Related to Nerve Damage (Neuropathy):

A full half of all people with diabetes will develop some form of nerve damage, especially if it goes uncontrolled for many years and blood glucose levels remain abnormal. There are several different types of nerve damage caused by diabetes that can cause various symptoms: peripheral neuropathy (which affects the feet and hands), autonomic neuropathy (which affects organs like the bladder, intestinal tract and genitals), and several other forms that cause damage to the spine, joints, cranial nerves, eyes and blood vessels. (7)

Signs of nerve damage caused by diabetes can include:

• tingling in the feet, described as “pins and needles”
• burning, stabbing or shooting pains in my feet and hands
• sensitive skin that feels very hot or cold
• muscle aches, weakness and unsteadiness
• rapid heartbeats
• trouble sleeping
• changes in perspiration
• erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness and loss of orgasms caused by nerve damage around the genitals
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• proneness to injuries or falling
• changes in the senses, including hearing, sight, taste and smell
• trouble with normal digestion, including frequent stomach bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, vomiting

Skin-Related Diabetes Symptoms:

One of the areas affected most and quickest by diabetes is the skin. Diabetes symptoms on the skin can be some of the most easy to recognize and earliest to show up. Some of the ways that diabetes affects the skin is by causing poor circulation, slow wound healing, lowered immune function, and itching or dryness. (8) This makes yeast infections, bacterial infections and other skin rashes more easy to develop and harder to get rid of.

Skin problems triggered by diabetes include:

• rashes/infections that are sometimes itchy, hot, swollen, red and painful
• bacterial infections (including vaginal yeast infections and Staphylococcus bacteria, also called staph)
• styes in the eyes and eyelids
• acne
• fungal infections (including candida symptoms that affect the digestive tract and fungus in skin folds, such as around the nails, under the breasts, between fingers or toes, in the mouth, and around the genitals)
• jock itch, athlete’s foot and ringworm
• dermopathy
• necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum
• blisters and scales, especially around infections
• folliculitis (infections of hair follicles)

Eye-Related Diabetes Symptoms:

Having diabetes is one of the biggest risk factors for developing eye problems and even vision loss/blindness. People with diabetes have a higher risk of blindness than people without diabetes, but most only develop minor problems that can be treated before they worsen.

Diabetes affects the outer, tough membrane part of the eyes; the front part, which is clear and curved; the cornea/retina, which focus light; and the macula. According to the National Diabetes Association, almost everyone with type 1 diabetes eventually has nonproliferative retinopathy, and most people with type 2 diabetes also get it. (9)

Symptoms of diabetes related to vision/eye health can include:

• Diabetic retinopathy (a term for all disorders of the retina caused by diabetes, including nonproliferative and proliferative retinopathy)
• nerve damage to the eyes
• cataracts
• glaucoma
• macular degeneration
• seeing spots, vision loss and even blindness

One of the areas of the eyes most impacted by diabetes is the macula, which is specialized for seeing fine details and allowing us to see with sharp vision. Problems with blood flow making its way from the retina to the macula leads to glaucoma, which is 40 percent more likely to occur in people with diabetes than in healthy people. Risk for glaucoma goes up the longer someone has had diabetes and also the older a person becomes.

Similarly, adults with diabetes are also two to five times more likely than those without diabetes to develop cataracts. Cataracts forms when the eye’s clear lens becomes cloudy, which blocks normal light from entering. Due to poor blood flow and nerve damage, diabetics are also more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age and have them progress faster.

With the different types of retinopathy, small blood vessels (capillaries) in the back of the eye balloon and form pouches, which blocks normal blood flow. This can develop in stages and worsen until vision loss is possible when the capillary walls lose their ability to control the passage of substances between the blood and the retina. Fluid and blood can leak into parts of the eyes, block vision, cause scar tissue to form, and distort or pull the retina out of its normal alignment, which impairs vision.

Meanwhile,  a serious complication of diabetes called diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when your body produces high levels of ketones (or blood acids). This condition occurs when your body can’t produce enough insulin.

6 Natural Ways to Help Control Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes is a serious condition that comes with many risks and symptoms, but the good news is it can be managed with correct treatment and lifestyle changes. A high percentage of people with type 2 diabetes are able to reverse and manage their diabetes symptoms completely naturally by improving their diets, levels of physical activity, sleep and stress levels. And although type 1 diabetes is harder to treat and manage, complications can also be reduced by taking the same steps.

One of the best things to do to prevent diabetes symptoms from worsening is to educate yourself about how diabetes forms and worsens, plus about natural remedies for diabetes that can help you find relief. With diabetes care, studies have found that interventions, such as nurse-led talks, having a home aid, diabetes education, pharmacy-led interventions, and education on dosing and frequency of medications, can help improve quality of life in people with diabetes.

So while most people with diabetes on medicine as part of diabetes care, here are some invaluable natural ways to treat diabetes.

1. Keep Up with Regular Checkups

Many people with complications of diabetes won’t have noticeable symptoms (for example, nonproliferative retinopathy, which can cause vision loss or gestational diabetes during pregnancy). This makes it really important that you get checked out by your doctor regularly to monitor your blood sugar levels, progression, eyes, skin, blood pressure levels, weight and heart.

To make sure you don’t put yourself at a higher risk for heart problems, work with your doctor to make sure you maintain near normal blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride (lipid) levels. Ideally, your blood pressure shouldn’t go over 130/80. You should also try to maintain a healthy weight and reduce inflammation in general. The best way to do this is to eat an unprocessed, healthy diet as well as exercise and sleep well.

2. Eat a Balanced Diet and Exercise

As part of a healthy diabetes diet plan, you can help keep your blood sugar in the normal range by eating unprocessed, whole foods and avoiding things like added sugars, trans fats, processed grains and starches, and conventional dairy products.

Physical inactivity and obesity are strongly associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, which is why exercise is important to control symptoms and lower the risk for complications, such as heart disease. The National Institute of Health states that people can sharply lower their risk for diabetes by losing weight through regular physical activity and a diet low in sugar, refined fats and excess calories from processed foods. (10a) The keto diet, for example, fits the bill for these requirements and will result in less insulin secretion.

3. Control Blood Sugar to Help Stop Nerve Damage

The best way to help prevent or delay nerve damage is to closely regulate your blood sugar levels. If you suffer from digestive issues due to nerve damage affects your digestive organs, you can benefit from taking digestive enzymes, probiotics and supplements like magnesium that can help relax muscles, improve gut health and control symptoms.

Other problems like hormonal imbalances, sexual dysfunctions and trouble sleeping also will be greatly reduced when you improve your diet, nutrient intake, stress levels and condition overall.

4. Help Protect and Treat the Skin

People with diabetes tend to have more bacterial, fungal and yeast infections than healthy people do. If you have diabetes, you can help prevent skin problems by managing your blood sugar levels, practicing good hygiene and treating skin naturally with things like essential oils.

Doctors also recommend you limit how often you bathe when your skin is dry, use natural and mild products to clean your skin (instead of many harsh, chemical products sold in most stores), moisturize daily with something mild like coconut oil for skin, and avoid burning your skin in the sun.

5. Safeguard the Eyes

People who keep their blood sugar levels closer to normal are less likely to have vision-related problems or at least more likely to experience milder symptoms. Early detection and appropriate follow-up care can save your vision.

To help lower the risk for eye-related problems like mild cataracts or glaucoma, you should have your eyes checked at least one to two times yearly. Staying physically active and maintaining a healthy diet can prevent or delay vision loss by controlling blood sugar, plus you should also wear sunglasses when in the sun. If your eyes become more damaged over time, your doctor might also recommend you receive a lens transplant to preserve vision.

6. Consider a Form of Fasting

In mice, researchers have been able to reverse some symptoms of diabetes and restore pancreas functions by putting them on a version of the fasting-mimicking diet. (10b) This is a diet that involves severe caloric restriction for five days out of the month. It follows the same principle as fasting by temporarily depriving the body of food to take advantage of health benefits like increased fat burning and reduced inflammation. However, because the study only involved mice as well as human cells in lab conditions, the researchers do not recommend trying this at home to treat diabetes.

In a human study published in Diabetes Care, simply skipping breakfast (and not eating til noon each day) did show a long-term influence of breakfast on glucose regulation that persists throughout the day. Ultimately, breakfast consumption was seen to be be a successful strategy for the reduction of postprandial hyperglycemia (blood sugar levels after eating) in type 2 diabetes. (10c)

A 2018 report concluded medically-supervised fasting may eliminate the need for insulin in some patients with type 2 diabetes. (10d) Participants fasted for 24 hours three days a week for several months. On fasting days, they ate dinner. On non-fasting days, they ate lunch and dinner. Low-carb meals were advised throughout. The study was small, with just three participants, but it found all three participants were able to discontinue insulin within five to 18 days. Two ended up stopping all diabetes medications. While these results are promising, any changes in nutrition should be medically-supervised — and not attempted alone.

Facts and Prevalence of Diabetes

• It’s estimated by the American Diabetes Association that 30.3 million Americans have one of three forms of diabetes (type 1, type 2 or gestational). This equals about 9.4 percent of the population or about one in every 11 people. (11a)
• Within his or her lifetime, an American has a one in three chance of developing diabetes at some point.
• Another 86 million people have prediabetes (when blood glucose levels or A1C levels — from the a1c test — are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes). Without intervention, up to 30 percent of people with prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within five years.
• Almost one third of people with diabetes (around 7.2 million, according to the American Diabetes Association) are believed to be undiagnosed and unaware.
• Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of diabetes-related complications, such as blindness, non-traumatic amputations and chronic kidney failure. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, and it’s called diabetic kidney disease. It also raises the risk for heart disease, stroke and reproductive/fertility problems.
• Gestational diabetes (the type triggered by pregnancy and hormonal changes) affects about 4 percent of all pregnant women, especially Hispanic, African-American, Native American and Asian women, along with those who are over 25 years old, above their normal body weight before pregnancy and who have a family history of diabetes. (11b)
• People with diabetes have a 50 percent higher risk for death than people without diabetes within a given time frame.
• Medical costs for people with diabetes is on average twice as much as for those without.

What Causes Diabetes?

People develop diabetes when they stop releasing or responding to normal amounts of insulin in response to consuming foods with carbohydrates, sugar and fats. In healthy people, the pancreas releases insulin to help with the use and storage of sugar (glucose) and fats, but people with diabetes either produce too little insulin or fail to respond appropriately to normal amounts of insulin — ultimately causing high blood sugar.

Insulin is a crucial hormone because it allows macronutrients to be properly broken down and transported to cells to be used for “fuel” (or energy). We need insulin to carry glucose through the bloodstream to cells in order to provide enough energy for muscle growth and development, brain activity, and so on. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your bloodstream, so as blood sugar levels drop, normally so does secretion of insulin from the pancreas.

Type 1 diabetes (also called “juvenile”/young diabetes) is different than type 2 diabetes because it occurs when insulin-producing cells of the pancreas get destroyed by the immune system, therefore no insulin is produced and blood sugar levels go unmanaged. Type 1 diabetes tends to develop at a younger age, usually before someone turns 20 years old. (12a) In fact, something called latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is a disorder where the progression of autoimmune β-cell failure is slow. LADA patients usually do not require insulin, at least during the first 6 months after a diabetes diagnosis. (12b)

With type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced but it’s either not enough or the person doesn’t respond to it appropriately (called “insulin resistance“). Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in people over age 40 (although it’s becoming more prevalent in children), especially those who are overweight.

Insulin is what regulates glucose levels in the blood, and it’s normally tightly controlled by the pancreas, which responds to how much glucose is detected in the blood at any one time. This system fails when someone has diabetes, causing various symptoms to emerge that can affect nearly every system in the body. With diabetes, signs of blood sugar fluctuations often include changes in your appetite, weight, energy, sleep, digestion and more.

The underlying causes of diabetes are multifaceted. The disease can develop due to a combination of factors, including a poor diet, high levels of inflammation, being overweight, a sedentary lifestyle, genetic susceptibility, high amounts of stress, and exposure to toxins, viruses and harmful chemicals.

One’s genetics contribute to the risk of developing type 1 diabetes, apparently specifically increased by certain variants of the HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 genes. (13a)

The risk for type 2 diabetes goes up substantially when someone has the following characteristics: (13b)

• being over the age of 45
• being overweight or obese
• leading a sedentary lifestyle
• family history of diabetes (especially parent or sibling)
• family background that is African-American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian-American, Hispanic/Latino or Pacific Islander American
• history of heart disease, high blood pressure (140/90 or above), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol below 35 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or triglyceride level above 250 mg/dL
• hormonal imbalances, including polycystic ovary syndrome

Takeaways

• With type 1 diabetes, symptoms usually develop sooner and at a younger age than with type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes also normally causes more severe symptoms. In fact, because type 2 diabetes signs and symptoms can be minimal in some cases, it sometimes can go diagnosed for a long period of time, causing the problem to worsen and long-term damage to develop.
• While diabetes itself often causes the symptoms described above, it’s also possible to experience many complications from diabetes that cause other, usually more drastic and harmful symptoms. This is why early detection and treatment of diabetes is so important — it can greatly decrease the risk of developing complications like nerve damage, cardiovascular problems, skin infections, further weight gain/inflammation and more.
• One of the areas affected most and quickest by diabetes is the skin. Diabetes symptoms on the skin can be some of the most easy to recognize and earliest to show up. Some of the ways that diabetes affects the skin is by causing poor circulation, slow wound healing, lowered immune function, and itching or dryness.
• Having diabetes is one of the biggest risk factors for developing eye problems and even vision loss/blindness. People with diabetes have a higher risk of blindness than people without diabetes, but most only develop minor problems that can be treated before they worsen.
• You can treat diabetes symptoms naturally by keeping up with regular checkups, eating a balanced diet and exercising, controlling blood sugar to help stop nerve damage, protecting and treating the skin, and safeguarding the eyes.

Read Next: Diabetic Diet Plan + Supplementation

The post Diabetes Symptoms to Be Aware Of + 6 Natural Ways to Control appeared first on Dr. Axe.

A large study published in the 1970s shaped how most people have thought about normal cholesterol levels for over 40 years. In the decades that followed, cholesterol-lowering drugs have become a major cash cow for pharmaceutical companies — between 1988–1994, the CDC reports less than two percent of Americans were on one of these medications, while over 14 percent reported taking them between 2011–2014. Today, an astounding 49.2 percent of people over 65 take cholesterol-lowering medication! (1)

What if I told you the results on that culture-shaking study were published in a totally misleading way? It’s true: how we measure cholesterol levels and even what we believe them to mean has been based on a false premise. Doctors are pressed to prescribe drugs like statins (Lipitor, for example) to tens of millions of “qualifying patients,” and their goal of reducing cholesterol levels may be a (mostly) pointless effort. (2)

On the other hand, normal cholesterol levels are important to maintain because extremely high cholesterol is a sign that something is wrong — or could go very wrong in the future (read: heart disease). These risks are amplified when you also have high triglycerides; together, these are referred to as hyperlipidemia. Sometimes, it’s important to lower cholesterol — naturally.

Let’s unravel the truth: What is cholesterol? Does it really need to be as low as you’ve been told? Are there different types of cholesterol? How can you get normal cholesterol levels — and what are normal cholesterol levels?

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance contained in all cells of the body as well as some foods. It’s a precursor substance necessary for the creation of vitamin D, some hormones and bile salts that break down carbs, fats and proteins. Your brain also needs cholesterol, as it helps to create neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

High cholesterol foods include a gamut of very healthy to incredibly unhealthy choices, from eggs and dark chocolate to potato chips and cookies. The five items consumed in the U.S. that are highest in dietary cholesterol include eggs, chicken, beef, hamburgers and cheese. (3)

For a while, it was widely believed that eggs were bad for your heart because they contain so much cholesterol (24.6 percent of eggs are cholesterol, to be exact) and would increase your serum cholesterol (the amount of this substance in your blood). However, it seems that dietary cholesterol actually isn’t as detrimental to your health as it seemed at first. Eating eggs long-term, for example, doesn’t actually increase your heart disease markers, including serum cholesterol. (4)

Your serum cholesterol numbers matter because high cholesterol levels build up in your arteries, forming plaques that lead to arteriosclerosis, a form of the heart disease.

However, I’ve already pointed out that cholesterol is an important factor in many vital bodily functions. Why is high cholesterol something that causes so much concern?

HDL Cholesterol vs. LDL Cholesterol

The more research is done, the more doctors are realizing that, even within the two common distinctions of cholesterol, there are many variations.

On a basic level, your body has two types of cholesterol circulating: LDL and HDL cholesterol. Many people think of LDL as “bad” cholesterol, but that’s not really a fair assessment — it’s all cholesterol, and these proteins “shuttle” fats to and from cells. They’re just different sizes.

What is HDL cholesterol? HDL stands for “high-density lipoprotein,” meaning HDL particles are larger than LDL particles. Your HDL cholesterol transports cholesterol particles from bodily tissue to the liver, where it can be reused or removed. LDL is “low-density lipoprotein” cholesterol and should be kept in a specific ratio to HDL particles to maintain a low risk for heart disease.

There’s a third kind of cholesterol that isn’t tested on normal cholesterol tests, but rather is estimated based on your triglyceride level: VLDL cholesterol, or very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. VLDL contains 70 percent triglycerides by volume, versus LDL or HDL that contain much less. VLDL cholesterol is what transports most of the triglycerides throughout your bloodstream, and high levels of these two particles are much of what cause plaque to build up in the arteries.

High Cholesterol Symptoms

So, what is high cholesterol? Can you feel it happening?

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there are no known symptoms of high cholesterol. (5) The reason high cholesterol is considered problematic is not because of any outward symptom, but because some research indicates that it may increase your risk of heart disease if it stays high over the course of several years.

For most people, maintaining normal cholesterol levels is a matter of diet and lifestyle. Lowering your cholesterol by means of medication and to incredibly low levels doesn’t actually seem to impact incidence of coronary heart disease or death from such, though — a truth that was only published in The BMJ in 2016. (6)

My focus has always been on achieving good ratios of different cholesterol levels and practicing a diet and lifestyle that gives my body the best overall chance at health.

What causes high cholesterol? Likely, this happens if you eat a diet high in omega-6s but low in omega-3s (which leads to inflammation), processed foods, a lot of refined grains and excess sugar. Smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle also contribute to high cholesterol.

Healthy Cholesterol Levels

What are healthy cholesterol numbers, then? I’ve never focused on numbers here as much as I consider the ratios. However, an overall cholesterol number of 330 or above seems likely too high — although that still depends on the ratios. The LDL cholesterol normal range, although very numerically defined in conventional medicine, is actually totally dependent on other factors.

Here are two cholesterol ratios that I think are more important than having normal cholesterol levels according to conventional tests:

HDL to LDL Cholesterol: I suggest monitoring your HDL to LDL cholesterol by making sure you have a ratio of one HDL particle to every 2.5 LDL particles (1:2.5). A ratio of 1:6 or higher means your cholesterol is pretty out of whack, while a ratio of 1:10 or higher is what I consider to be dangerously unhealthy.

To calculate where you fall, multiply your HDL number by 2.5. If the result is the same or higher as your LDL cholesterol number, then your ratio is in a good range.

Triglycerides to HDL Cholesterol: When you divide your triglycerides to your total HDL cholesterol, it can help reveal elevated heart disease risk. This could be due to the fact triglyceride numbers relate directly to the amount of VLDL cholesterol you currently have.

