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November 8, 2007

Green Tea May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Posted By : Dr. D.S. Merchant

Filed under: Diabetes — webmaster @ 12:13 pm

Green tea extract may help prevent type-2 diabetes through improved glucose tolerance

(NewsTarget) A new study by DSM Nutritional Products shows that epigallocatechin gallate, commonly known as EGCG, improves glucose tolerance in diabetic rodents and could be a positive addition to dietary prevention of type 2 diabetes, if the results can be applied to humans.



“To our knowledge, we provide the first evidence that EGCG consumed in the diet exerts potent antidiabetic activity in vivo in a dose-dependent manner,” wrote lead author Swen Wolfram of DSM in the Journal of Nutrition.

The study looked at 37 male mice who were severely diabetic, and divided them into four groups. The rats were fed 2.5, 5 or 10 grams of EGCG per kilogram of diet, or a placebo, for seven weeks.

At the five-week mark, the researchers tested oral glucose tolerance and found that glucose levels reduced by 23, 35 and 48 percent in the 2.5-, 5- and 10-gram categories respectively. At six weeks into the study, the scientists tested insulin tolerance and blood samples were taken at the end of the test to analyze glucose, free fatty acids and triacylglyceride levels. All improved on a dose-dependent basis.

The researchers also studied the effects of 5 grams of EGCG per kilogram of diet over a 10-week period on mildly diabetic rats and found that glucose tolerance, blood glucose levels, and free fatty acid plasma concentrations all improved. Analysis of rat liver cells revealed that EGCG down-regulated the genes involved in gluconeogenesis and the synthesis of fatty acids, triacylglycerol and cholesterol.

“Our data suggest that supplementation with EGCG could potentially improve glucose tolerance in humans with type-2 diabetes mellitus,” concluded the researchers. “This hypothesis should now be investigated in randomized placebo-controlled trials.” Wolfram said that DSM intends to begin such trials soon.

In the United States, more than 20 million people suffer from diabetes — about 7 percent of the population — and about 19 million people in the European Union are so afflicted — about 4 percent of the population. The cost of treating the disease is about $132 billion, according to the American Diabetes Association.


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Diabetes and Nutrition Go Hand-In-Hand Posted By : Carol Roach

Filed under: Diabetes — webmaster @ 12:13 pm

Food is an essential component of anyone’s life. The selection of foods becomes even more important for a good diabetes and nutrition program. In the North American culture, poor food choices have culminated in a population of obese individuals, many are pre-diabetic, others have type 2 diabetes and some have gestational diabetes. In all of these cases a proper diabetes and nutrition food management plan, can reduce weight by the recommended 5 to 7 percent. A diabetes and nutrition program can even help lower your blood sugar level and improve your general state of health.

It is not sufficient to simply rely on your insulin shots or medication prescribed by your doctor. They cannot do all the work. You will have to learn to regulate your food intake.



With the abundance of food available to us, sometimes it is not easy to choose wisely. That piece of chocolate cake can be much more tempting than having a small fruit salad in natural juices for dessert. A trip to your favorite fast food restaurant is more inviting than bothering to cook a meal on the evening that you come home tired from work. Perhaps all you want to do is curl up on the couch and not even bother to drag the family out for a meal. In this situation the idea of calling the restaurant to order that fried chicken or greasy hamburgers is oh so tempting.

However does it necessarily stop there? Do you limit eating out or ordering in to once a week, twice a week, or do you not even consider how many times you do this. What about breakfast, do you have a solid nutritious breakfast or do wake up already on the run, and grab a donut on your way out the door, or not even bother to eat breakfast at all? Yes we know, you are busy, busy, busy, but those calories are empty, empty, empty. There is very little nutritious value in much of the food choices you are presently making. Yet, these same foods are loaded in calories designed to keep the extra weight on. They are fatty and loaded with sugar.

Sometimes the idea of a diet scares people. They look at it as depriving themselves of the foods they love. A diet first of all is not a system of deprivation; it is a way of life. Do not look at it as depriving yourself of the foods you love, but rather look at it as giving yourself the healthy life style that you deserve. Do not look at is as losing anything, you are gaining a healthier you and in doing so, you are adding precious years to your life.

To start this journey to a healthier you, begin by learning how to make healthy food choices. A diabetes and nutrition program is designed to show you the proper foods to eat and then help you regulate the amount of food you eat in order to keep your blood sugar levels and weight in control and at normal levels. Included in this information you may also find good health smart recipes that are not only nutritious but delicious.