If that number is higher than .02 (2%), it’s time to work on getting back to normal cholesterol levels and normal triglyceride levels because you suffer from hyperlipidemia. What is hyperlipidemia? It means your triglycerides and cholesterol are both too high.

For reference, here are what conventional medicine considers to be normal cholesterol levels:

Total Cholesterol

• Below 200 mg/dL — Desirable
• 200–239 mg/dL — Borderline high
• 240 mg/dL and above — High

LDL Cholesterol Ranges

• Below 70 mg/dL — Ideal for people at very high risk of heart disease
• Below 100 mg/dL — Ideal for people at risk of heart disease
• 100–129 mg/dL — Near ideal
• 130–159 mg/dL — Borderline high
• 160–189 mg/dL — High
• 190 mg/dL and above — Very high

HDL Cholesterol Ranges

• Below 40 mg/dL (men); below 50 mg/dL (women) — Poor
• 50–59 mg/dL — Better
• 60 mg/dL and above — Best

Triglycerides

• Below 150 mg/dL — Desirable
• 150–199 mg/dL — Borderline high
• 200–499 mg/dL — High
• 500 mg/dL and above — Very high

Take note: the LDL levels normal range (particularly for people at high risk) is nearly impossible to achieve without being on cholesterol-lowering medications. The HDL levels normal range doesn’t even make sense, as it only matters what ratio it is compared to triglycerides and LDL as far as heart disease risk goes.

Many physicians will begin suggesting statins when total cholesterol reaches around 108 mg/dL or higher (cholesterol level 6, for countries where the measurements are mmol/L rather than mg/dL). 

Natural Remedies for High Cholesterol

1. Kick the Carbs

Total starchy food and carbohydrate intake are associated with metabolic syndrome, a condition identified by high cholesterol and other factors that equate to higher heart disease risk. (8)

Ever heard of the keto diet? This low carb, high fat and moderate protein dietary model features a ton of cholesterol-lowering foods and has shown an impressive result in increasing HDL cholesterol, weight and triglycerides while sometimes decreasing LDL cholesterol levels and even making LDL particles larger. (9, 10, 11) I know it sounds totally backwards, but increasing your fat intake actually helps to regulate cholesterol, in both the short- and long-term!

However, these results may not hold true for children with high cholesterol. (11) Instead, you may want to try something closer to the Mediterranean diet, which also includes low amounts of refined carbohydrates and healthy fats, but not to the same extreme as keto. The high amount of healthy fats in the Mediterranean diet also can help to raise your HDL cholesterol. (12)

Bonus: These diets both help you to accomplish another way to achieve normal cholesterol levels, which is …

2. Lose Weight

Losing just 5–10 percent of your total body weight helps to reduce triglycerides and increase HDL levels. That type of minimal (but significant) weight loss doesn’t typically impact LDL cholesterol numbers but can improve your overall cholesterol ratios. (13)

3. Have a Glass of Red Wine

If you’re wondering how to lower cholesterol levels, it may surprise you to learn that moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher HDL levels. (14) However, when it comes to alcohol, I suggest sticking to red wine for its many health benefits — beers and liquors, particularly sugary drink mixers, don’t hold much in the way of nutrition.

Be sure to watch how much you drink, though. One study found that, based on conventional models of cholesterol and heart disease risk, that 30 grams (or about one fluid ounce) per day of alcohol would reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by 24.7 percent. On the other hand, it may slightly raise triglycerides. (15) In some individuals with certain genetic phenotypes, alcohol may actually raise LDL cholesterol, too. (16)

For all these reasons, keep your alcohol intake limited, but don’t be afraid to imbibe regularly with red wine, especially organic wine.

4. Stop Smoking

Smoking is one of those things that people are generally aware kills many aspects of health — and cholesterol is just one of them. This practice tends to lower your HDL levels while raising LDL cholesterol, making it an unacceptable risk to take if you’re at risk of heart disease. (17)

5. Get Moving!

A sedentary lifestyle is a no-no for heart disease risk. However, performing either medium-intensity resistance exercise or high-intensity aerobic exercise increases your HDL levels. (18) Exercise typically will help to support losing or maintaining weight, another reason this is a good habit to rehearse as you protect your heart.

6. Try Cholesterol-Lowering Supplements

There are a number of supplements that may help you achieve normal cholesterol levels, but keep in mind that your doctor should always be made aware of supplements you’re taking in addition to medications. If you’re taking a cholesterol-lowering medication, it’s possible you could experience an unhealthily drastic drop in cholesterol if you aren’t monitoring it closely with the help of your healthcare professional.

Niacin: While you should ideally get enough niacin (vitamin B3) through a healthy diet (found richly in beef liver, chicken breast, tuna, sunflower seeds and grass-fed beef), you may also choose to use it in supplement form. Niacin is frequently prescribed alongside statin medications. Large studies have suggested that time-released niacin helps to reduce LDL levels, raise HDL levels, reduce triglycerides and even reduce VLDL particles (by up to 68 percent!). (19, 20)

Be careful, though — niacin does come with side effects including flushing, discomfort, itching, skin tingling, gastrointestinal problems, muscle issues and liver dysfunction. (21) It may also not reduce the number of heart events, despite its ability to reduce high cholesterol. (19)

Red Yeast Rice: Another controversial supplement, red yeast rice, acts like statins but without as many of the undesirable side effects. In a 2015 research study, red yeast rice prevented weight gain and improved hyperlipidemia overall, meaning it lowered overall cholesterol (and probably high LDL levels). (22)

Lemongrass Essential Oil: Essential oils are powerful substances, and lemongrass oil is no exception. This essential oil has been observed in multiple research studies to lower overall, LDL and VLDL cholesterol while raising HDL cholesterol levels. It does not seem to affect triglyceride levels. (23, 24)

7. Take Cholesterol-Lowering Medication

While conventional medicine sees this as a first-line effort, cholesterol-lowering medications are sometimes needed for extremely high cholesterol. In my experience, people are almost always able to control their cholesterol through natural methods, such as dietary alterations, except in the case of familial hypercholesterolemia (a genetic defect which means the body is unable to remove LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream). People with this disorder have a much higher risk of heart disease and are not able to lower cholesterol levels without synthetic help. (25)

Cholesterol-lowering drugs include: (26)

• Statins: These work to lower LDL cholesterol levels and moderately improve triglyceride and HDL cholesterol numbers.
• Niacin: Approved at high doses as a prescription medication, niacin lowers LDL and raises HDL cholesterol.
• Bile Acid Resin: These drugs work inside your intestine, attaching to bile and stopping it from absorbing into blood.
• Fibrates: Fibrates (like fenofibrate) limit triglyceride production, increase HDL cholesterol in some cases and may reduce VLDL levels. They’re usually prescribed with statins.
• PCSK9 Inhibitors: PCSK9 inhibitors are a new class of cholesterol drugs, typically prescribed only for those with familial hypercholesterolemia. They help your body remove LDL more efficiently by blocking the action of the PCSK9 protein.

While these are commonly used (particularly statins) to adjust what doctors consider to be “high cholesterol,” no medications used to alter cholesterol levels have been found overall to reduce the instances of heart events, heart disease, death from heart disease or death from any cause. (27)

Precautions

Always discuss changes in your medication or supplement regimen with your healthcare provider and don’t change without his or her supervision.

Final Thoughts

Cholesterol is an important substance used in many bodily processes. Eating high cholesterol foods does not impact your serum cholesterol numbers significantly.

Instead of worrying about individual LDL or HDL numbers, keep your HDL:LDL ratio at 1:2.5 or lower.

If you need to achieve normal cholesterol levels, there are seven key ways to raise HDL cholesterol and/or lower LDL cholesterol:

1. Kick the carbs (try keto!)
2. Lose weight
3. Have a glass of red wine
4. Stop smoking
5. Get moving!
6. Try cholesterol-lowering supplements
7. Take cholesterol-lowering medications

Read Next: Fiber-Packed Pectin Helps Treat High Cholesterol & Diabetes

The post 7 Ways to Achieve Normal Cholesterol Levels (6 of Which Are Natural) appeared first on Dr. Axe.

According to the 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report, over 30 million people living in the United States have diabetes. That’s almost 10 percent of the U.S. population. And diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, causing, at least in part, over 250,000 deaths in 2015. That’s why it’s so important to take steps to reverse diabetes and the diabetes epidemic in America.

Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous disease that can lead to many other health conditions when it’s not managed properly, including kidney disease, blindness, leg and food amputations, nerve damage, and even death. (1)

Type 2 diabetes is a completely preventable and reversible condition, and with diet and lifestyle changes, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting the disease or reverse the condition if you’ve already been diagnosed. If you are one of the millions of Americans struggling with diabetes symptoms, begin the steps to reverse diabetes naturally today. With my diabetic diet plan, suggested supplements and increased physical activity, you can quickly regain your health and reverse diabetes the natural way.

The Diabetes Epidemic

Diabetes has grown to “epidemic” proportions, and the latest statistics revealed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that 30.3 million Americans have diabetes, including the 7.2 million people who weren’t even aware of it. Diabetes is affecting people of all ages, including 132,000 children and adolescents younger than 18 years old. (2)

The prevalence of prediabetes is also on the rise, as it’s estimated that almost 34 million U.S. adults were prediabetic in 2015. People with prediabetes have blood glucose levels that are above normal but below the defined threshold of diabetes. Without proper intervention, people with prediabetes are very likely to become type 2 diabetics within a decade.

The cost of diabetes to our nation is a staggering $245 billion a year as of 2012. The American Diabetes Association reports that the average medical expenditure for people with diabetes was about $13,700 per year. People with diabetes typically have medical costs that are approximately 2.3 times higher than those without diabetes. (3)

Aside from the financial costs of diabetes, the more frightening findings are the complications and co-existing conditions. In 2014, 7.2 million hospital discharges were reported with diabetes as a listed diagnosis. Patients with diabetes were treated for major cardiovascular diseases, ischemic heart disease, stroke, lower-extremity amputation and diabetic ketoacidosis.

The Cause of Diabetes

Diabetes is an illness related to elevated blood sugar levels. When you stop releasing and responding to normal amounts of insulin after eating foods with carbohydrates, sugar and fats, you have diabetes. Insulin, a hormone that’s broken down and transported to cells to be used as energy, is released by the pancreas to help with the storage of sugar and fats. But people with diabetes don’t respond to insulin properly, which causes high blood sugar levels and diabetes symptoms.

It’s important to note that there’s a difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here’s an explanation of the two types of diabetes and what causes these conditions:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is commonly called “juvenile diabetes” because it tends to develop at a younger age, typically before a person turns 20 years old. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

The damage to the pancreatic cells leads to a reduced ability or complete inability to create insulin. Some of the common causes that trigger this autoimmune response may include a virus, genetically modified organisms, heavy metals, or foods like wheat, cow’s milk and soy. (4)

The reason foods like wheat and cow’s milk have been linked to diabetes is because they contain the proteins gluten and A1 casein. These proteins can cause leaky gut, which in turn causes systemic inflammation throughout the body and over time can lead to autoimmune disease.

Type 1 diabetes is rarely reversed, but with the right dietary changes major improvements in blood sugar levels can be seen and a person can often reduce his or her dependence on insulin and medications.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and unlike type 1 diabetes, it usually occurs in people over the age of 40, especially those who are overweight. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which means that the hormone insulin is being released, but a person doesn’t respond to it appropriately. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that’s caused by high blood sugar. The body can keep up for a period of time by producing more insulin, but over time the insulin receptor sites burn out. Eventually, diabetes can affect nearly every system in the body, impacting your energy, digestion, weight, sleep, vision and more. (5)

There are many underlying causes of type 2 diabetes, and the disease usually develops because of a combination of factors, including: (6)

• having a poor diet
• being overweight
• having high levels of inflammation
• living a sedentary lifestyle
• experiencing high amounts of stress
• having a family history of diabetes (especially a parent or sibling)
• having high blood pressure or a history of heart disease
• having a hormonal condition (like hyperthyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome or Cushing’s syndrome)
• being exposed to toxins, viruses or harmful chemicals
• taking certain medications (like those that disrupt insulin production)

Thankfully, there are ways to reverse diabetes naturally.

5-Step Plan to Reverse Diabetes

Step 1: Remove These Foods to Reverse Diabetes Naturally

Certain foods negatively affect your blood sugar levels, cause inflammation and trigger immune responses. To reverse diabetes naturally, the first step is to remove these foods from your diet:

• Refined sugar: Refined sugar rapidly spikes blood glucose, and soda, fruit juice and other sugary beverages are the worst culprits. These forms of sugar enter the bloodstream rapidly and can cause extreme elevations in blood glucose. (7) Even though natural sweeteners like raw honey and maple syrup are better options, they can still affect blood sugar levels, so only use these foods on occasion. Your best option is to switch to stevia, a natural sweetener that won’t have as much of an impact.
• Grains: Grains, especially gluten-containing grains like wheat, contain large amounts of carbohydrates that are broken down into sugar within only a few minutes of consumption. Gluten can cause intestinal inflammation, which affects hormones like cortisol and leptin, and can lead to spikes in blood sugar. I recommend removing all grains from your diet for 90 days as your body adjusts to this healing program. Then you can try bringing sprouted ancient grains back into your diet in small amounts.
• Conventional cow’s milk: Conventional cow’s milk and dairy products should be eliminated, especially for people with type 1 diabetes. Dairy can be a fantastic food for balancing blood sugar if it comes from goat’s, sheep or A2 cows. But stay away from all other forms of dairy because the A1 casein produced by conventional cows will harm the body and trigger an immune response similar to gluten. When buying dairy, only purchase raw and organic products from pasture-raised animals.
• Alcohol: Alcohol can dangerously increase blood sugar and lead to liver toxicity. Research published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that there was a 43 percent increased incidence of diabetes associated with heavy consumption of alcohol, which is defined as three or more drinks per day. (8) Beer and sweet liquors are especially high in carbohydrates and should be avoided.
• GMO foods: GMO corn, soy and canola have been linked to kidney and liver disease and may promote diabetes. I suggest removing all GMO foods and all packaged foods from your diet. Opt for products that are labeled organic or GMO-free.
• Hydrogenated oils: Remove hydrogenated, rancid oils from your diet, including vegetable oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil and canola oil. Because these oils are processed, treated at very high temperatures, and combined with bleaching agents and artificial dyes, consuming them has been linked to many health concerns, including diabetes.

Step 2: Incorporate These Foods to Treat Diabetes

To reverse or prevent type 2 diabetes, add the following foods into your diet:

• Foods high in fiber: Research shows that 90 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t consume enough fiber on a daily basis. High-fiber foods help slow down glucose absorption, regulate your blood sugar levels and support detoxification. Aim to eat at least 30 grams of fiber per day, which can come from vegetables (like Brussels sprouts, peas and artichokes), avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, especially chia seeds and flaxseeds. (9)
• Foods high in chromium: Chromium is a nutrient that’s involved in normal carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Foods high in chromium can improve the glucose tolerance factor in your body and naturally balance out blood glucose levels. It plays a role in insulin pathways, helping bring glucose into our cells so it can be used for bodily energy. Broccoli has the highest amounts of chromium, but you can also find it in raw cheese, green beans, brewer’s yeast and grass-fed beef. (10)
• Magnesium-rich foods: Magnesium can help regulate blood sugar levels because it plays a role in glucose metabolism. Research shows that diabetes is frequently associated with magnesium deficiency. Eating magnesium-rich foods, like spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, almonds, yogurt and black beans, can improve type 2 diabetes symptoms. (11)
• Healthy fats: Medium-chained fatty acids found in coconut and red palm oil can help balance blood sugar levels, and they serve as the preferred fuel source for your body rather than sugar. Using coconut milk, ghee and grass-fed butter can also help balance out your blood sugar levels, so include these foods into your meals and smoothies. Some research actually suggests that a high-fat, low carb diet known as the keto diet may be a novel approach to reverse diabetes naturally, although you don’t technically have to go into ketosis to achieve the benefits of healthy fats in treating diabetes. (12)
• Clean protein: Eating protein foods has a minimal effect on your blood glucose levels, and it can slow down the absorption of sugar. Some of the best sources of clean protein include wild-caught fish, which contains omega-3 fats that reduce inflammation, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, lentils, eggs and bone broth.
• Foods with a low glycemic load: The glycemic index of a food tells you about the blood glucose-raising potential of the food. Foods that have a high glycemic index are converted into sugar after being eaten more quickly than low glycemic foods. If you are fighting diabetes, stick to low glycemic foods like non-starchy vegetables, stone fruits and berries, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, organic meat, eggs, wild-caught fish, and raw pastured dairy.

One benefit of these foods is that they generally promote weight loss, which is a major factor in reversing diabetes. A study following 306 diabetic individuals found that losing weight under a structured program (with the supervision of a primary care physician) resulted in almost half of the participants going into total diabetes remission. This means they were able to stay off their medications permanently (assuming they stayed on a healthy diet). Quality of life also improved by over seven points on average for the patients on the dietary regimen, while it decreased by about three points for the control group. (13)

Step 3: Take These Supplements for Diabetes

1. Chromium Picolinate 

Taking 200 micrograms of chromium picolinate three times daily with meals can help improve insulin sensitivity. A review published in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics evaluated 13 studies that reported significant improvement in glycemic control and substantial reductions in hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia after patients used chromium picolinate supplementation. Other positive outcomes from supplementing with chromium picolinate included reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reduced requirements for hypoglycemic medication. (14)

2. Cinnamon

Cinnamon has the ability to lower blood sugar levels and improve your sensitivity to insulin. A study conducted at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif. found that the consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in plasma glucose levels, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Cinnamon consumption also helped increase HDL cholesterol levels. (15)

To take advantage of the many health benefits of cinnamon, add one teaspoon to food, smoothies or tea. You can also take one to two drops of cinnamon essential oil internally by adding it to food or tea, or combine three drops of cinnamon oil with half a teaspoon of coconut oil and massage it into your wrists and abdomen.

3. Fish Oil

Taking a fish oil supplement can help improve markers of diabetes by reducing triglyceride levels and raising HDL cholesterol levels. Research published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences shows that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are necessary for proper insulin function, preventing insulin intolerance and reducing inflammation. (16) To use fish oil as a natural remedy for diabetes, take 1,000 milligrams daily.

4. Alpha Lipoic Acid 

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant that helps turn glucose into fuel for the body. It effectively improves insulin sensitivity and reduces symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, such as weakness, pain and numbness that’s caused by nerve damage. Although we make alpha lipoic acid and it can be found in some food sources, like broccoli, spinach and tomatoes, taking an ALA supplement will increase the amount that circulates in your body, which can be extremely beneficial when trying to reverse diabetes naturally. (17)

5. Bitter Melon Extract

Bitter melon helps lower blood glucose levels, and it regulates the body’s use of insulin. Studies show that bitter melon extract can help reduce and manage symptoms of diabetes, including insulin resistance, heart complications, kidney damage, blood vessel damage, eye disorders and hormone irregularities. (18)

Step 4: Follow This Eating Plan to Reverse Diabetes

If you want to balance your blood sugar and see results quickly, then follow this diabetes eating plan as closely as possible. Focus on getting plenty of clean protein, healthy fats and fiber into every meal, which can help reverse diabetes.

Start by trying these first three days of the plan, and then use a combination of these foods going forward. Review the list of foods that you should be eating from Step 2, and bring those healthy, diabetes-fighting foods into your diet as well. It may seem like a major change to your diet at first, but after some time you will begin to notice the positive effects these foods are having on your body.

Some other recipes that fit into this eating plan include:

• Eggs Benedict Recipe
• Turkey-Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Cucumber Salad Recipe
• Buffalo Cauliflower

Step 5: Exercise to Balance Blood Sugar

Exercise reduces chronic disease and can help reverse diabetes naturally. Studies show that exercise improves blood glucose control and can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, while also positively affecting your blood pressure, heart health, cholesterol levels and quality of life. (19)

Exercise naturally supports your metabolism by burning fat and building lean muscle. To prevent and reverse diabetes, make exercise a part of your daily routine. This doesn’t necessary mean that you have to spend time at the gym. Simple forms of physical activity, like getting outside and walking for 20 to 30 minute every day, can be extremely beneficial, especially after meals. Practicing yoga or stretching at home or in a studio is another great option.

In addition to walking and stretching exercises, try interval training cardio, like burst training, or weight training three to five days a week for 20–40 minutes. Burst training can help you burn up to three times more body fat than traditional cardio and can naturally increase insulin sensitivity. You can do this on a spin bike with intervals, or you can try burst training at home.

Strength training using free weights or machines is also recommended because it helps you build and maintain muscle, which supports balanced blood sugar and sugar metabolism.

Final Thoughts

• More than 30 million people — nearly 10 percent of the population — have diabetes in the U.S., including children. Almost 7.2 million of those people aren’t even aware of it.
• Another 34 million adults are prediabetic.
• It’s the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and costs hundreds of billions of dollars per year.
• Type 1 diabetes typically occurs before someone turns 20 and is rarely reversed, but it can be managed through diet and lifestyle changes.
• Type 2 diabetes is more common and usually occurs in people over 40, especially if they’re overweight.
• In order to reverse diabetes naturally, remove foods like refined sugar, grains, conventional cow’s milk, alcohol, GMO foods and hydrogenated oils from your diet; incorporate healthy foods like foods high in fiber, chromium, magnesium, healthy fats and clean protein, along with foods with low glycemic loads; take supplements for diabetes; follow my diabetic eating plan; and exercise to balance blood sugar.

The post How to Reverse Diabetes Naturally appeared first on Dr. Axe.

We know that a poor diet and inactivity, two common factors of the Western diet and way of life, can lead to type 2 diabetes. But what’s not discussed very much is how so many people are dealing with this disease for other, lesser-known reasons. Reasons that are sometimes outside of their control.

Have you ever thought about type 2 diabetes as an illness of the environment? In our lifetime, we’re exposed to thousands of chemicals, sometimes on a daily basis. From the BPA found in canned goods to vehicle exhaust and phthalates found in certain plastic, these environmental chemicals may alter your metabolic function in a major way. It may seem confusing, but think about how chemicals around us impact hormone balance and function, including hormones that regulate our metabolism.

According to a cost analysis published in The Lancet in 2016, diseases related to household chemicals cost the United States $340 billion annually, which is about 2.33 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The economic burden of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals is much higher in the U.S. compared to Europe, which spends $217 billion annually. That’s due to differences in chemical regulations, according to researchers. (1)

So what do these numbers and alarming diabetes rates tell us? There’s something wrong with the regulation of environmental chemicals and it’s affecting our health. Until some serious changes are made to the way we circulate chemicals into our foods and products, being aware of the most serious unexpected diabetes triggers and how to avoid exposure to these chemicals in the future can make a huge impact.

Type 2 Diabetes Triggers: It’s Not All About Food & Exercise

It’s true that type 2 diabetes is caused by a poor diet and lack of exercise, but recent research suggests there’s more to the story. The numbers just aren’t adding up. For instance, the International Federation of Diabetes reports that the global prevalence of diabetes was 415 million people in 2015 and is expected to rapidly increase to 642 million people in 2040. (2) With widespread awareness about diet’s and exercise’s role in type 2 diabetes, why the rapid increase in cases?

This could mean that a diabetic diet plan or more crunches won’t necessarily work for everyone when it comes to lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. Scientists are increasingly interested in the role of environmental chemicals in the epidemics of both diabetes and obesity. Studies show links between several environmental exposures and type 2 diabetes, plus, evidence to support a “developmental obesogen” hypothesis, which suggests that chemical exposures may even increase the risk of obesity by altering the development of neural circuits that regulate our feeding behavior. (3)

Traditional risk factors for diabetes, such as obesity, lack of physical activity, old age and family history of diabetes, cannot alone explain the rapidly increasing prevalence of this disease. Certain environmental chemicals and heavy metals that contaminate the air, water and soil chronically expose children, adults and women in their prenatal period, amplifying this epidemic. (4)

9 Unexpected Diabetes Triggers

1. Arsenic

Research shows that chronic exposure to arsenic can interfere with insulin secretion and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to a 2017 study published in the American Journal of Physiology, arsenic “contaminates the drinking water of approximately 100 million people globally and has been associated with insulin resistance and diabetes.” In the study, mice exposed to sub-toxic levels of inorganic arsenic in drinking water for eight weeks exhibited impaired glucose tolerance compared to controls. Researchers also found that arsenic exposure induced alternations in daily food intake patterns and energy metabolism. Scientists concluded that exposure to arsenic impairs glucose tolerance by altering insulin secretion from beta cells that are found in the pancreas and changing behaviors that affect metabolic function. (5)

Arsenic is detected in our water, oil, air and food.  Sadly, it’s impossible to avoid arsenic exposure because it’s found naturally in our environment. On top of that, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t set limits for total arsenic in our foods, which is why it’s been detected in common foods like rice, chicken, apple juice and protein powder. And besides the arsenic in your rice, it’s still used in a variety ways, like as a feeding additive, as an insecticide, to preserve wood, as a pesticide, in pharmaceuticals and pigments. Until our government puts federal standards in place to reduce the presence of arsenic in our food and environment, you can begin to limit arsenic exposure by eating organic, whole foods and limiting grains. (6)

2. BPA

BPA, or Bisphenol A, is a synthetic compound that’s used to produce certain plastics, canned foods, toys, medical devices and drink liners. Research shows that BPA is associated with a wide variety of health disorders and it has potential endocrine-disrupting and diabetogenic effects. According to a review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, human and lab studies suggest that BPA exposure is linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The synthetic compound acts directly on pancreatic cells and impairs insulin and glucagon secretion, thereby triggering an insulin-resistant state.

Data shows that BPA levels are highest in formula-fed infants using polycarbonate bottles, with estimated intakes of 11 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. It’s estimated that the daily intake for adults is about 1.5 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. Toxic levels of BPA, which can have adverse health effects, is five micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. And buyer beware: Many products that are labeled BPA-free now contain BPS (bisphenol S) and other chemicals that can also lead to metabolic disorders. To avoid BPA toxic effects, use glass containers and high-quality stainless steel containers whenever possible. (7)

And say no to trivial cash register receipts, which are usually coated with BPA or related compounds.

3. PCBs

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are man-made organic chemicals used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications. No longer used in commercial products in the U.S., these chemicals tend to linger. (They were officially banned in the U.S. in 1979.) Research suggests that PCBs remain in the human body long after exposure because the toxins accumulate in our fatty tissues. Before the ban, the chemicals were used to make oil-based paint, plastics, floor finish, caulking, thermal insulation material and electrical devices. PCBs are also released into the environment from burning wastes, poorly managed landfills and leaks from electrical transformers. They’re also found in the bodies of small organisms and fish, including the fish we eat. (8)

Bob Weinhold, a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, examined studies with mice that linked exposures to PCBs to the disruption of several important body functions. PCB exposure was associated with significant impairment of glucose and insulin tolerance; data shows that the results lasted for two weeks after PCB exposure. Researchers also found that PCB exposure significantly increased the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, which are related to insulin resistance.

The mice used in the study that ate a low-fat diet and exhibited more adverse effects than PCB-exposed mice fed a high-fat diet. Why might this be? The theory is as you lose weight, PCBs stored in your body are released back out into your system. (9)

Because these studies include mice, it’s difficult to translate the findings to understand the impact PCBs have on humans and at what levels PCBs can be considered toxic. To reduce your risk of PCB exposure, especially in schools and buildings that were built before the ban, all PCB fluorescent lights, caulking, paint and other building materials need to be removed and replaced. The Environmental Protection Agency offers a write-up of practical actions that can be taken to reduce exposure to PCBs. It’s worth reading through. (10)

4. PAHs

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are a class of chemicals that occur naturally in gasoline, crude oil and coal. They are produced when coal, gas, oil, tobacco and garbage are burned, and they contaminate the air with vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, fumes from coal-tar and asphalt driveways, burnt meat and burning wood. According to the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, of the 2,500 or more participants that were measured for ten different PAH metabolites, most people tested positive for some level of PAH, which indicates that exposure to the chemicals is widespread in the United States. (11)

A 2014 study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine indicates that high urinary levels of PAHs in participants who were examined from 2001 to 2006 are associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in U.S. adults ranging in ages 20 to 65 years. These results were independent of potential risk factors like gender, race, smoking or BMI. Researchers also noted that previous studies have reported that chronic exposure to PAHs is also linked to oxidative stress and inflammation, which plays a major role in the development of type 2 diabetes. (12)

Two of the primary sources of PAH in the U.S. population is through the inhalation of cigarette smoke and the consumption of PAHs in food. Cooking meat or other foods at high temperatures, including grilling and charring, increases the amount of PAHs in food. To avoid a major grilling mistake that can lead to increased PAH exposure, precook your meat before putting it on the grill in order to reduce the drippings that turn into smoke and cause PAHs.

5. Phthalates

Phthalates are chemical compounds that are used as plasticizers in order to increase the durability, flexibility and transparency of products made with plastic. A study conducted in Australia investigated the associations between phthalate concentrations in 1,504 and the development of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Researchers detected phthalates in 99.6 percent of the participant urine samples and they found that total phthalate concentrations were positively associated with type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease and hypertension. In addition to these findings, when the researchers adjusted for factors that typically contribute to these health conditions, like alcohol consumption and smoking, the link between phthalates and disease didn’t change. This suggests that phthalate exposure is directly related to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in men between the ages of 39 and 84. (13)

According to the EPA, “Phthalates are used in many industrial and consumer products, many of which pose potentially high exposure.” These chemicals are used in cosmetic products, household cleaning products, packaging material and medical-care products. The best ways to avoid phthalate exposure is to make your own beauty and skin care products at home, use natural cleaning products, avoid consuming foods that are sold in plastic and don’t store foods in plastic and look for DEP-free or “phthalate-free” products. (14)

6. Mercury

Research shows that mercury can induce hyperglycemia by altering the function of pancreatic beta cells. According to a systematic review published in Environmental Research evaluated 34 studies that measured the increased risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome due to mercury exposure. Although the relationship between exposure to mercury and type 2 diabetes is not consistent across all studies, there’s data that suggests an association between total mercury concentrations and the incidence of diabetes. (15)

One study involving 3,875 American young adults assessed whether toenail mercury levels are associated with diabetes. The participants were first evaluated in 1987 and received six follow-up evaluations until 2005. Over the 18-year period, there was a total of 288 cases of diabetes and researchers found that toenail mercury levels were positively associated with the incidence of diabetes after adjusting for other risk factors such as sex, ethnicity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity and family history of diabetes. (16)

Mercury, a heavy metal that’s found in the Earth’s crust, is released into the environment because of human activities like gold mining and coal burning. Mercury is also found in dental amalgam fillings, electrical switches, glass thermometers and fluorescent light bulbs. And organic mercury can be found in fish, especially large fish like swordfish, shark, king mackerel, bigeye tuna and tilefish. To reduce your exposure to mercury, avoid mercury poisoning and decrease your risk of developing health conditions as a result of mercury exposure, cut back on eating high-mercury fish, try a heavy metal detox and avoid using herbal medicines that are made outside of the United States, as they have been known to contain toxic levels of mercury.

7. Cadmium

Like mercury, cadmium is found naturally in the environment and it’s released through smelting and mining. It’s also used in many industrial processes, like metal plating, in stabilizes in plastics and in producing pigments. It also contaminates food that comes from soil or water containing cadmium. Some plants that may contain cadmium include vegetables, rice and other cereal grains, potatoes and tobacco. It can also enter the food chain from water that’s been contaminated from mining operations.

A meta-analysis conducted in 2017 evaluated nine studies with a total of 28,691 participants to determine the association between cadmium and diabetes risk. Researchers found that for every 1 microgram per gram of urinary cadmium, the risk of diabetes increased by 16 percent. It was concluded that cadmium exposure may be significantly associated with the prevalence of diabetes, although larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. (17)

There are agencies, like the EPA and FDA, that have set standards to regulate cadmium exposure. Exposure to cadmium through diet alone is not believed to cause major health effects, but smokers and those who are exposed to higher levels of cadmium because of their occupations are at a greater risk. This includes alloy makers, auto mechanics, battery makers, mining and refinery workers and pesticide makers. There is a full list of occupations that increase the risk of toxic cadmium exposure provided by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (18)

8. Pesticides

Pesticides are chemicals that are widely used in agriculture to prevent and destroy pests that hinder the productivity of crops. The universal use of pesticides, which is a term used for a number of chemical structures, causes environmental pollution across the globe and exposure to humans through the food chain. In fact, the environmental contamination of pesticides is the most significant in developing countries because the use of these chemicals is so extensive and poorly managed or restricted. (19)

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Environment International assessed the role of pesticides in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Researchers included 22 studies in their analysis and found a positive association between increased pesticide exposure and diabetes prevalence. (20)

Research shows that the adverse effects of pesticides can be acute or chronic, depending on your exposure. To reduce your pesticide intake and exposure, make sure to go organic when you’re buying any of the dirty dozen foods. This includes strawberries, apples, cherries, peaches and spinach. Become familiar with the practices of organic farming and how it surpasses conventional farming practices in its benefits and environmental impact.

9. Nickel

Nickel is a metal that is often combined with other metals to form alloys that are used in making metal coins, jewelry, valves and heat exchangers. Nickel is also used to make some batteries and color ceramics. The metal is released into the environment from the stacks or large furnaces at power plants or trash incinerators. It can also be released in industrial water waste and end up in soil or sediment.

A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology investigated the association of nickel exposure with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among adults in China. Researchers found that the median concentration of urinary nickel among the 2,115 participants was 3.6 milligrams per liter and the prevalence of diabetes was 35 percent. Elevated levels of urinary nickel were positively associated with higher fasting glucose levels and insulin resistance. (21)

People who breathe in dust or fumes containing nickel, such as welders, are at an increased risk of toxic nickel exposure. Those who work with nickel-containing metal and solutions are also at risk. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the amount of nickel found in foods and drinking water does not a pose a threat to your health. (22)

Burning fossil fuels results in a whopping 180,000 metric tons of nickel per year, making burning fossil fuels and industrial processes the top causes of nickel contamination in our air, soil and water. Supporting local, regional and global clean energy is required to turn this trend around.

If solar or wind energy at your home isn’t feasible at this time, you can check into sourcing a power provider that utilizes 100 percent clean energy. You continue to pay your utility company, but a clean energy supplier will work with your utility to make sure the energy you use is replaced on the grid with clean energy. The result is cleaner air for us to breathe and fewer of the proven health impacts related to burning fossil fuels.

Final Thoughts

• A growing amount of research is pointing to the idea that traditional risk factors for diabetes, such as obesity, lack of physical activity, old age and family history of diabetes, cannot alone explain the rapidly increasing prevalence of this disease.
• Scientific evidence supports the role of environmental chemicals in diabetes. These unexpected diabetes triggers have shown to induce toxic effects on the pancreas, disturb fasting glucose levels and increase insulin resistance.
• The nine unexpected diabetes triggers that have proven to be linked to a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes include:
  • Arsenic
  • BPA
  • PCBs
  • PAHs
  • Phthalates
  • Mercury
  • Cadmium
  • Pesticides
  • Nickel

The post 9 Unexpected Diabetes Triggers appeared first on Dr. Axe.

You may have heard from your doctor or midwife that gestational diabetes increases your risk of complications during pregnancy — such as miscarriage, the baby being born too early or delivery by cesarean section. But did you know that gestational diabetes is also associated with Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease after pregnancy?

It’s true that gestational diabetes is a dangerous condition that develops during pregnancy, but there are ways to prevent and manage it. Your first line of defense is to follow a diabetic diet plan and make lifestyle changes, like adding in physical activity. There are also certain nutrients that can help to reduce your risk of gestational diabetes and maintain glycemic control.

The key to managing gestational diabetes is to become educated about the foods you should and shouldn’t eat during pregnancy, what everyday lifestyle changes you can make to maintain normal blood sugar levels, and where to get support if you need it. If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you need to take action immediately, as the adverse effects are serious. But know that there are professionals who can help you to develop an effective treatment plan.

What Is Gestational Diabetes? 

Gestational diabetes is the most common medical issue affecting pregnant women. It’s a type of diabetes that’s actually diagnosed between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. It occurs when a pregnant woman has blood sugar levels that are too high. This can lead to a number of problems for the unborn baby, like being born too early, having problems with breathing, weighing too much and having low blood glucose levels after birth. (1)

Gestational diabetes is also dangerous for the baby because high blood glucose levels can increase the chance of having a miscarriage or stillborn birth (when the baby dies after 24 weeks of pregnancy). Although insulin secretion increases in early pregnancy, insulin sensitivity is usually unchanged. But at mid-pregnancy, insulin sensitivity starts to decline progressively. The decline becomes worse as the pregnancy progresses. This is why gestational diabetes usually develops in the late second trimester and then disappears instantly after delivery.

For pregnant women, gestational diabetes may predispose them to develop diabetes after giving birth. Women with gestational diabetes are also more likely to develop preeclampsia, a condition that involves the abnormal development of the placenta, high blood pressure during pregnancy and high levels of protein in your urine. Preeclampsia — also known as toxemia — can cause serious pregnancy complications, including damage to vital organs like the brain, liver and kidneys. Gestational diabetes can also increase a mother-to-be’s chances of having a cesarean section because the baby often gains too much weight.

And a recent study, published in December of 2017 in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that gestational diabetes is positively associated with cardiovascular disease later in life. Over 89,000 pregnant women who were free of cardiovascular disease when the study began participated in questionnaires that evaluated their cardiovascular health after pregnancy. Researchers found that women with a history of gestational diabetes had a 43 percent greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. They also indicate that this relationship between gestational diabetes and cardiovascular disease — particularly the incidence of heart attack and stroke — is possibly mediated, at least in part, by weight gain and lack of healthy lifestyle during and after pregnancy. (2)

Data shows that the prevalence of gestational diabetes varies from 1–20 percent and continues to rise worldwide. And the amount of gestational diabetes varies in direct proportion to the commonality of Type 2 diabetes in a given population, with the rates being higher among African, Hispanic, Indian and Asian women than for Caucasian women. (3)

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms & Glucose Screening Tests

Women with gestational diabetes usually don’t experience any symptoms. Most of the time, the barely noticeable symptoms of gestational diabetes are very similar to normal pregnancy symptoms. You may notice that you’re feeling: (4)

• tired and fatigued
• very thirsty
• the need to urinate often

Because there are no noticeable gestational diabetes symptoms, pregnant women go through a routine glucose screening test that’s done between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. For women who have high glucose levels in their urine during their routine prenatal visits, they my be tested for gestational diabetes sooner.