Once you learn the proper foods to eat you will also learn that you can extend your diabetes and nutrition management to outside the home. You will learn how to eat the proper foods when you are visiting friends and family, or going out to eat in restaurants. With a proper diabetes and nutrition and management program you can lead a normal life and enjoy much of the same foods you have always eaten; only now you will know how to do it the right way.


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Diabetes and Exercise Facts Diabetics Should Know Posted By : Carol Roach

Filed under: Diabetes — webmaster @ 12:13 pm

Diabetes and exercise is sometimes considered a cruel combination for the diabetic person, suffering from overweight, bloating, swelling, dizziness, and general malaise. As a diabetic you might ask, “how can I exercise when I feel this way? I am just too tired.” If these questions crossed your mind, rest assured exercise can help and more importantly you can do it!

The first thing that comes to mind when we think of exercise is working out until we drop: aerobics, jogging, or spending grueling hours at the gym. We get discouraged just thinking about it.



The good news is that exercise simply requires that we increase our physical activity, we move, we do not sit at the computer or television all day long. Everything we do that requires movement is exercise regardless of what it is. Instead of thinking exercise is something we hate, we can learn to change our mindset to begin to think that exercise is a fundamental part of life and something we can love to do.

The key is to start slowly and to build up on our successes. The nice part about it is that since exercise is movement it need not be a grueling workout to get the job done. Take a walk with your dog or your best friend and enjoy a wonderful outdoor experience. Instead of taking your car two blocks to the grocery store to pick up small items, take the walk, exercise your muscles, and keep your heart strong.

Whenever you can, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Even this exercise can be done in increments. If you live on the eighth floor for example, you might start by taking one flight of stairs and then the elevator, until this you have built up enough stamina to try the second flight of stairs and so on. Before you know it the pounds will be melting off and you will feel more energetic than perhaps you have felt in years.

Most people enjoy listening to music. Why not take it one step further and dance to what you are listening to? If you really enjoy dancing you can join a dance club, learn new moves, go out dancing with your friends and have a good time. However, if you are the bashful type or the type that falls over your own two feet don’t let that stop you; dance in the privacy of your own home. Dance into a new healthy vibrant you! Diabetes and exercise, diabetes and dance, doesn’t that sound a lot better?

The above was just two examples of adding exercise to your existing situation. The key is to change your life style. Do it slowly, don’t rush; enjoy the experience. Diabetes and exercise is not a combination package to make you miserable but one to make you healthier and happier. Once you begin to increase your exercise level you will become more agile, flexible feel less pain and lose weight. Whereas before you were too tired to do the things you liked to do, you will find yourself wanting to do more and more. Perhaps it was swimming, or bowling or gardening, you will once again feel strong and healthy enough to enjoy these activities.

The Diabetes and exercise combination also has other health benefits. With an increase in exercise, you will lower your blood sugar level, maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels, improve circulation, strengthen bones, joint muscles, lose weight, and increase heart, and lung capacity. Monitoring your diabetes and exercise program can also help improve your quality of life even if you have never been active or exercised before.


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Using DDAVP Nasal Spray In The Treatment Of Diabetes Posted By : bewj49

Filed under: Diabetes — webmaster @ 12:13 pm

DDAVP nasal spray or by it’s generic label, Desmopressin Acetate, is a drug with a diversity of uses. DDAVP is a artificial form of the natural hormone arginine vasopressin which is vital in the balance of blood and blood pressure, abdomen and intestinal movements, as well as the proper functions of the uterus and kidneys.

DDAVP nasal spray is usually prescribed for young children above the age of six years who are having trouble with bed wetting or enuresis. The precise dosage will require trial and error to achieve the desired outcome with responsiveness to treatment being verified and regulated by the number of nights the patient has been able to sleep without having an incident or by how many times in a night the individual must wake to use the restroom.



What are the uses of DDAVP nasal spray?

DDAVP nasal spray is being used effectively as a management for Diabetes Insipidus and your physician can prescribe the suitable dosage for you after some testing to discern just how much medication your body requires and how responsive your body is to the treatment. Your physician will probably make some adjustments to your dosage before totally attaining the desired result because each individual will respond differently to care.

It is used in the management of bed wetting in young children, loss of excessive water in men and women suffering from diabetes insipidus, and to control excessive thirst and urination in patients with brain injuries. It has also been marketed under the name, Stimate, as a blood clotting agent for certain types of hemophiliacs.