The test requires you to drink a sweet liquid that contains glucose. Then you have your blood drawn one hour later to measure how the glucose solution affected your blood glucose levels. The normal result for this kind of test is a blood sugar level that’s 140 milliliters per deciliter or less one hour after drinking the glucose solution. If your blood levels are too high for the one-hour test, you will be asked to return for a three-hour glucose tolerance test. (5)

For the three-hour test, you cannot eat or drink anything, other than a few sips of water, for eight–14 hours beforehand. You will drink a sweet liquid containing glucose, then wait an hour and have your blood drawn in order to check your blood glucose levels. This needs to be repeated three times. (6)

Although it’s not common to feel symptoms of gestational diabetes, drinking the sugary liquid may make you feel lightheaded and nauseated, especially if you aren’t able to eat or drink anything beforehand. Don’t worry; these symptoms will pass once the test is over and you are able to enjoy a full meal.

Causes & Risk Factors

It’s not exactly clear why some pregnant women develop gestational diabetes and others don’t. Gestational diabetes is caused by high blood sugar levels. Normally, when you eat something, your body digests that food to produce glucose. The glucose enters your bloodstream. With the help of your pancreas, it then moves into your body’s cells so that it can be used for energy. During pregnancy, however, the placenta produces high levels of insulin-counteracting hormones. These hormones impair the action of insulin in your body’s cells, thereby raising your blood sugar levels.

Some women only experience modest elevations of blood sugar after eating, which is completely normal during pregnancy. But others are affected by the growth of the placenta and rise of hormones. These women go on to develop gestational diabetes, usually around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

There are risk factors that put pregnant women at a greater risk of developing gestational diabetes. The most common risk factors include:

• High BMI: Research shows that a higher BMI before pregnancy and a higher BMI at 28 weeks of pregnancy are strongly related to increased insulin resistance. A BMI of 30 or higher can increase your risk of developing gestational diabetes. (7)
• Ethnicity: Studies show that African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women living in the United States have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes than Caucasian women in the U.S. (8)
• Age: If a pregnant woman is over the age of 25, she is at a greater risk of developing gestational diabetes.
• History of Diabetes: Women who have already had gestational diabetes, or those with prediabetes symptoms before pregnancy, are at a greater risk of developing gestational diabetes again. If you have a family history of diabetes, such as a parent or sibling having Type 2 diabetes, you are also at an increased risk of gestational diabetes.
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A nationwide population-based survey published in PLoS ONE indicates that a history of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a significant and independent risk factor for the development of gestational diabetes. About 50 percent of women with PCOS experience metabolic disturbances, which is why they are often monitored closely during pregnancy to ensure that they they follow a strict diet and don’t gain too much weight. (9)

 Conventional Treatment

There are a number of conventional treatments for gestational diabetes. Along with dietary changes and increased physical activity, the following medications or forms of therapy may be utilized: (10, 11)

Insulin Therapy: Insulin injections may be needed to lower your blood sugar levels. Insulin therapy is utilized when dietary and lifestyle changes alone do not maintain glycemic control during pregnancy.

Glyburide: Glyburide is an oral antidiabetic agent that is often used as a first-line agent for gestational diabetes or as an alternative to insulin therapy.

Metformin: Metformin is another oral anti-diabetic drug that’s used to fight gestational diabetes. According to researchers, there is now a reasonable amount of data to support that both metformin and glyburide can be useful for women with gestational diabetes. The safety and efficacy of these drugs, compared to insulin therapy, are still being researched. (12)

Women with gestational diabetes will have to monitor their blood sugar levels to make sure that they stay in a healthy range. To do this, you simply draw blood from your finger and place it on a test strip that serves as a blood glucose meter. The meter will measure and display your blood sugar levels so that you can be sure they’re normal in the morning and after meals.

5 Natural Ways to Manage Gestational Diabetes Symptoms 

1. Nutritional Therapy

Your pregnancy diet is the most important factor in preventing and managing gestational diabetes. Pregnant women need to eat a diet that provides adequate nutrition in order to support their baby’s and their own well-being. It’s very important that women who are pregnant don’t consume too many calories, especially empty calories that come from processed and packaged foods, junk food, baked goods and sweetened beverages. Achieving appropriate weight gain is one of the most important ways to prevent and manage gestational diabetes. During pregnancy, excessive weight gain can lead to adverse outcomes for both the mother and baby. Plus it can even lead to childhood obesity for your little one. (13)

Here are some dietary tips for managing gestational diabetes:

• Your carbohydrate intake should only be 35 percent to 45 percent of your total calories per day. Distribute your carb intake over three meals and about two to three snacks. Avoid eating meals that are carb-heavy, like a bagel, a bowl of pasta, a plate of pancakes or a bowl of fruit.
• Make sure you’re eating plenty of high fiber foods, which can help to slow down or decrease the release of insulin into the bloodstream. Include fiber in all of your meals and snacks throughout the day. Some of the best options include avocados, squash, beans, lentils, chia seeds and flax seeds.
• Pair your carbohydrates with good quality protein so that your body can more easily break down the carbs. Some of the best high protein foods to include in your diet include grass-fed beef, organic chicken, wild-caught salmon, eggs, yogurt, nuts and bone broth.
• Use healthy fats in your recipes, like coconut oil, ghee and grass-fed butter. These foods help to burn fat and balance your blood glucose levels.
• Avoid sugary foods that will throw off your blood sugar levels. Simple, refined sugars that are found in soda, fruit juice and other sweetened beverages are some of the worst culprits for women with gestational diabetes because they lead to rapid blood glucose spikes.

2. Physical Activity

Research shows that exercise can improve glycemic control in women with gestational diabetes. Moderate physical activity for 30 minutes a day or more is recommended for all pregnant women and especially those with gestational diabetes, as long as there aren’t any medical or obstetric complications. (14)

Some beneficial exercises for women with gestational diabetes includes brisk walking, arm exercises while seated in a chair and prenatal yoga. Engaging in these types of physical activity at least 10 minutes after each meal can help to reduce the rise of glucose levels, helping women with gestational diabetes to reach their glycemic goals.

3. Stress Management

Research shows that women with gestational diabetes often experience stress and anxiety that’s related to feeling like they’re losing control of their condition, having trouble sticking to dietary changes, and experiencing fear of maternal and infant complications. (15)

A 2012 study conducted at the National University of Ireland found that when 25 women with gestational diabetes were compared to 25 women without gestational diabetes, those with the condition were more likely to become depressed and experienced diabetes-related distress. Women with gestational diabetes also felt like they didn’t have enough social support from outside their family. (16)

This risk of increased stress, anxiety and signs of depression during pregnancy is problematic because these mental health issues can affect your hormone levels, including your insulin levels. Plus, studies show that stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy is associated with lower birth weight for infants and potential issues with infant development. Experiencing stress and depression during pregnancy also increases your risk of suffering from postpartum depression after giving birth. (17)

To manage your stress levels, start by finding a support group, a nutritionist, dietitian, health coach or even a friend who has experience with gestational diabetes and can help you to find comfort and stay on track with your diet plan. You should also focus on relieving stress and anxiety by making small lifestyle changes, like taking walks outside every day, trying prenatal yoga, meditating or practicing silent prayer, journaling or taking a warm bath with lavender oil. These little changes can help you to stay focused on getting well and maintaining your health for the duration of your pregnancy.

4. Vitamin D 

A number of scientific studies show an association between vitamin D deficiency and gestational diabetes. Vitamin D insufficiency is also related to maternal obesity and adverse outcomes for both the mother and child. Although the data isn’t completely conclusive yet, there have been studies that suggest that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes and help to improve glycemic control in pregnant women who are diabetic and have low vitamin D levels. (18)

5. Calcium

According to research published in Public Health Nutrition in 2017, higher dietary calcium intake was inversely associated with the risk of gestational diabetes. Compared with women who consumed less calcium, those with higher calcium levels had a 42 percent lower risk of gestational diabetes. And researchers found that among women with a calcium intake below 1,200 milligrams per day, a 200 milligram increase in daily intake was associated with a 22 percent reduction in gestational diabetes risk. (19)

The best way to increase your calcium levels is to eat calcium-rich foods like yogurt, cheese, cooked kale, broccoli and almonds. There is mixed research about the safety of calcium supplements and consuming very high levels of calcium, so talk to your doctor before using supplements to increase your levels.

Prevention

Are you thinking about becoming pregnant and want to prevent the development of gestational diabetes? It’s smart to start thinking about the threat of gestational diabetes before you’re pregnant or during the early stages of pregnancy, especially if you are overweight, have a history of gestational diabetes or prediabetes, have family members with Type 2 diabetes symptoms or have PCOS.

The best way to prevent gestational diabetes is to reach your ideal weight before getting pregnant. Losing extra weight and increasing physical activity are sure ways to reduce your risk of gestational diabetes. This will allow your body to improve how it uses insulin for energy and it will help you to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. If you are already pregnant, it’s not recommended that you try to lose weight. But you can focus on eating nourishing, nutrient-dense foods so that you don’t gain too much weight during your pregnancy.

The amount of weight that you should gain during pregnancy depends on your BMI before getting pregnant. Women at a normal weight before getting pregnant should gain between 25 and 26 pounds, and those who were overweight should only gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. (20)

Precautions

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it’s important that you work with your health care provider to manage your condition until the end of your pregnancy and even after giving birth. Work with your doctor or a nutrition expert to set up a dietary and lifestyle plan. If you plan to use these natural ways to manage your gestational diabetes, do it under the care of your doctor. Gestational diabetes can lead to many adverse effects for you and your baby, so it’s important that it’s treated properly as soon as you’re diagnosed.

Key Points 

• Gestational diabetes is the most common medical issue that affects pregnant women. It occurs when a pregnant woman’s blood sugar levels are too high and the condition is usually diagnosed after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
•  Women with gestational diabetes usually don’t experience any symptoms, but they may notice signs like fatigue, feeling very thirsty and needing to urinate frequently. These signs are normal for any pregnant woman, so a glucose screening is necessary around your 24th week of pregnancy.
• Gestational diabetes is caused by high blood sugar levels. Because your placenta produces high levels of insulin-counteracting hormones during pregnancy, this impairs the action of insulin in a pregnant woman’s body, leading to increased blood sugar levels. It’s not exactly clear why some women get gestational diabetes and others don’t. But women with a high BMI, those over the age of 25, women with PCOS, and those with a family or personal history of diabetes are at a greater risk.
• The first line of defense for gestational diabetes is dietary and lifestyle changes. When these changes don’t work to maintain glycemic control, insulin therapy or oral anti-diabetic agents are used.

5 Natural Ways to Manage Gestational Diabetes Include:

1. Nutrition therapy
2. Physical activity
3. Managing stress
4. Increasing vitamin D intake
5. Increasing calcium intake

Read Next: 3 Steps to Treat Obesity Naturally

The post Gestational Diabetes: Get the Test (+ Natural Management Tips) appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that can affect people with any form of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes. The condition is caused when blood sugar and blood pressure in the tiny blood vessels in the eye “spring a leak” and release blood into the eye. This leads to blurry vision, seeing floaters or even complete vision loss in severe cases.

The tricky thing about diabetic retinopathy is that not everyone has symptoms right away. Many people may have some damage from this condition without realizing the cause, and still others may attribute the vision problem to something else, such as getting older. As many as 45 percent of the 29 million Americans with diabetes have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, and half of them may not even know it. (1, 2)

The good news is that people with diabetes can prevent or delay diabetic retinopathy through a variety of natural approaches. And if the disease does begin, there are natural ways to manage the condition and keep it from getting worse. The bad news? It requires long-term effort, since vision loss from this condition is a lifelong risk for people with diabetes.

What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?

To define diabetic retinopathy, you first have to understand diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which the body has difficulty making or using sugar (glucose). This leads to periods of high or low blood sugar, which can make it hard for the rest of the body to function at times. In diabetic retinopathy, high blood sugar starts to damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina, which is part of the eye. The blood vessels may close or swell and leak. (3) The eye may also start to grow new blood vessels. These changes in blood vessel health eventually cause changes in vision. (4)

There are technically four stages of diabetic retinopathy. The first three stages of the disease fall into nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR):

Mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy

In the first NPDR stage, called mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, the tiny blood vessels in the eye start to swell here and there, and leak into the eye. (5) You may or may not notice any changes to your vision with these small leaks. When you have no symptoms, this stage is also called background diabetic retinopathy.

Moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy

Once the blood vessels start swelling inside the eye, you have moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. (6) Blood vessels may start to lose their ability to transport blood at this stage. (7) When swelling affects the macula — a small area in the middle of the retina that helps you see details like words or faces — you can start to lose your vision. (8) This is called macular edema, and it’s the most common reason people with diabetes lose sight. (9)

Severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy

In severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels in the retina start to close, keeping enough blood from reaching the macula. This is called macular ischemia and results in blurry vision. (10) Your eyes start to release the signal for your body to build new blood vessels in the area, which leads to the final stage of the disease. (11)

Over time, if early stages of the disease are not treated or prevented, the disease progresses to its most advanced stage: proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy

PDR is the most serious stage of the disease. You have proliferative diabetic retinopathy once the eye starts to grow new blood vessels. (12) Since these new vessels are delicate, they may bleed, causing you to see dark floaters. If they bleed too much, it can block your vision entirely. (13) The new blood vessels in PDR can also lead to the growth of scar tissue, which can cause other problems, such as a detached retina or problems with the macula. (14)

Diabetic retinopathy can cause partial or total blindness. An eye doctor can diagnose even early stages of the disease during an eye exam. Regular eye exams are crucial for people with diabetes.

Signs & Symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy

In the early stages of the disease, you may have no symptoms. Diabetic retinopathy symptoms often start slowly, with occasional “floaters” in the vision. These floating spots may come and go or disappear altogether. Other people may notice blurry vision, such as difficulty reading or seeing faces as well as they could in the past. If these early signs and symptoms of diabetic retinopathy don’t get early treatment, they can lead to the permanent vision changes caused by late stages of the disease. (15)

As you progress through the stages, signs and symptoms may include:(16)

• Floaters (spots or strings)
• Dark spots or empty areas of vision
• Blurry vision
• Hazy vision
• Vision changes that come and go
• Trouble seeing colors
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Vision loss

In some cases, these symptoms can come on suddenly, including vision loss. (17) See an eye doctor every year (more often if you’re pregnant and have diabetes) to catch the signs of diabetic retinopathy early — possibly before you even start to notice symptoms.

Causes & Risk Factors

Diabetic retinopathy causes include having diabetes and having poor blood glucose control over time. People who do not have diabetes do not develop diabetic retinopathy, although they can experience many eye diseases (retinopathies) that have the same symptoms and effects.

Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy include: (18, 19, 20)

• Diabetes
• Poor blood sugar control
• Diabetes (type 1 or type 2) during pregnancy
• Hispanic, black or American Indian/Alaska Native descent
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Older age

The longer you have had diabetes, the greater your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. (21) This is part of the reason older adults are more likely to have diabetic eye diseases than younger people. Also, people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes as they age. Among Hispanics, being 50 or older increases the risk of diabetic retinopathy, and this risk increases even more among people aged 75 years and older. (22) In fact, 19 percent of all U.S. Hispanics who are 75 and older have diabetic retinopathy. (23)

Conventional Treatment 

The types of conventional treatments your eye doctor suggests will depend on how advanced your diabetic retinopathy is and what types of damage are causing the problem. In very early diabetic retinopathy, it’s possible that no treatment will be given, other than a recommendation for proper blood sugar control. (24)

As the disease progresses, you may need different therapies or a combination of treatments. Not everyone requires the same number of shots, and not everyone has an improvement in vision after treatment. (25) In some cases, treatment simply helps keep the disease from getting worse as quickly as it otherwise would.

Conventional diabetic retinopathy treatment may include: (26)

• Blood sugar control: strategies to keep blood sugar in a healthy range, including diet, exercise and diabetes medicines
• Anti-VEGF injections: shots given directly into the eye to reduce swelling, which may improve vision and slow additional vision loss
• Steroid injections: shots given directly into the eye, which may have the same impact as anti-VEGF shots
• Laser surgery: laser beams aimed directly at the leaky blood vessels to seal them off and keep them from growing
• Vitrectomy: removal of gel, blood and/or scar tissue from the eye to help light enter the eye better, usually only in advanced diabetic retinopathy cases

12 Natural Tips for Prevention & Management of Diabetic Retinopathy

Is diabetic retinopathy curable? Sometimes. In mild cases, proper blood sugar control can reverse the blood vessel damage and erase symptoms of the disease. In most cases, treatment can also keep the disease from getting worse, even if the existing damage cannot be erased. Thankfully, you can prevent or slow diabetic retinopathy.

If you have a diabetes, consider these tips for preventing diabetic retinopathy altogether or for keeping it from getting worse: (27, 28)

1. Keep your blood sugar in your target range
2. Follow your diabetes diet and exercise plan (at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week for people who are well enough to exercise)
3. Work to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control by getting them checked regularly and following the advice of your health care provider
4. Quit smoking
5. Get an eye exam as soon as you notice any changes in your vision
6. Go to the eye doctor at least once every year and tell them you have diabetes (you may need to go every 2–4 months if you have early disease or are high-risk)
7. Get treatment for diagnosed diabetic retinopathy sooner rather than later
8. Ask if glasses or contacts can help correct your symptoms
9. Get training from a low vision and rehabilitation clinic to learn coping and lifestyle tips that can help you adjust to any temporary or permanent vision loss
10. Find out if Mirtogenol™ — a combination of Pycnogenol®, which is an extract of French maritime pine bark, and Mirtoselect® from bilberry — may be right for you, as these standardized natural products may help reduce bleeding in the eye (29, 30)
11. Ask whether you should take a folic acid or vitamin B12 supplement to help address vitamin deficiencies that can result from certain diabetes treatments (31)
12. Talk with a health care provider about these other natural therapies with early research supporting their possible effectiveness in diabetic retinopathy prevention or treatment: (32)
    1. Danshen dripping pills (Salviae miltiorrhiae, Radix notoginseng and borneol) and some other Traditional Chinese Medicines
    2. Fenugreek seed
    3. Resveratrol
    4. Gingko biloba extract

Precautions

You should follow the therapies recommended by a health care professional to treat your diabetes and other health conditions. During your doctor visits or trips to the pharmacy, tell them about all medicines, supplements and herbs you use so that they can let you know if there could be any interaction. For example, some supplements can raise blood pressure, which can be harmful if you have diabetic retinopathy or other eye diseases (like glaucoma). Do not try something new without first talking to your health care provider.

With diabetic retinopathy, prevention and early detection are key. See an eye doctor immediately if you notice changes in your vision. If you have diabetes but no symptoms of vision problems, get regular eye exams and work hard to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol in the target range for someone your age, height, gender and weight.

Final Thoughts

Since diabetes is a chronic health condition, your efforts to prevent or manage diabetic retinopathy also have to be chronic. That means that you can’t stop working to control your blood sugar and keep your eyes healthy. Ever! It is a lifelong responsibility if you have diabetes.

Thankfully, blindness from diabetic retinopathy is largely preventable, and treatment is fairly effective and advanced. If you start early, stay active, and regularly work toward eye (and blood sugar) health, you may be able to entirely avoid complications from diabetic retinopathy. And preserving your vision is worth the effort.

Read Next: 7 Natural Treatments for Eye Strain

The post 12 Natural Tips for Diabetic Retinopathy Prevention & Management appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Understanding the cellular mechanisms of insulin resistance helps us choose more effective therapeutic interventions for the treatment and prevention of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is present in individuals who are obese and those with diabetes mellitus. Several studies have found that an insulin resistance diet protocol and exercise can alter insulin signaling pathways and delay the onset of insulin resistance.

It’s estimated that the number of diabetes sufferers in the world will double from about 190 million to 325 million during the next 25 years. (1) It’s obvious that we need to pay more attention to our lifestyle habits and make some changes. An insulin resistance diet, similar to a diabetic diet plan, helps you lose excess weight and regulate your insulin and blood glucose levels in order to reduce your risk of developing prediabetes and diabetes.

Insulin Resistance Diet

Research suggests that the primary cause of insulin resistance is excess weight, especially excess fat around the waist. Fortunately, weight loss can help the body respond better to insulin. The Diabetes Prevention Program and other large studies indicate that people with insulin resistance and prediabetes can often prevent or delay developing diabetes by changing their diets to follow an insulin resistance diet, along with losing weight.

Here are seven ways to start eating an insulin resistance diet.

1. Limit Carbohydrates

Research published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity suggests that monitoring carbohydrate intake, whether by carbohydrate counting or experience-based estimation, remains a key strategy in achieving glycemic control. Although all carbohydrates can be incorporated into carbohydrate counting, for good health, carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and dairy products take priority over other carbohydrate sources, especially those that contain added fats, sugars or sodium. (2)

When it comes to grain flour products, it’s best to consume grains in their whole forms instead of flour form because flour tends to increase insulin resistance. If you need to use flour, choose those made from 100 percent whole grains, or try coconut flour or almond flour for an even healthier option.

2. Avoid Sweetened Beverages

All types of sugars are capable of raising blood sugar levels and contributing to insulin resistance, but some sources of sugar and carbs are more detrimental than others. For the first time, the American Diabetes Association’s nutrition recommendations now specifically advise the avoidance of sugar-sweetened beverages. These include soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea, and energy and vitamin water drinks containing sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates and other artificial sweeteners. In a meta-analysis of cohort studies published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, individuals in the highest versus lowest quartile of sugar-sweetened beverage intake had a 26 percent greater risk of developing diabetes. (3)

Instead of drinking sweetened beverages, stick with water, seltzer, herbal or black tea, and coffee. When it comes to adding sweeteners to your beverages, or food, choose natural sweeteners like raw honey, organic stevia, dates, pure maple syrup or blackstrap molasses.

3. Eat More Fiber

Research shows that diets containing more than 50 grams of fiber per day are reported to improve glycemia in people with diabetes. Large prospective cohort studies report that the consumption of whole grains is associated with a reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes, but people should limit the amount of processed whole grain products consumed. (4)

Consuming high-fiber foods like artichokes, peas, acorn squash, Brussels sprouts, avocado, legumes and beans, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and quinoa help regulate insulin resistance. Load your plate with fresh veggies as often as possible — they’re high in fiber, low in calories, and contain an array of vitamins and minerals with anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Eat Healthy Fats

Research shows that the type of fatty acids consumed is more important than total fat in the diet. Individuals with insulin resistance are encouraged to select unsaturated fats in place of saturated and trans fatty acids. The impact of long-term intake of saturated fatty acids on insulin resistance is important because as people with diabetes decrease their intake of carbohydrates, they increase their fat intake, especially saturated fat from foods like baked goods and fatty beef. A study published in Public Health Nutrition suggests that saturated fat intake should be less than 7 percent of your total energy intake per day. (5)

The intake of foods rich in monounsaturated fatty acids as a component of the Mediterranean diet (and the keto diet) was reported to improve glycemic control and serum lipids when monounsaturated fatty acids were substituted for carbohydrates and saturated fats. This includes fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds. (6)

People with insulin resistance should also increase foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, specifically by eating at least two servings of wild-caught fatty fish every week, as part of an insulin resistance diet. That includes mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna, white fish and sardines. Other omega-3 foods include walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, egg yolks and natto.

5. Get Enough Protein

A 2011 study published in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research found that the consumption of higher amounts of protein during dietary treatment of obesity resulted in greater weight loss than with lower amounts of protein. Researchers indicate that adequate dietary protein intake is of specific importance for people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes because proteins are relatively neutral with regard to glucose and lipid metabolism, and they preserve muscle and bone mass, which may be decreased in people with poorly controlled insulin resistance. (7)

Lean protein foods, such as organic chicken, wild fish, free-range eggs, lentils, yogurt and almonds, help regulate your blood sugar levels.

6. Eat Dairy

There’s a growing body of scientific evidence that links dairy intake to a reduced type 2 diabetes risk. Potential underlying mechanisms for this association include the role of dairy products in obesity and metabolic syndrome, as well as several dairy components, such as calcium, vitamin D, dairy fat and specifically trans-palmitoleic acid. (8)

Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health suggest that trans-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, may substantially reduce the risk of insulin resistance and health issues related to insulin resistance, such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. (9)

When choosing dairy as part of an insulin resistance diet, go for organic products instead of conventional products made with cow’s milk. Sheep or goat milk is always a better option, and so are raw cheese and kefir.

7. Think About Your Portions

When it comes to controlling insulin resistance, we know that losing weight is key. You can do this by following this insulin resistance diet, but you also need to cut back your portions and calorie intake for maximum impact. Research shows that in recent decades, increases in portion size have occurred in parallel with the rise in the prevalence of obesity. (10) Eat smaller meals throughout the day, and never let yourself get too hungry, which only increases your chances of overeating during your next meal. Start a meal with a smaller portion, and add more as needed.

This can be difficult when you are out to eat at a restaurant. In a survey of over 1,000 adults, 69 percent indicated that, when dining out, they finish their entrees all or most of the time. Of those adults, 30 percent reported that they would have been satisfied with smaller portions. (11) To avoid overeating, try to be aware of your hunger levels going into and during a meal; don’t automatically finish the entire portion — take home leftovers instead. To add to this, eating foods rich in fiber, lean protein and healthy fats helps you achieve satiety and less likely to overeat. This is part of mindful eating, or being present and aware of your appetite and portions.

What Does Insulin Do?

Insulin is a peptide hormone that’s made in the pancreas, an organ that contains clusters of cells called islets and beta cells within the islets that make insulin and release it into the blood. Insulin maintains normal blood sugar levels by facilitating cellular glucose uptake; regulating carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism; and promoting cell division and growth. (12) It plays a major role in regulating how the body uses digested food for energy. With the help of insulin, glucose is absorbed by the cells of your body and used for energy.

When blood glucose levels rise after a meal, insulin is released by the pancreas into the blood. Then insulin and glucose travel in the blood to cells throughout the body. Insulin is responsible for several mechanisms throughout the body. It helps muscle, fat and liver cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream, thereby lowering blood glucose levels; it stimulates the liver and muscle tissue to store excess glucose; and it lowers blood glucose levels by reducing glucose production in the liver. (13)

Types of Insulin

Insulin was first isolated in 1921 and used as a treatment of type 1 diabetes in 1922. Since then, insulin has advanced from early animal to biosynthetic human and analogue preparations and is increasingly used to treat type 2 diabetes at various stages of disease progression. (14)

People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may need insulin shots to help their bodies use glucose for energy. In people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin and the pancreatic beta cells have been destroyed. Those with type 1 diabetes need insulin shots to use glucose from meals. People with type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their bodies don’t respond well to it, so some people need insulin shots to help their bodies to use glucose for energy. (15)

There are several types of insulin that can be injected into the fat under your skin so it gets into your blood. According to the American Diabetes Association, insulins are classified by the timing of their action in your body. The onset is the length of time before insulin reaches the bloodstream and begins lowering blood glucose, the peak time is the time during which insulin is at maximum strength, and the duration is how long insulin continues to lower blood glucose.

• Rapid-acting insulin — begins to work five to 15 minutes after injection, peaks in about one hour and continues to work for two to four hours. This type of insulin is used to control blood sugar levels during meals and snacks and correct high blood sugar.
• Regular or short-acting insulin — reaches the bloodstream about 30 minutes after injection, peaks anywhere from two to three hours after injection and is effective for approximately three to six hours. This type of insulin is also used to control blood sugar levels during meals and snacks and correct high blood sugar.
• Intermediate-acting insulin — reaches the bloodstream about two to four hours after injection, peaks four to 12 hours later and is effective for about 12–18 hours. This type of insulin is absorbed more slowly, and it lasts longer, which is why it’s used to control blood sugar levels overnight, while fasting and between meals.
• Long-acting insulin — reaches the bloodstream several hours after injection and tends to lower glucose levels fairly evenly over a 24-hour period. This type of insulin is absorbed slowly, has a minimal peak effect and then a stable plateau effect that lasts most of the day. It’s used to control blood sugar overnight, while fasting and between meals.

Insulin Resistance Symptoms

Insulin resistance is defined clinically as the inability of a known quantity of exogenous or endogenous insulin to increase glucose uptake and utilization in an individual as much as it does in a normal population. In other words, when you’re insulin-resistant, your body doesn’t have the ability to respond to and use the insulin it produces. Muscle, fat and liver cells don’t respond properly to insulin and therefore cannot easily absorb glucose from the bloodstream. (16)

People with insulin resistance need higher levels of insulin to help glucose enter cells. When the beta cells in the pancreas cannot keep up with the demand for insulin, excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, which leads to serious health disorders like prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance usually has no symptoms, and people can have this health condition for several years without knowing it. A sign of severe insulin resistance is acanthosis nigricans, which is a skin condition that causes dark patches on the neck, elbows, knees, knuckles and armpits.

Insulin testing may be ordered with glucose and C-peptide tests. Insulin levels can also be measured when taking the glucose tolerance test in order to evaluate insulin resistance. People who experience symptoms of hypoglycemia typically have their insulin levels tested; hypoglycemia symptoms may include sweating, palpitations, blurred vision, dizziness, fainting, confusion and hunger. This usually occurs when blood glucose levels are less than 70 milligrams per deciliter.

Insulin levels that are too low and too high are both problematic. If insulin levels are too low, our livers keep making glucose and too much gets dumped into our blood. People with low insulin levels might have type 1 diabetes. High insulin levels are a sign of insulin resistance and prediabetes, and too much insulin promotes weight gain and inflammation. There are varying options on the ideal fasting insulin level, but research suggests that it’s below five microunits per milliliter. Men and women with higher fasting insulin levels are more at risk of developing prediabetes and diabetes.

Insulin resistance is linked to obesity, hypertension and high levels of fat in the blood. Over time, insulin resistance tends to get worse and the pancreatic beta cells that make insulin begin to wear out. Eventually, the pancreas will no longer produce enough insulin to overcome the cells’ resistance, which results in higher blood glucose levels (prediabetes) and then type 2 diabetes.

Precautions with Insulin Resistance

We know that research shows the primary cause of insulin resistance is excess weight, so watching your calorie intake and following my insulin resistance diet plan will help you to regulate your insulin levels. Keep in mind that no one diet works for every person. Follow these guidelines and experiment with an array of foods that are high in fiber, lean protein and healthy fats. If you are having trouble following an insulin diet plan or finding what works for you, see a nutritionist or dietician for guidance.

Final Thoughts on the Insulin Resistance Diet

• Insulin is a peptide hormone that’s made in the pancreas, an organ that contains clusters of cells called islets and beta cells within the islets that make insulin and release it into the blood.
• Insulin plays a major role in regulating how the body uses digested food for energy. With the help of insulin, glucose is absorbed by the cells of your body and used for energy.
• There are typically no symptoms of insulin resistance, and it can go for years unnoticed. People who experience hypoglycemia or dark patches of skin may be insulin-resistant and should have their levels checked.
• An insulin resistance diet is a balance of lean protein, healthy fats, high-fiber foods and high-quality dairy. People who are insulin-resistant should avoid consuming sugary foods, sweetened beverages and refined carbohydrates as part of an insulin resistance diet protocol.

Read Next: How to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar

The post The Insulin Resistance Diet Protocol appeared first on Dr. Axe.

If you are one of the millions of people who has prediabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome or any other form of “insulin resistance,” maintaining normal blood sugar levels can be challenging. Over the past several decades, these chronic disorders have swept through the U.S. and many other nations, reaching epidemic proportions and causing serious, but often preventable, side effects like nerve damage, fatigue, loss of vision, arterial damage and weight gain.

Elevated blood sugar levels maintained for an extended period of time can push someone who is “prediabetic” into having full-blown diabetes (which now affects about one in every three adults in the U.S.). (1) Even for people who aren’t necessarily at a high risk for developing diabetes or heart complications, poorly managed blood sugar can lead to common complications, including fatigue, weight gain and sugar cravings. In extreme cases, elevated blood sugar can even contribute to strokes, amputations, coma and death in people with a history of insulin resistance.

Blood sugar is raised by glucose, which is the sugar we get from eating many different types of foods that contain carbohydrates. Although we usually think of normal blood sugar as being strictly reliant upon how many carbohydrates and added sugar someone eats, other factors also play a role. For example, stress can elevate cortisol levels, which interferes with how insulin is used, and the timing of meals can also affect how the body manages blood sugar. (2)

What can you do to help avoid dangerous blood sugar swings and lower diabetes symptoms? As you’ll learn, normal blood sugar levels are sustained through a combination of eating a balanced, low-processed diet, getting regular exercise and managing the body’s most important hormones in other ways (such as getting enough sleep and reducing stress). The power is within your hands, since many of the disorders triggered by poorly managed blood sugar are avoidable and can be managed naturally and successfully through practicing certain healthy habits.

How to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar

Most of the habits that help us maintain healthy, normal blood sugar levels are fairly obvious and simple to carry out. However, some might also surprise you, especially if you think it will be tough to start managing your blood sugar better.

Small changes in your diet, exercise routine and sleep schedule can wind up making a big difference when it comes to blood sugar management. Let’s look at some of the best ways to help get you on the right track to reaching and maintaining normal blood sugar levels for life.

1. Eat a Low-Processed, Anti-Inflammatory Diet

A healthy diet is key to blood sugar management and preventing or treating diabetes. It’s not that you must avoid consuming any carbohydrates or sugar when trying to maintain normal blood sugar — just that you need to balance them out with protein/fats, and focus on getting them from real, whole foods. That being said, a keto diet can prevent too much insulin from being released following food consumption and help create normal blood sugar levels.

Eating a source of protein, fiber and healthy fat with all of your meals can help stabilize blood sugar, especially when you consume carbs/sugar (such as starchy veggies like potatoes, fruit or whole grains). These slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, help manage your appetite, and are also important for your metabolism and digestion.

• Some of the best protein foods for managing blood sugar include: wild fish such as salmon, free-range eggs, grass-fed beef or lamb, raw dairy products (including yogurt, kefir or raw cheeses), and pasture-raised poultry
• Healthy fats include: virgin coconut oil, MCT oil, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds (like almonds, chia, hemp and flax), and avocado. Coconut oil, ghee and grass-fed butter are all some of my favorite fat-burning foods for managing blood glucose levels while also improving the taste and filling quality of your meals.
•  High-fiber foods include: fresh veggies, whole pieces of fruit (not juice), sprouted beans or peas, and ancient grains. Some of my favorite foods especially high in fiber are artichokes, green leafy vegetables, chia seeds, flaxseeds, apples, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocado and sweet potatoes.
• According to an article in Diabetic Living magazine, other foods and drinks that make great additions to a blood-sugar-stabilizing diet include apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, green tea, herbal teas, fresh herbs and spices. (3)

2. Switch Up Your Carbs & Sweeteners

While all types of added sugars are capable of raising blood sugar levels, some sources of sugar/carbs affect blood glucose levels more so than others. When you use appropriate amounts sparingly, natural/unrefined, ideally organic sugar sources (such as those from fruit or raw honey) are less likely to contribute to poor blood sugar management than refined sugars (such as white cane sugar or refined products made with white/bleached wheat flour).

To help sustain normal blood sugar, check ingredient labels carefully, since sugar can be listed under dozens of different names.

• Skip anything made with refined flour (also called wheat flour or “enriched flour”) and added sugars, such as beet sugar/beet juice, cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fructose and dextrose.
• Instead choose natural sweeteners, including raw honey, organic stevia, dates, pure maple syrup or blackstrap molasses.
• Most importantly, still watch your portion sizes, using only a small amount per day of even natural sweeteners (such as one to three teaspoons daily).
• When it comes to grain-flour products, it’s best to consume grains in their whole form whenever possible as opposed to in flour form, which tends to spike blood sugar more. But if you must use flour, choose those made with 100 percent whole grains, or else try coconut flour or almond flour for an even healthier option.
• In terms of beverages, stick with water, seltzer, herbal tea or black tea, and coffee. Coffee is best in moderation, meaning one to two cups daily, especially compared to sweetened drinks, juices or soda. (4)
• Keep in mind that alcohol can also raise blood sugar, especially if you consume sweetened alcoholic drinks (such as certain dessert/fortified wines, sherries, liqueurs, mixed drinks with juice and ciders). (5)

3. Get Regular Exercise

You’re probably already aware that there are literally dozens of benefits associated with exercise. According to the National Diabetes Association, exercise manages blood sugar in more than one way. Short-term exercise helps cells in your muscles to take up more glucose in order to use it for energy and tissue repair, therefore lowering blood sugar in the process. Long-term exercise also makes cells more responsive to insulin and helps prevent resistance. (6)

Doing about 30–60 minutes of exercise most days of the week (such as running, cycling, swimming and lifting weights) is also a simple, beneficial way to lower inflammation, manage stress, improve immunity and balance hormones. Insulin sensitivity is increased, so your cells are better able to use any available insulin to take up glucose during and after activity.

4. Manage Stress

Excessive stress can actually cause blood sugar levels to rise due to an increased release of the “stress hormone” cortisol. Stress kicks off a vicious hormonal cycle for many people. It not only contributes to high blood sugar by raising cortisol, but also tends to increase cravings for “comfort foods” (many of which are refined and filled with sugar or other inflammatory ingredients) and often interferes with getting good sleep. (7)

All around, dealing with high amounts of stress makes it less likely that people will take good care of themselves and keep up with healthy habits that contribute to normal blood sugar. For example, skipping workouts and drinking more alcohol and caffeine are both common among chronically stressed adults. These self-destructive habits contribute to even more stress, which interferes with blood sugar management even more. It’s no wonder that people who develop health problems like diabetes or heart disease, or even who wind up gaining a lot of weight and facing obesity, tend to feel more depressed and hopeless but find it hard to break the cycle and develop new habits.

What are some ways you can help deal with the inevitable stresses that occur in life? Studies have found that natural stress relievers, including exercise, yoga, meditation and using relaxing essential oils for anxiety (such as lavender, rose and frankincense) are all helpful for diabetics and those with insulin resistance. (8) Other ways to wind down include spending more time outdoors, joining groups in your community, and connecting with family and friends more.

5. Get Enough Rest

Being well-rested is crucial for maintaining a healthy outlook on life, sticking with healthy habits and even managing hormone levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 35 percent of Americans report getting less than the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, raising their risk for numerous health problems, including type 2 diabetes. (9) A lack of sleep can raise stress and appetite hormones (like cortisol and ghrelin, which make you hungry), making it harder to void sugary snacks, refined grain products and caffeine overdose.

Sleep and metabolic processes are linked in several key ways, and research shows our natural circadian rhythms can trigger high blood glucose or raise the risk for diabetes when they’re disturbed. Sleeping too little, getting poor quality sleep or sleeping at the wrong times can impair insulin secretion even if you don’t change your diet.

Aim to get between seven to nine hours of sleep per night, ideally by sticking with a normal sleep/wake schedule — in order to balance hormones, curb stress responses, and have enough energy to exercise and keep up with your day.