For those not requiring much help, the spray will be adequate. Those with a more severe difficulty will require more drug and so the physician will most probably prescribe the nasal drops.

The use of DDAVP nasal spray, known as Stimate, is also used in the case of hemophiliacs as a blood clotting agent. Again the dosage will be controlled by your doctor and your own bodies responsiveness to the drug.

Is it safe for me?

While DDAVP is safe for most men and women, some individuals may need to practise caution. As with any medication, if you have an allergy to this drug or any of its different parts, do not take this medication. Also, if you suffer from high blood pressure or coronary illness, be extremely careful in the use of this drug as it may cause unusual spikes or drops in the blood pressure, creating an risky condition.

Conditions involving fluid and electrolyte imbalances, such as Cystic Fibrosis, can produce particular dangers for the individual taking DDAVP so make certain your physician knows if you have these conditions before beginning a DDAVP treatment. DDAVP may also have medication interactions with your different medications so be certain your physician knows every drug you are taking. Drugs that elevate the blood pressure pose a certain risk for interaction with DDAVP as do the drugs, Clofibrate, Glyburide and Epinephrine.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, make sure your physician knows this before you start taking DDAVP. While there is no clinical evidence to establish a link between DDAVP and childbirth defects, it is still recommended that pregnant women do not take the medication unless there are no alternative. There is also no proof that the medication is passed thru breast milk but your doctor should be consulted prior to taking the medication while breast-feeding.

It is also to be noted that water toxicity, though uncommon, has been known to occur in young children and the elderly while using DDAVP nasal spray. Water toxicity is a risky condition where too much water is in the system which negates the obtainable sodium in the blood causing the victim to go into a seizure. To keep from having this complication, restrict your fluid intake to just what is required to satisfy thirst.


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Amaryl - Help For The Treatment Of Type II Diabetes Posted By : bewj49

Filed under: Diabetes — webmaster @ 12:13 pm

Millions of men and women worldwide suffer the miseries of diabetes, which is caused either by low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) or high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia.) diabetic men and women suffer from beginning symptoms such as excessive urination, extreme thirst and hunger pangs, blurring eyesight, slow-paced healing of wounds, slow weight loss, dry skin, body tiredness and extreme headaches which can induce complications such as heart disease, kidney malfunction, and nervous system complications.

Types of Diabetes



There are two types of diabetes, type I diabetes and type II diabetes. Type I diabetes is insulin dependent which is caused by the inability of pancreas to produce insulin. Type II diabetes is non-insulin dependent diabetes which is caused when body tissue becomes resistant to insulin. Type II diabetes can be heredity in onset, as it can be transferred from parents to offspring. It is scientifically proven that there is no cure-all for diabetes and the patient has to take treatment for a long period of time, usually a lifetime.

Thus, it becomes extremely important to change that sedentary lifestyle patterns, bad eating habits, and start a program of exercise. These factors can assist the patient to get fit and healthy so as to fight the disorder. It is essential for diabetic patients to discontinue the intake of alcohol as well as fatty and greasy foods which can intensify the condition.

About Amaryl pills

Amaryl helps in the care of type II diabetes and can be helpful for other diabetics if taken in combination with different medicines. While taking Amaryl, the patient needs to entirely disclose his/her medical history to the physician such as heart disease, liver or kidney disease and adrenal disease. Amaryl ought not be taken by expectant women as it can damage the unborn infant.

It is important to take the medication as prescribed, under the supervision of the physician, because excessive dosage can bring on unhealthy consequences such as hunger pangs, anxiety, nausea, cold sweats, drowsiness, weakness, unconsciousness, and even coma. Possible side effects not associated with overdosage of Amaryl can include swelling in the face and tongue, shortness of breath, cramps in the muscle, nausea, yellowing of skin and eyes, dark colored urine, and stomach discomfort.

It is also advised that Amaryl ought not be taken with certain medicines such as isoniazid; steroids, phenothiazines, thyroid medication, birth control pills, Dilantin, and weight-loss pills. Men and women taking Amaryl need to avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), salicylates, sulfa drugs, monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), beta-blockers, probenecid and blood thinners. It is highly advised that this drug should be taken under due medical prescription in order to assist treat type II Diabetes.

I hope you have gotten some good ideas from this article and that you are able to use them to help manage your type of diabetes.

For more information please visit my website for tips and advice Diabetes


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