Related: What Is Glucagon? Roles, Side Effects & How It Works With Insulin

How the Body Manages Blood Sugar Levels

People who tend to experience fluctuating, “abnormal” blood sugar levels include:

• anyone with prediabetes or diabetes
• those eating a poor diet, high in sugar, refined grains, artificial ingredients and packaged foods
• people who skip meals, don’t eat enough or who fad diet
• anyone who doesn’t eat around the time of exercising, before or after workouts, to help refuel
• people who don’t get enough sleep and live with high amounts of chronic stress
• pregnant women (who can be at risk for gestational diabetes)
• people with a history of insulin resistance/diabetes in their families

Your diet is the single most influential factor when it comes to your blood sugar levels. The foods that we eat fall into one of three categories: carbohydrates (sugars and starches), proteins and fats. Fats don’t affect blood sugar, while carbohydrates — and to a small extend proteins — do. Carbohydrates in our diets along with a portion of the protein we eat are turned into glucose, which is what gives cells most of their energy and helps fuel the majority of the body’s many functions.

Glucose requires insulin in order to be brought into cells, which is the hormone secreted by the pancreas that’s most important for blood sugar control. When we eat carbohydrates or proteins, blood sugar rises, which alerts the body to produce more insulin in order to bring levels back to normal by ushering sugar to cells. Insulin levels rise and fall in accordance with our diets and are also impacted by levels of other hormones, such as cortisol. (10)

In people who have diabetes (whether type 1 or type 2), cells stop responding to insulin the way they should and the process described above starts to break down. Either not enough insulin is being produced by the pancreas or cells are no longer responding to normal amounts of insulin (called “insulin resistance). This is when a lifestyle and diet to manage diabetes become especially important.

Problems maintaining normal blood sugar can arise when: (11)

• Insulin-releasing mechanisms no longer work as they should — specifically beta cells within the pancreas stop reacting to changes in blood sugar normally and too little insulin is produced, leaving blood sugar elevated.
• When blood sugar levels aren’t managed, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can then occur as levels rise and fall drastically. These comes with many side effects that are indicative of prediabetes or diabetes, including fatigue, sugar cravings, changes in blood pressure, weight loss or gain, nerve damage, and nervousness.
• Cells stop receiving enough energy since insulin is no longer doing its job of bringing them enough glucose (sugar). At the same time, blood glucose levels can remain elevated, which damages the kidneys, heart, arteries and nerves — which in turn affects the whole body negatively.

What’s Considered Normal Blood Sugar?

What doctors consider to be “normal” blood sugar depends on your medical history (such as if you have or ever had diabetes) and when the last times you ate something and exercised were. Blood sugar is measured in terms of milligrams of sugar per dL of blood, and measurements are most often taken in the morning after you’ve been fasting through the night. (12)

The following blood sugar measurements are considered healthy and normal according to health authorities, including the American Diabetes Association: (13)

• If you’re generally healthy (you don’t have diabetes) and you haven’t eaten anything in the past eight hours (you’ve been “fasting”), it’s normal for blood sugar to be anything between 70–99 mg/dL (less than 100 mg/dL).
• If you’re healthy and you’ve eaten within the past two hours, it’s normal for blood sugar to be anything less than 140 mg/dL.
• If you do have a history of diabetes, fasting glucose should ideally also be below 100 mg/DL, which might need to be managed through the use of insulin. It’s also considered healthy to have levels between 70–130 prior to eating.
• If you have diabetes and you’ve eaten in the past two hours, the goal is to have blood sugar below 180 mg/dL.
• If you have diabetes, you want to keep blood sugar between 100–140 mg/dL prior to bedtime and at least 100 mg/dL prior to exercising.

Signs of High/Low Blood Sugar

Even without measuring your blood sugar levels, there are certain clues that things might not be “normal.” How do you know if you’re not successfully managing your blood sugar levels throughout the day? Common signs and symptoms not to ignore that can signify diabetes and fluctuating blood sugar levels include: (14)

• Fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome, low energy levels
• Sugar/carb cravings
• Excessive thirst
• Weight fluctuations/weight loss
• Increased urination
• Mood swings, nervousness or “jitteriness”
• Blurred, worsening vision
• Slow healing of skin wounds, dryness, cuts and bruises
• Frequent infections
• Heavy breathing and trouble exercising
• Tension headaches

Normal Blood Sugar Takeaways

• Elevated blood sugar levels maintained for an extended period of time can push someone who is “prediabetic” into having full-blown diabetes (which now affects about one in every three adults in the U.S.).
• People who tend to experience fluctuating, “abnormal” blood sugar levels include anyone with prediabetes or diabetes; those eating a poor diet, high in sugar, refined grains, artificial ingredients and packaged foods; people who skip meals, don’t eat enough or who fad diet; anyone who doesn’t eat around the time of exercising, before or after workouts, to help refuel; people who don’t get enough sleep and live with high amounts of chronic stress; pregnant women (who can be at risk for gestational diabetes); and people with a history of insulin resistance/diabetes in their families.
• Signs of high/low blood sugar include fatigue and low energy levels; sugar/carb cravings; excessive thirst; weight fluctuations/weight loss; increased urination; mood swings, nervousness or jitteriness; blurred, worsening vision; slow healing of skin wounds, dryness, cuts and bruises; frequent infections; heavy breathing and trouble exercising; and tension headaches.
• In order to achieve normal blood sugar levels and maintain them, eat a low-processed, anti-inflammatory diet that includes protein foods, healthy fats and high-fiber foods; switch up your carbs and sweeteners, avoiding refined flour and utilizing natural sweeteners in moderation; get regular exercise; manage stress; and get enough rest.

Read Next: Get Your Cortisol Levels Under Control & Turn Down the Stress

The post How to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar appeared first on Dr. Axe.

The term insipidus means “without taste” in Latin, while diabetes mellitus involves the excretion of “sweet” urine. People with diabetes insipidus pass urine that is diluted, odorless and relatively low in sodium content.

Diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus (which includes both type 1 and type 2 diabetes) are unrelated. Both conditions do cause frequent urination and constant thirst. People with diabetes insipidus have normal blood sugar levels, but their kidneys cannot balance fluid in the body.

Although the symptoms of diabetes insipidus can be bothersome and sometimes even life-changing, the condition doesn’t increase future health risks when it is managed properly. It’s important to find the right treatment plan, which typically involves taking measures to avoid dehydration.

What is Diabetes Insipidus?

Diabetes insipidus is a condition that disrupts normal life due to increased thirst and passing of large volumes or urine, even at night. It is a part of a group of hereditary or acquired polyuria (when large amounts of urine is produced) and polydipsia (excessive thirst) diseases. It’s associated with inadequate vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone secretion.

Vasopressin, which includes arginine vasopressin (AVP) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH), is a peptide hormone formed in the hypothalamus. It then travels to the posterior pituitary where it releases into the blood. In order to fully understand the cause of diabetes insipidus, you must first learn about the role of vasopressin and how it affects your kidneys and fluid balance. (2)

Every day, your kidneys normally filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine. Urine is composed of wastes and extra fluid. Your urine then flows from your kidneys to the bladder and through tubes called ureters. Your body regulates fluid by balancing liquid and removing extra fluid. Thirst usually controls your liquid intake, while urination removes most fluid. People also lose fluid through sweating, breathing or diarrhea.

The hypothalamus (a small gland located at the base of the brain) produces vasopressin. Vasopressin is stored in the pituitary gland and released into the bloodstream when the body has a low fluid level. Vasopressin signals your kidneys to absorb less fluid from the bloodstream, resulting in less urine. But when the body has extra fluid, the pituitary gland releases smaller amounts of vasopressin, or even none at all. This causes the kidneys to remove more fluid from the bloodstream and produce more urine. (3)

These issues with the release of vasopressin lead to this rare disorder that occurs when the kidneys pass an abnormally large volume of urine that is insipid — dilute and odorless.

Causes and Risk Factors

There are four different types of diabetes insipidus — central, nephrogenic, dipsogenic and gestational. Each type of diabetes insipidus has a different cause.

Central Diabetes Insipidus

Central diabetes insipidus (or neurogenic diabetes insipidus) is the most common form of diabetes insipidus. It occurs in both males and females equally and at any age. Inadequate synthesis or release of vasopressin causes it, often due to surgery, head injury, an infection or a tumor that damages the hypothalamus or posterior pituitary gland. (4) The disruption of vasopressin causes the kidneys to remove too much fluid from the body, leading to an increase in urination.

Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus results from the failure of the kidneys to respond to vasopressin. This causes the kidneys to continue to remove too much fluid from a person’s bloodstream. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus can result from inherited gene changes or mutations that prevent the kidneys from responding normally to vasopressin. (5) Chronic kidney disease, low potassium levels in the blood, high calcium levels in the blood, a blockage of the urinary tract and certain medications (like lithium) can cause nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. (6)

Dipsogenic Diabetes Insipidus

Dipsogenic diabetes insipidus (also known as primary polydipsia) is a defect in the thirst mechanism, located in the hypothalamus. This defect results in an abnormal increase in thirst and liquid intake that suppresses vasopressin section and increases urine output. Events or conditions that damage the hypothalamus or pituitary gland cause it, such as surgery, inflammation, a tumor or a head injury. Certain medications or mental health problems may predispose a person to this type of diabetes insipidus.

Gestational Diabetes Insipidus

Gestational diabetes insipidus can occur during pregnancy when an enzyme made by the placenta breaks down the mother’s vasopressin. Or, in some cases, a pregnant women produces more prostaglandin, which reduces chemical sensitivity to vasopressin. Symptoms of gestational diabetes insipidus often go unnoticed. The condition typically goes away after the mother delivers the baby. (7)

Diabetes insipidus can develop at any age and the prevalence is equal among males and females. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus that’s present at or shortly after birth is usually genetic and tends to affect males. However, women can pass the gene on to their children.

Common Signs and Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of diabetes insipidus include extreme thirst and the excretion of an excessive amount of diluted urine. A person’s body regulates fluid by balancing liquid intake and removing extra fluid. Thirst usually controls a person’s rate of liquid intake, while urination removes most fluid.

Normally, a healthy adult will urinate an average of less than 3 liters a day. Depending on the severity of the disease, urine output can be as much as 15 liters a day when you’re drinking a lot of fluids. Because of this frequent urination, people with diabetes insipidus usually have to get up in middle of the night to urinate (called nocturia). They may even struggle with bedwetting.

Infants and young children with diabetes insipidus may have trouble sleeping, or show other signs and symptoms of disease. These can include: unexplained fussiness, inconsolable crying, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, excessively wet diapers, weight loss and delayed growth. (8)

The main complication of diabetes insipidus is dehydration, which occurs when fluid loss is greater than liquid intake. Signs of dehydration include: thirst, dry skin, sluggishness, fatigue, dizziness, confusion and nausea. If you are severely dehydrated, you can even experience seizures, permanent brain damage and death.

Another common complication is an electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes are certain nutrients or chemicals (such as sodium and potassium) present in your body that have many important functions, from regulating your heartbeat to allowing your muscles to contract so you can move. Electrolytes are found within bodily fluids, including urine, blood and sweat. When you have an imbalance, you may experience muscle aches, spasms or twitches, anxiety, frequent headaches, feeling very thirsty, fever, joint pain, confusion, digestive issues, irregular heartbeats, fatigue and changes in appetite or body weight.

Conventional Treatment

The primary treatment for diabetes insipidus involves drinking enough liquid to prevent dehydration. Depending on what type of diabetes insipidus you have, treatment for constant thirst and frequent urination will vary.

Since its introduction in 1972, desmopressin has been the most widely used drug for the treatment of diabetes insipidus. Desmopressin is a synthetic, man-made hormone that comes as an injection, nasal spray or pill. It works by replacing the vasopressin that a patient’s body would normally produce, which can control the amount of urine your kidneys make. Desmopressin helps a patient to manage her symptoms, but it does not cure the disease. (9)

Desmopressin can cause a low level of sodium in the blood. This is rare, but can be serious and possibly life-threatening. Drinking too much water or other fluids increases your risk of having low sodium levels in your blood. It’s important to follow your doctor’s directions if you are using this drug and limit your fluids as instructed. Signs of low levels of sodium in the blood include: loss of appetite, severe nausea, vomiting, severe headache, mental and mood chances, muscle weakness, cramps and spasms, shallow breathing and loss of consciousness.

Health care providers commonly prescribe diuretics to help patients’ kidneys remove fluid from the body. On the the other hand, there’s a class of diuretics called thiazides that help to reduce urine production and help patients’ kidneys concentrate urine. Patients with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus would use these. Thiazide diuretics are sometimes combined with amiloride to prevent hypokalemia, or low potassium levels in the blood. Amiloride works to increase the amount of sodium and decrease the amount of potassium.

Aspirin or ibuprofen is sometimes used to help reduce urine volume as well. Do not use these drugs on a regular basis because of the risk of overdose. Symptoms of a ibuprofen overdose to look out for include: a ringing in the ears, blurred vision, headaches, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness and skin rashes.

5 Natural Treatments

1. Change Your Diet

A diet containing nutrient-dense whole foods with plenty of water-heavy fruits and vegetables can be helpful for people with diabetes insipidus. (10) Some examples of water-based, hydrating foods to consume regularly include: cucumbers, zucchini, dark leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and kale), red cabbage, red peppers, blueberries, watermelon, kiwi, citrus fruit, pineapple and strawberries. Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, squash, bananas and avocados are also great options. You may also find that coconut water is hydrating and helps to balance your electrolytes.

While you focus on adding these nourishing foods into your diet, try to avoid eating processed foods that are typically high in sodium and other chemicals that are used as preservatives. Removing caffeine from your diet may also be helpful, which includes carbonated soft drinks.

2. Avoid Dehydration

It’s vital for diabetes insipidus patients to drink enough liquids to replace their urine losses and to relieve excessive thirst. You need to drink extra water to compensate for fluid loss, especially after being active or exercising. Research shows that without enough water present in the body, dehydration and deficits can cause cardiovascular complications, muscle cramping, fatigue, dizziness and confusion. (11)

Make sure to always carry water with you wherever you go. Wearing a medical alert bracelet will alert professionals of your condition and advise them of your need for fluids.

3. Keep Your Electrolytes Balanced

The major electrolytes found within the body include calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphate and chloride. These nutrients help to stimulate nerves throughout the body and balance fluid levels. You can keep your electrolytes balanced by avoiding packaged or processed foods because of their sodium content. Sodium is an electrolyte that plays a significant role in the body’s ability to retain or release water. So if your diet is very high in sodium, the kidneys excrete more water. This can cause complications balancing other electrolytes. It’s also important to drink enough water throughout the day and to increase your water intake after exercise, when you are sick or any time you are losing fluids. (12)

4. Keep Your Mouth Moist

Sucking on ice chips or sour candies can help to moisten your mouth and increase saliva flow, reducing your desire to drink. This can be especially helpful later in the evening when you don’t want to consume as much water and be up in middle of the night to use the bathroom.

5. Check Your Medications

Some medications can impact your electrolyte balance, a complication of diabetes insipidus. These include antibiotics, diuretics, hormonal pills, blood pressure medications and cancer treatments. Cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy usually experience the most serious forms of electrolyte imbalances. Laxatives and diuretics also change potassium and sodium levels within the blood and urine. It’s also possible to develop electrolyte imbalances due to hormonal interactions from antidiuretic hormone medications, aldosterone and thyroid hormones. Even high levels of physiological stress can impact hormones to the point that fluid and electrolyte levels can become thrown out of balance. (13)

If you begin experiencing the signs and symptoms of diabetes insipidus, be sure to consider whether a new medication or supplement can be causing fluid or electrolyte imbalances.

Precautions

A major complication of diabetes insipidus is dehydration. You can prevent dehydration by increasing the amount of liquids that you drink. If you experience the signs of dehydration, such as confusion, dizziness or sluggishness, seek immediate care.

Final Thoughts

• Diabetes insipidus is a condition that disrupts normal life due to increased thirst and passing of large volumes of urine, even at night. It’s associated with inadequate vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone secretion.
• Issues with the release of vasopressin lead to this rare disorder that occurs when the kidneys pass an abnormally large volume of urine that is insipid — dilute and odorless. 
• There are four different types of diabetes insipidus — central, nephrogenic, dipsogenic and gestational. Each type of diabetes insipidus has a different cause.
• The most common signs and symptoms of diabetes insipidus are extreme thirst and the excretion of an excessive amount of diluted urine. A person’s body regulates fluid by balancing liquid intake and removing extra fluid.
• Two major complications of diabetes insipidus are dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance.
• Desmopressin is a synthetic form of vasopressin used to treat diabetes insipidus. To treat this condition naturally, you must be sure to drink enough water to stay hydrated, watch your medications (some may be altering fluid balance), and change your diet.

Read Next: Foods High in Phosphorus Help Your Body Detox & Strengthen

The post Diabetes Insipidus: Causes & Symptoms + 5 Natural Treatments appeared first on Dr. Axe.

We know that diabetes is a major problem in the U.S., and prediabetes is not less of an issue — but it’s also a wakeup call that can jolt someone into action. Prediabetes symptoms may go unnoticed, but the first sign is that you no longer have normal blood sugar levels. A prediabetes diagnosis is a warning sign to people who will develop diabetes if they don’t make serious lifestyle changes.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention National Diabetes Statistics Report says that 37 percent of United States adults older than 20 years and 51 percent of those older than 65 exhibit prediabetes symptoms. When applied to the entire population in 2012, these estimates suggest that there are nearly 86 million adults with prediabetes in the United States alone. Furthermore, the International Diabetes Federation projects an increase in prevalence of prediabetes to 471 million globally by 2035. (1)

Luckily, research shows that lifestyle intervention may decrease the percentage of prediabetic patients who develop diabetes from 37 percent to 20 percent. (2)

What Is Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is a condition defined as having blood glucose levels above normal but below the defined threshold of diabetes. It’s considered to be an at-risk state, with high chances of developing diabetes. Without intervention, people with prediabetes are likely to become type 2 diabetics within 10 years. For people with prediabetes, the long-term damage to the heart and circulatory system that is associated with diabetes may have started already. (3)

There are several ways to diagnose prediabetes. The A1C test measures your average blood glucose for the past two to three months. Diabetes is diagnosed at an A1C of greater than or equal to 6.5 percent; for prediabetes, the A1C is between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent.

Fasting plasma glucose is a test that checks your fasting (not eating or drinking for at least 8 hours) blood glucose levels. Diabetes is diagnosed at fasting blood glucose of greater than or equal to 126 milligrams per deciliter; for prediabetes, fasting glucose is between 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter.

The oral glucose tolerance test is a two-hour test that checks your blood glucose levels before and two hours after you drink a specific sweet drink. It explains how your body processes glucose. Diabetes is diagnosed at a two-hour blood glucose of greater than or equal to 200 milligrams per deciliter; for prediabetes, the two-hour blood glucose is between 140 and 199 milligrams per deciliter. (4)

Prediabetes is not a new condition; it’s a new name for a disorder that doctors have known about for a long time. A prediabetes diagnosis is a clear way of explaining that a person has higher than normal blood glucose levels and is in danger of developing diabetes, plus at a higher risk of chronic kidney disease and heart disease. When people understand that they ‘e prediabetic, they’re more likely to make lifestyle changes that can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which is why noticing prediabetes symptoms is vital. (5)

The rationale behind the treatment of prediabetes is the prevention of diabetes development, prevention of consequences of diabetes and prevention of the consequences of prediabetes itself. Several research studies have displayed the success of interventions designed for treatment of prediabetes with sustained reduction in the incidence of diabetes. (6)

Prediabetes Symptoms

There are often no prediabetes symptoms and signs, and the condition can go unnoticed. People with prediabetes may experience some diabetes symptoms, such as feeling very thirsty, urinating often, feeling fatigued, having blurred vision and urinating often.

Sometimes people with prediabetes develop acanthosis nigricans, a skin condition that causes one or more areas of the skin to darken and thicken. Evidence shows that acanthosis nigricans is often associated with hyperinsulinemia and may indicate an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. (7)

Some people with prediabetes experience reactive hypoglycemia two to three hours after a meal. Hypoglycemia is also called low blood glucose or low blood sugar. It occurs when the level of glucose in your blood drops below normal. For many people with diabetes, that means a level of 70 milligrams per deciliter or less. Hypoglycemia is one of the more common prediabetes symptoms and a sign of impaired insulin metabolism indicative of impending development of diabetes. (8)

Hypoglycemia symptoms tend to come on quickly, and they can vary from person to person — but common symptoms include feeling shaky or jittery; sweating; feeling sleepy or tired; becoming pale, confused and hungry; and feeling dizzy or lightheaded.

Several studies have shown an association of increased risk of chronic kidney disease with prediabetes. Research shows that many people with prediabetes or diabetes were found to have state 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease. A 2016 study published in Diabetes Medicine found that prediabetes is modestly associated with an increase in chronic kidney disease risk. Chronic kidney disease screening among people with prediabetes and aggressive management of prediabetes in those with chronic kidney disease are recommended by researchers. (9)

7 Natural Treatments for Prediabetes Symptoms

1. Lose Excess Pounds

Several studies have shown the efficacy of lifestyle interventions in the prevention of diabetes with a relative risk reduction of 40 percent to 70 percent in adults with prediabetes. Research shows that lifestyle interventions that focus on weight loss, such as increasing physical activity and making dietary changes, can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that after implementing these lifestyle changes, patients had a 58 percent diabetes risk reduction. (10)

Another study conducted at George Washington University showed that for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) decrease in weight, the risk of developing diabetes in the future was reduced by 16 percent. (11) By reducing saturated fat intake, increasing fiber intake and exercising at least four hours per week, patients experienced positive results.

2. Follow a Diabetic Diet Plan

In your quest to lose weight and avoid prediabetes symptoms, you need to follow a diabetic diet plan and choose foods that help balance blood sugar levels. Choose meals that are high in protein, fiber and healthy fats. High-protein foods include wild salmon, grass-fed beef and free-range eggs. Foods that are high in fiber include berries, figs, peas, Brussels sprouts, acorn squash, beans, flaxseeds and quinoa. These foods support detoxification and help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Healthy fats, like coconut oil and avocados, benefit your blood glucose levels and help you reverse prediabetes symptoms. (12)

A very important component of a diabetic diet is staying away from sugar and reducing your carbohydrate intake. Refined sugar spikes blood glucose levels. Sugar from soda, fruit juice and other sugary beverages enters the bloodstream rapidly and can cause extreme elevations in blood glucose. Instead of using sugar, use stevia or raw honey in moderation.

3. Chromium

Chromium is needed by the body in small amounts for healthy functioning. Trivalent chromium supplements can be used to maintain proper carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, reduce carbohydrate cravings and appetite, prevent insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, and regulate body composition. Dietary deficiency of chromium leads to disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism, increases risk of glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, and may lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. (13)

4. Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is one of the leading nutrient deficiencies in adults, with an estimated 80 percent being deficient in this vital mineral. A magnesium deficiency can lead to other nutrient deficiencies, trouble sleeping and hypertension, all risk factors for developing prediabetes symptoms.

A 2014 study published in Diabetes Care found that magnesium supplements were beneficial in offsetting the risk of developing diabetes among those at high risk. Compared with those with the lowest magnesium intake, those with the highest intake had a 37 percent lower risk of incident metabolic impairment, and higher magnesium intake was associated with a 32 percent lower risk of incident diabetes. (14) You can also get magnesium from green leafy vegetables, avocados, legumes, nuts and seeds.

5. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a rich botanical source of polyphenolics that has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine and has been shown to affect blood glucose and insulin signaling. Research has shown that cinnamon has the power to help reverse diabetes naturally. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that cinnamon intake, either as whole cinnamon or as cinnamon extract, resulted in a statistically significant lowering in fasting blood glucose. (15)

6. Coenzyme Q10

CoQ10 is an antioxidant that protects cels from the effects of aging and helps treat inflammatory health conditions like diabetes. Low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress are the key factors in the development of diabetes and its complications, and CoQ10 has a vital role in reducing these dangerous health risks.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders found that fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels were significantly lower in the group that took CoQ10 supplements. (16)

7. Ginseng

Ginseng is an herb that works as a natural appetite suppressant. Other ginseng benefits include its ability to boost your metabolism and help you burn fat at a faster rate. A study done at the Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research in Chicago measured the anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects of Panax ginseng berry in adult mice. After five days of ingesting 150 milligrams of ginseng berry extract, the mice had significantly lower fasting blood glucose levels. After day 12, the glucose tolerance in the mice increased, and overall blood glucose levels decreased by 53 percent. The body weight of the mice also decreased as the same dose. (17)

A human study conducted at Northumbria University in the U.K. found that Panax ginseng caused a reduction in blood glucose levels one hour after consumption when ingested with glucose. (18)

Prediabetes Causes and Risk Factors

People with prediabetes don’t process glucose properly, which causes sugar to build up in the bloodstream instead of fueling the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. Most of the glucose in your body comes from the foods you eat, especially sugary foods and simple carbohydrates. During digestion, the sugar from these foods enters your bloodstream. Then with the help of insulin, sugar enters the body’s cells, where it’s utilized as a source of energy.

The hormone insulin is responsible for lowering the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. As your blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion of insulin from your pancreas. For people with prediabetes, this process does not work properly. Sugar is not used to fuel your cells. Instead, it builds up in your bloodstream because the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or your cells become resistant to the action of insulin. (19)

Researchers have found that there are accessible variables in determining who’s at risk for prediabetes. Risk factors for prediabetes include:

Age

The risk of developing prediabetes increases as you get older. If you’re over the age of 45, you’re at a greater risk. This may be due to a lack of exercise or gaining weight in older age.

Gender

Women develop diabetes 50 percent more often than men.

Ethnicity

Certain races are more likely to develop prediabetes. African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islands are at a higher risk of developing prediabetes.

Fasting Glucose

Fasting glucose between 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter is characterized as prediabetes. (20)

Systolic Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a risk factor for prediabetes.

HDL Cholesterol

If your HDL cholesterol is below 35 milligrams per deciliter or your triglyceride level is above 250 milligrams per deciliter, you may be at risk for developing prediabetes. (21)

Weight

If you’re overweight and have a body mass index above 25, you’re at risk of developing prediabetes. The more fatty tissue you have, especially around your abdomen, the more resistant your cells will become to insulin.

Inactivity

If you’re inactive, you’re increasing your chances of developing prediabetes. Exercise helps you to stay in control of your weight and ensures that your body uses up glucose as energy, thereby making your cells more sensitive to insulin. (22)

History of Diabetes in Parents or Siblings

If a first-degree relative, such as your parents or siblings, has diabetes, you’re at a greater risk of developing diabetes.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity. Research showed that polycystic ovarian syndrome was associated with a twofold higher odds of developing diabetes. (23)

Gestational Diabetes

A risk factor for prediabetes is a history of gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby weighting more than nine pounds. Researchers suggest that a previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes carriers a lifetime risk of progression to type 2 diabetes of up to 60 percent. (24)

Sleep

Research has linked sleep issues like obstructive sleep apnea to an increased risk of insulin resistance. In fact, one study found that up to 83 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes suffer from unrecognized sleep apnea, and increasing severity of sleep apnea is associated with worsening glucose control. (25) People who are interrupted numerous time throughout the night or work changing shifts or night shifts are at an increased risk of prediabetes.

Conventional Treatment for Prediabetes Symptoms

Metformin has been used for several decades for the treatment of prediabetes and diabetes. It’s typically used to help control blood sugar levels. Common metformin side effects include nausea, upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.

A-glucosidase inhibitors, such as acarbose and voglibose, prolong the overall carbohydrate digestion time and reduce the rate of glucose absorption. These types of medications are used to help people with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is highest after eating complex carbohydrates.

Thiazolidinediones have been shown to reduce the incidence of diabetes in patients at risk of diabetes. However, risks of this medication, which include weight gain, edema and heart failure, outweigh the benefit in preventing prediabetes from progressing to diabetes.

Anti-obesity drugs, such as orlistat, have been used in the treatment of prediabetes. Orlistat is a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor that’s used for the treatment of obesity and acts by inhibiting the adsorption of dietary fats.

Bariatric surgery is used to limit caloric intake. In a 2004 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, bariatric surgery was found to result in sustained weight loss and a 75 percent relative risk reduction of diabetes compared to the controls. (26)

Final Thoughts on Prediabetes Symptoms

• The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention National Diabetes Statistics Report states that 37 percent of United States adults older than 20 years and 51 percent of those older than 65 have prediabetes.
• Prediabetes is a condition defined as having blood glucose levels above normal but below the defined threshold of diabetes. It’s considered to be an at-risk state, with high chances of developing diabetes.
• Prediabetes symptoms may go unnoticed. Some signs of prediabetes include abnormal fasting glucose levels and acanthosis nigricans.
• There are several risk factors for developing prediabetes, including being older than 45, being a woman, having family with diabetes and being overweight.
• Lifestyle interventions can significantly reduce your chances of developing diabetes. These include losing weight by exercising at least four hours per week and eating a diet rich in protein, fiber and healthy fats.

Read Next: Hypoglycemia Symptoms to Look Out For & Ways to Naturally Treat Them

The post 7 Natural Treatments of Prediabetes Symptoms appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Uncontrolled glucose levels are one of the most common health problems in the world. Hypoglycemia symptoms frequently affect people with prediabetes or diabetes but are also linked with other health problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even arthritis. And although it’s rarely mentioned, hypoglycemia has been called “an under-appreciated problem” that’s the most common and serious side effect of glucose-lowering diabetes drugs. (1)

Those who are at risk for both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are not only people who are ill, overweight or inactive — anyone who consumes a poor diet and has trouble with normal glucose metabolism can develop symptoms. The standard American diet, which tends to be very high in things like refined grains and sugar but low in nutrients like healthy fats and fiber, contributes to hypoglycemia and related diseases.

What are some clues you might be experiencing hypoglycemia symptoms, and what kind of things can you do to help manage them?

Symptoms of hypoglycemia are often confused with other health conditions and can include sudden hunger, irritability, headaches, brain fog and shakiness. By managing your intake of empty calories, improving your diet, and paying attention to how meal timing and exercise affects you, you can help control low blood sugar symptoms and prevent them from returning.

What Is Hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is a condition caused by low blood sugar levels, also sometimes referred to as low glucose. Glucose is mostly found in carbohydrate foods and those containing sugar and is considered to be one of the most important sources of energy for the body. (2)

Here’s an overview of how glucose works once it enters the body and the process of how our hormones regulate blood sugar levels:

• When we consume foods that contain glucose (such as fruit, vegetables, beans, grains and sugary snacks), glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it’s eventually carried throughout the body into cells for energy.
• In order for our cells to use glucose, the hormone called insulin needs to be present, which is made by the pancreas in response to how much glucose we consume.
• Insulin helps our cells absorb the amount of glucose they need for energy, and then any extra glucose is sent to the liver or various muscle tissues to be stored as glycogen for later use.
• Other than storing glycogen as an energy supply that can be tapped when needed, we can also create fat cells (which form adipose tissue, or body fat) from extra glucose that we don’t need for energy.
• In healthy people, when blood glucose levels fall too low, the hormone called glucagon lets the liver know that it needs to release stored glycogen to keep blood glucose within a healthy range.
• If this process becomes impaired for any reason, blood sugar levels remain low and hypoglycemia symptoms develop.

The opposite of hypoglycemia is called hyperglycemia, which is the condition caused by high blood sugar (high glucose). Hyperglycemia commonly develops in people with prediabetes or diabetes if their condition isn’t well-controlled. Hyperglycemia causes symptoms related to diabetes, including increased thirst, urination, fatigue and dizziness.

Diabetics can also experience hypoglycemia if they suffer from drastic fluctuations in blood sugar levels due to mismanagement of insulin and glucose. In people with diabetes, hypoglycemia is often a serious side effect of taking blood-sugar-lowering medications (containing insulin) that make glucose levels drop too drastically or from not consuming a balanced, healthy diet. (3) Studies have found that repeated episodes of hypoglycemia can negatively impact someone’s defense mechanisms against falling blood glucose, resulting in significant complications, including a sixfold increase in the risk of dying from a severe episode.

Hypoglycemia Symptoms and Signs

Ever feel shaky, cranky and tired right before eating a meal? Or ever dieted and purposefully skipped eating, only to crave sugar and feel fatigued? Then you’ve experienced what it feels like to have low blood sugar.

The most common symptoms of hypoglycemia, in other words signs of low blood sugar, include: (4)

• Hunger, sometimes which can be intense and sudden
• Symptoms of anxiety, such as nervousness or shakiness
• Sweating, including night sweats that happen while sleeping (this is a sign of “nocturnal hypoglycemia”)
• Feeling dizzy or light-headed
• Becoming fatigued, tired or groggy
• Trouble sleeping and waking up feeling tired
• Feeling irritable and having mood swings
• Paleness in the face
• Headaches
• Muscle weakness
• Signs of brain fog, including feeling confused and having trouble working or concentrating
• In severe cases (including when diabetes medications are involved), seizures, coma and even death can occur. Diabetic patients are at the highest risk for severe hypoglycemia episodes, especially if they happen repeatedly over a long period of time. Severe hypoglycemic episodes in older patients with diabetes have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of dementia, heart disease, functional brain failure, nerve damage and death.

Remember that it’s possible to have symptoms of both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia when blood sugar levels aren’t managed. Over time, these come with complications and often side effects that are indicative of prediabetes or diabetes, including fatigue, sugar cravings, changes in blood pressure, weight loss or gain, nerve damage, and nervousness.

Hypoglycemia Causes and Risk Factors

What are the underlying reasons someone develops hypoglycemia symptoms? The causes of hypoglycemia include:

Mismanagement of Insulin

Too much sugar in the blood can cause insulin to rise to high levels over and over again, which ultimately causes insulin resistance (when cells stop responding to normal amounts of insulin). This can lead to diabetes or other symptoms of metabolic syndrome in some cases but also contributes to fluctuating blood sugar levels in those who are not considered diabetic.

Poor Diet

Consuming too little food, going for long periods without enough to eat or having nutrient deficiencies can contribute to hypoglycemia. Fad-dieting/crash-dieting can also cause symptoms, since these usually involve eating small meals or skipping meals altogether. Some studies have found that, overall, insufficient food consumption was the No. 1 most common cause identified for severe hypoglycemia episodes. Referred to as “impaired counter-regulatory mechanisms,” this essentially means that not paying attention to your own signs of hunger can sometimes cause severe hypoglycemia symptoms.

Diabetes Medications

Diabetics are often treated with medications to offset their resistance to insulin’s normal effects — in other words to lower high blood sugar. Clinical trials have found that attempts to use insulin and glucose medications to achieve aggressive healthy blood sugar levels is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of hypoglycemia symptoms. This hypoglycemic effect is now considered by many experts to be a big problem, even “counter-balancing the benefits of intensive glucose control,” according to the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Medications that can contribute to hypoglycemia include chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL), repaglinide (Prandin), sitagliptin (Januvia) and metformin.

Medications Used to Treat Other Diseases

When some medications are combined with insulin, they can lower blood sugar too much. These include pramlintide (Symlin) and exenatide (Byetta).

Increased Physical Activity

Over-exercising and overtraining or not eating something after exercise can cause low blood sugar. Muscles use up glucose in the blood or stored glycogen to repair themselves, so it’s important to refuel after workouts in order to prevent symptoms.

Other Health Problems

Hormone imbalances, autoimmune disorders, eating disorders, organ failure or tumors that affect hormone levels can all affect the way insulin is released, glucose is taken up into cells and glycogen is stored.

Alcohol

Alcohol raises blood sugar, but afterward levels can fall too low.

Enzyme Deficiencies

Certain metabolic factors can make it hard to break down glucose properly or for the liver to release glycogen when needed.

High Levels of Stress

Stress can elevate cortisol levels, which interferes with how insulin is used.

Conventional Treatment for Hypoglycemia

According to the American Diabetes Association, conventional treatments for hypoglycemia are usually as follows:

• Making changes to your diet and lifestyle to better control blood glucose. This can include changing meal frequency or adopting a diabetic diet plan.
• Doctors often recommend consuming 15–20 grams of glucose (from carbohydrates) right away when hypoglycemia symptoms begin.
• Keep an eye on symptoms for about 15 minutes, and if you’re diabetic, check your blood sugar at this time.
• Eat at least a small snack every two to three hours to keep symptoms from returning. Snacks and meals should have at least 15 grams of carbohydrates.
• Sometimes doctor prescribe medications, including glucose tablets or gel, along with other medications to control hypoglycemia symptoms in diabetic patients. Sometimes injectable glucagon kits are used as a medication to treat someone with diabetes who has become unconscious from a severe insulin reaction.

Natural Treatments for Hypoglycemia

1. Follow a Hypoglycemia Diet

If you’ve had hypoglycemia episodes in the past, try following a balanced meal plan while keeping track of symptoms to learn how to normalize your blood sugar levels.

Foods that can be helpful for managing hypoglycemia symptoms include:

• High-fiber foods: Artichokes, green leafy vegetables, chia seeds, flaxseeds, beans, apples, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocado and sweet potatoes are good choices.
• Healthy carbs: Carbohydrates are the main dietary source of glucose, but not all carbs are created equal. Good choices include brown or wild rice, sweet potatoes, sprouted ancient grains, legumes, and beans.
• Vegetables and whole pieces of fruit: Fruit and fresh fruit juice can be especially helpful to offset a hypoglycemic episode.
• Healthy fats: Virgin coconut oil, MCT oil, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds (like almonds, chia, hemp and flax), and avocado are good sources.
• Quality protein: Wild fish, such as salmon, free-range eggs, grass-fed beef or lamb, raw dairy products (including yogurt, kefir or raw cheeses), and pasture-raised poultry are some of the best protein foods.

Foods that should be avoided include:

• Too much caffeine or alcohol
• Empty calories, including packaged goods that are highly processed
• Lots of added sugar
• Sweetened drinks
• Refined grains
• Fast food and fried foods

2. Rethink Skipping Meals or Cutting Calories Too Low 

People with hypoglycemia or diabetes should eat regular meals throughout the day, have enough calories at each meal (usually including at least some healthy carbohydrates) and never skip meals altogether. Healthy snacks every few hours can also be helpful for keeping blood sugar stable and preventing dips in energy.

If you’re exercising and feel weak or dizzy, make sure you’re eating enough, take a break and consider having something small to eat beforehand. Refuel after workouts with a snack that contains a combination of protein and healthy carbs. If you notice that you have symptoms of hypoglycemia during the night while sleeping, consider having a snack before bed to prevent hypoglycemia overnight.

3. Talk to Your Doctor About Your Medications

If you take any medications that alter blood glucose or insulin levels, be very careful to monitor physical signs and symptoms carefully that might point to hypoglycemia. Research shows that symptoms of hypoglycemia can become progressively less intense over time or even diminish altogether, resulting in “hypoglycemia unawareness” in a significant proportion of patients with repeated episodes due to medications. Talk to your doctor about how you can track your blood sugar levels more accurately or if your dosage should be changed to lower symptoms.

Facts About Hypoglycemia

• Limiting calorie intake (through dieting, fasting or skipping meals) has been identified as the No. 1 cause of hypoglycemic episodes. Other leading causes include too much exercise without refueling and taking unhealthy doses of insulin medications.
• Insulin medications can sometimes trigger severe hypoglycemia episodes, even ones that can be deadly. Evidence from several studies suggests that severe hypoglycemia occurs in 35 percent to 42 percent of diabetic patients taking insulin medications, and the average rate of severe hypoglycemia attacks is between 90–130 episodes over the course of a patient’s lifetime.
• Studies have found that the longer someone has diabetes (for example, over 15 years), the higher their risk becomes of having repeated episodes of severe hypoglycemia symptoms.
• In type 1 diabetic patients who have not been diagnosed or treated, risk for death is significantly higher than in healthy individuals. For example, nocturnal hypoglycemia accounts for 5 percent to 6 percent of all deaths among young people with type 1 diabetes.
• In the U.S., the estimated number of emergency department visits due to hypoglycemia is about 298,000 per year. (5)
• To help prevent hypoglycemia symptoms, most people should eat something every three to four hours and try to consume at least 15 grams of carbs with every meal.

Hypoglycemia Blood Sugar Chart:

Wondering what levels of glucose in the blood are considered to be too high or too low? Generally speaking, experts agree that are no clear-cut borders between the normal range of blood sugar and high and low blood sugar levels. However, researchers and doctors often use the following blood sugar chart to categorize different conditions: (6)

Normal Blood Sugar

Around 60–140 milligrams of sugar per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) is considered to be within the range of healthy blood sugar. There is a normal “range” because even completely healthy people experience some fluctuations in blood sugar levels throughout the day depending on how they eat or their levels of activity. The international unit for categorizing healthy blood glucose is 3.3 and 7.8 millimole per liter (mmol/L).

If you’re generally healthy (you don’t have diabetes) and you haven’t eaten anything in the past eight hours (you’ve been “fasting”), it’s normal for blood sugar to be anything between 70–99 mg/dL (less than 100 mg/dL).

If you’re healthy and you’ve eaten within the past two hours, it’s normal for blood sugar to be anything less than 140 mg/dL.

Hypoglycemia

Usually considered anything below 60–70 mg/dL. If you do have a history of diabetes, fasting glucose should ideally also be below 100 mg/dL, which might need to be managed through the use of insulin. It’s also considered healthy to have levels between 70–130 prior to eating. If you have diabetes, you want to keep blood sugar between 100–140 mg/dL prior to bedtime and at least 100 mg/dL prior to exercising.

Hyperglycemia

If type 1 diabetes is left untreated, sometimes blood glucose can rise to 500 mg/dL ( 27.8 mmol/L). Levels this high are rarer in people with type 2 diabetes, especially if they take medications or use a healthy lifestyle to monitor their levels. If you have diabetes and you’ve eaten in the past two hours, the goal is to have blood sugar stay below 180 mg/dL.

Precautions Regarding  Hypoglycemia

Always visit a doctor or the emergency room if you notice severe and sudden signs of hypoglycemia, including fainting. If you ever become unconsciousness or have a seizure and also take medications that might alter blood glucose, definitely mention this to your doctor.

If you’re diabetic, it’s recommended that you teach someone how to administer glucagon to treat severe hypoglycemic events and have that person call 911 if there’s an emergency right away. Don’t ignore serious signs, such as passing out, insomnia, rapid heart beats, etc., that continue over time, as this raises the risk for long-term complications.

Final Thoughts on Hypoglycemia

• Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels.
• Common symptoms of hypoglycemia include hunger pangs, shakiness, irritability, dizziness and fatigue.
• Causes of hypoglycemia include cutting calories, skipping meals, a poor diet, nutrient deficiencies and not eating after exercising.
• Severe hypoglycemia symptoms affect people with diabetes who are taking medications most often and are sometimes referred to as insulin reaction or insulin shock.
• Natural treatments for hypoglycemia symptoms include eating regularly every few hours, consuming a balanced diet, refueling after exercise and being careful not to overdue medications that interfere with blood sugar regulation.

Read Next: Diabetes Symptoms You Can’t Afford to Ignore & What You Can Do About Them

The post Hypoglycemia Symptoms to Look Out For & Ways to Naturally Treat Them appeared first on Dr. Axe.

Diabetes itself is extremely common, affecting about one in every three adults in the U.S., and diabetic neuropathy is one of the most likely complications to develop as a side effect because high blood sugar levels affect nerve fibers throughout the body. Neuropathy is a pathological condition that encompasses more than 100 different forms and manifestations of nerve damage, both in people with diabetes and those without. (1)

Diabetic neuropathy (also sometimes called peripheral neuropathy) is the term for nerve damage caused by diabetes, a chronic condition that occurs when the body doesn’t use the hormone insulin properly. Neuropathy can form anywhere but is most likely to affect nerves running through the limbs, hands and feet.

Not every person with diabetes symptoms develops complications such as neuropathy, but many do. In fact, up to 60 percent to 70 percent of all diabetics experience some form of neuropathy. For some people, only mild symptoms develop from nerve damage, such as tingling or numbness in the limbs. But for others, neuropathy causes a good amount of pain, digestive issues, problems with the heart and blood vessels, the inability to go about life normally, and even death if major organs are affected badly enough.

Diabetic neuropathy can trigger a cascade of events that lead to even more serious complications. Just like with diabetes itself, there is no known “cure” for peripheral neuropathy, only ways to manage it and stop progression, similarly to the natural treatments for diabetes.  It’s a dangerous problem to have, but fortunately most people are able to keep it under control by regulating their blood sugar levels, changing their diets and adopting healthier lifestyles overall, all of which help control their diabetes.

7 Natural Remedies for Diabetic Neuropathy

1. Manage Blood Sugar Levels

The very best thing you can do to help prevent or control neuropathy is to manage your blood sugar levels. Maintaining blood sugar consistently within a healthy range is the most important thing to prevent permanent damage to the nerves, blood vessels, eyes, skin and other body parts before complications develop.

Studies have found that poor blood sugar greatly increases risk for peripheral neuropathy, which accounts for hospitalizations more frequently than other complications of diabetes and also is the most frequent cause of non‐traumatic amputations. (2) The best way to do this is through a combination of frequent blood glucose testing, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and working with your doctor to determine if you need diabetes medicine and/or insulin therapy.

2. Follow a Healthy Diet

Your diet has a direct impact on your blood sugar levels, so it’s the first place to start in order to manage diabetic symptoms and complications. Focus your diet around unprocessed, whole foods, and limit or reduce your intake of refined carbs, added sugars and sugary drinks to help stabilize blood sugar.

Some simple ways to do this include drinking water/herbal tea over soda, juice and other sweetened drinks; eating plenty of healthy fats and lean proteins over refined carbohydrates; buying less packaged foods and always checking labels for added ingredients or sugars when you do; and managing your weight more easily by cooking at home and using techniques like roasting, baking, steaming or broiling over frying.

As part of your diabetic diet plan, eat plenty high-fiber foods that are packed with nutrients but low in sugar/artificial ingredients, including:

• vegetables and whole fruits: all kinds, which are high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and essential electrolytes like minerals and potassium
• wild-caught fish: omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil benefit diabetics by lowering triglycerides and apoproteins that raise risk for diabetic complications
• healthy fats: coconut oil/coconut milk, olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado
• lean protein foods: grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, cage-free eggs and sprouted beans/legumes, which are also high in fiber
• you can also use stevia, a natural no-calorie sweetener, in place of table sugar

Other helpful tips for managing blood sugar with your diet include:

• Cut out most grains if possible, but especially those made with refined wheat flours.
• Limit your intake of high-sodium foods. Keep sodium to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day to help control blood pressure.
• Drink six to eight eight-ounce glasses of water each day to stay hydrated, plus fill up on more fiber-rich and water-rich foods like fresh veggies and fruit to feel satisfied on less.
• Watch your portions, and try measuring things for a bit to learn proper serving sizes.
• If it helps you, try keeping track of your daily food intake in a food journal for several weeks to monitor your progress and get a better picture of how you’re doing.
• Manage blood sugar by sticking to regular meals and snack times, eating balanced portions every few hours.
• Bring your own lunch to work/school, and try having healthy snacks on you.

3. Exercise and Try Physical Therapy

Exercising regularly is one of the simplest ways to manage your diabetes symptoms, help you maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar and high blood pressure symptoms, increase strength, and improve range of motion — in addition to all the other benefits of exercise. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Diabetes Complications found that regular exercise caused significant reductions in pain and neuropathic symptoms in diabetics and increased intraepidermal nerve fiber branching. (3)

Work your way up to exercising for 30–60 minutes daily, doing low-impact exercises like cycling, swimming or walking. This helps your body respond to insulin better and lower blood glucose, possibly even to the point where you can take less medications. Exercise also helps protect nerves by improving circulation, reducing cholesterol and lowering stress, which can raise your glucose levels and increase inflammation.

Physical therapy can also be helpful because it increases muscle strength, mobility and daily functioning. You can talk to your physical therapist about any pain you’re experiencing and try special orthopedic inserts or shoes, which can help reduce symptoms and improve your ability to get around normally.

4. Reduce Exposure to Toxins and Quit Smoking

People with neuropathy are more likely to develop kidney stone symptoms and other kidney problems, including kidney disease, which is why it’s important to take added stress off your kidneys in order to prevent an accumulation of toxins in the blood that worsens the problem. Lower your exposure to pesticide chemicals sprayed on non-organic crops, chemical household cleaners and beauty products, unnecessary prescriptions or antibiotics, and too much alcohol and cigarettes/recreation drugs.

Quit smoking as quickly as possible, since if you have diabetes and use tobacco in any form, you’re more likely than diabetic nonsmokers to develop nerve damage and even have a heart attack or stroke. (4)

5. Manage Stress

Stress makes inflammation worse and raises the risk for diabetics complications of all sorts. Exercising, meditating or practicing healing prayer, spending more time doing hobbies or being in nature, and being around family and friends are all natural stress relievers you should try. Acupuncture is another beneficial treatment that not only helps lower stress and pain, but also has been shown to be ease symptoms of neuropathy safely with very few, if any, side effects. (5)

6. Lower Pain Naturally

If you’ve already developed neuropathy and are looking for ways to lower diabetic nerve pain and improve daily functions, you’ll be happy to hear that a combination of natural remedies can help. Studies have shown that several natural anti-inflammatories and antioxidants help stop nerve damage from progression and lower pain. These include:

• Alpha lipoic acid: an anti-inflammatory shown to improve insulin sensitivity and defend against neuropathy, take 300–1,200 milligrams daily (6)
• Evening primrose oil: an anti-inflammatory that lowers neuropathy numbness, tingling and burning and has other positive effects, take 360 milligrams daily (7)
  Chromium picolinate: helps improve insulin sensitivity, take 600 micrograms daily
• Cinnamon: known to help stabilize blood sugar, add one to two teaspoons to meal daily and try using cinnamon oil
• Omega-3 fish oil: take 1,000 milligrams daily to help lower inflammation
• Vitamin B12: many diabetics seem to be low in this nutrient, which can worsen nerve damage (8)
• Essential oils to help dull pain and lower inflammation, including peppermint, lavender and frankincense

It might take some time to see improvements, so be patient and try different combinations until you find relief. When diabetic nerve pain gets really bad, you can also take an over the-counter painkiller when necessary like ibuprofen.

7. Protect Your Skin and Feet

Make sure to monitor your symptoms and look for any signs of new nerve damage to your skin, feet, legs or hands. Inspect yourself for any new signs of injuries, such as blisters, sores, and ulcers. Foot care and skin care are important parts of treatment and prevention for diabetic neuropathy, according to the American Diabetes Association. (9) Wash your skin and feet/toenails carefully daily, especially in skin folds where bacteria and moisture can build up and cause infections.

Wear clean socks and clothing, and keep delicate skin out of the very hot temperatures (such as very warm showers) and the sun. Cut your toenails, file corns, and see a doctor if you notice redness, swelling or infection forming. Some studies have also found that skin creams containing capsaicin from cayenne pepper can help reduce pain sensations in some people, although use these carefully since it’s possible they can cause burning and skin irritations in some people. (10)

Facts About Diabetic Neuropathy

• About 20 million Americans suffer from some sort of peripheral neuropathy.
• 68 percent of people with neuropathy are diabetics. (11) Among all diabetics, about 23 percent to 29 percent have peripheral neuropathy, and in older diabetics this number increases to around 65 percent.
• Research from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that bringing your blood sugar into the healthy range can reduce your risk of diabetic nerve damage by 60 percent. (12)
• People with type 2 diabetes more likely to have diabetic neuropathy and pain due to complications than type 1 diabetics. Painful symptoms seem to be twice as prevalent in type 2 versus type 1 diabetic patients even after adjusting for differences in age.
• Although both genders get diabetic neuropathy, women are more likely to have pain due to nerve damage and loss of functioning than men. Women have a 50 percent increased risk of painful neuropathy symptoms compared with men.
• About one-third of diabetics report no noticeable symptoms at all. But around 40 percent of all patients without noticeable signs of neuropathy still have at least mild nerve damage caused by their diabetes.
• Obesity or being overweight increases your risk. Research shows that having a body mass index greater than 24 puts you at a higher risk for diabetes complications in general.
• The longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk for neuropathy. Those with the highest risks are people who have had diabetes for 20–25 years or more.
• Amputations are a common complication of diabetic neuropathy. More than 60 percent of all nontraumatic lower-limb amputations in the U.S. occur in people with diabetes.
• Every year about 71,000 nontraumatic amputations are performed in people with diabetes in the U.S. alone, but researchers believe that making lifestyle changes and treating neuropathy with medications before it progresses can lower these rates by 45 percent to 85 percent. (13)

Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetes affects the sensory, motor and autonomic (involuntary) nervous systems. One of the systems most damaged from diabetes is the peripheral nervous system, which is a complex web of nerves that connect the central nervous system (which includes the brain and the spinal cord) to the rest of the body. This is the reason diabetic neuropathy can cause symptoms and complications just about anywhere on the body, from the fingers and toes to the genitals and eyes.

Studies have found that diabetics with neuropathy usually report having a significantly poorer quality of life compared with those without neuropathy, especially if the nerve damage causes pain.

High blood sugar over long periods of time affects blood pressure/blood flow and the arteries, which impacts how nerves communicate and send signals to one another throughout the body. Sometimes nerve damages can progress the point that it causes permanent loss of sensation, heart damage, skin sores/ulcers, loss of vision and even the need for lower-limb amputations.

While peripheral neuropathy is the most common type of diabetic neuropathy, other types can also develop, including: (14)

• autonomic neuropathy: affects nerves in the digestive system, sexual organs and sweating — autonomic neuropathy can be very serious and dangerous because it’s capable of masking hypoglycemia signs, leaving people unaware of when they experience very blood sugar.
• nerve damage to the heart and blood vessels
• proximal neuropathy: causes pain in the thighs, hips or buttocks
• focal neuropathy: causes muscle weakness or pain throughout the body

Common signs and neuropathy symptoms include:

• cramps, pain, tingling and numbness in the toes, hands, feet, legs or elsewhere
• hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) symptoms, including shakiness, sweating and a fast heartbeat
• muscle wasting/sarcopenia
• sensitivity to touch on the skin
• digestive problems, including bouts of constipation and diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bloated stomach, and loss of appetite
• low blood pressure, especially abruptly after standing up
• loss of balance, dizziness and fainting
• sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction in men, and problems with vaginal lubrication and arousal in women
• changes in perspiration, heavy night sweating, the inability to regulate internal temperature or complete lack of perspiration (anhidrosis)
• damage to the kidneys
• damage to the nerves in the bladder and urinary tract, which cause frequent urination

Diabetic Neuropathy Complications

While nerve damage itself is uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating, the even bigger issue with diabetic neuropathy is that it can cause other severe complications that can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. These include: (15)

• damage to the blood vessels and heart, increasing the risk for coronary heart disease and fatality
• amputations of the limbs, which are necessary after severely infected or ulcerated skin and soft tissue breaks down — the areas of the body most likely to be effected by nerve damage caused by diabetes are the legs and feet, which is why the most amputations related to diabetes each year are performed on these body parts (16)
• joint pain or deterioration and loss of sensation, swelling, instability and sometimes deformities
• frequent severe infections, since nerve damage and inflammation can cause low immunity and bacteria to multiply
• the inability to feel signs of hypogylcemia, which can make the symptoms last longer and become worse
• cataracts, glaucoma, blurred vision and vision loss/blindness

What Causes Diabetes and Neuropathy?

People with diabetes have trouble controlling their blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels because they don’t react to the hormone insulin normally. Insulin is needed to help bring glucose into cells to be used for energy so the amount that remains in the blood can be controlled.

Diabetes affects people of all ages, genders and racial/ethnic backgrounds, but it’s more common in people are who overweight, older and leading lifestyles that impair normal hormonal balance.

Some risk factors make people more susceptible to complications caused by diabetes, including neuropathy (nerve damage), include: (17)

• having uncontrolled blood sugar — this is the biggest risk factor for all complication of diabetes
• having diabetes for a long period of time — the longer you’ve had it, the higher chance you have of developing nerve damage
• being overweight or obese
• eating a poor diet
• living a sedentary lifestyle
• smoking cigarettes
• having high amounts of fat in the blood, high cholesterol or high blood pressure (which damage blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to nerves)
• having an autoimmune disease, which inflames nerves
• having experienced any mechanical injuries to the nerves (for example, carpal tunnel syndrome or injuries caused by accidents)
• certain territory factors or inherited traits that make nerve damage more likely

Diabetic Neuropathy Takeaways

• Diabetes affects about one in every three U.S. adults, and while it doesn’t develop in every diabetic, about 60 percent to 70 percent of people with diabetes experience some form of neuropathy.
• Peripheral neuropathy is the most common type, and others include autonomic neuropathy, proximal neuropathy, focal neuropathy, and nerve damage to the heart and blood vessels.
• The things you can do to help naturally treat diabetic neuropathy include manage blood sugar levels, follow a healthy diet, exercise and try physical therapy, reduce your exposure to toxins and quit smoking, manage stress, lower pain naturally, and protect your skin and feet.
• Common neuropathy symptoms include cramps, pain, tingling and numbness in the toes, hands, feet, legs or elsewhere; hypoglycemia symptoms, including shakiness, sweating and a fast heartbeat; muscle wasting; sensitivity to touch on the skin; digestive problems, including bouts of constipation and diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bloated stomach, and loss of appetite; low blood pressure, especially abruptly after standing up; loss of balance, dizziness and fainting; sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction in men, and problems with vaginal lubrication and arousal in women; changes in perspiration, heavy night sweating, the inability to regulate internal temperature or complete lack of perspiration; damage to the kidneys; and damage to the nerves in the bladder and urinary tract, which cause frequent urination.
• Neuropathy causes include uncontrolled blood sugar, having diabetes for a long period of time, being overweight or obese, eating a poor diet, living a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, high amounts of fat in the blood, high cholesterol or blood pressure, autoimmune disease, experiencing mechanical injuries to the nerves, and certain territory factors or inherited traits that make nerve damage more likely.

Read Next: Diabetes Symptoms You Can’t Afford to Ignore & What You Can Do About Them

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