Diabetes Care

Dietary Handling of Diabetes

Magnesium

Although the relationship between magnesium and diabetes has been studied for decades, it is not yet fully understood. Studies suggest that a deficiency in magnesium may worsen blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes. Scientists believe that a deficiency of magnesium interrupts insulin secretion in the pancreas and increases insulin resistance in the body’s tissues. Evidence suggests that a deficiency of magnesium may contribute to certain diabetes complications. A recent analysis showed that people with higher dietary intakes of magnesium (through consumption of whole grains, nuts, and green leafy vegetables) had a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Vanadium

Vanadium is a compound found in tiny amounts in plants and animals. Early studies showed that vanadium normalized blood glucose levels in animals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A recent study found that when people with diabetes were given vanadium, they developed a modest increase in insulin sensitivity and were able to decrease their insulin requirements. Currently researchers want to understand how vanadium works in the body, discover potential side effects, and establish safe dosages.

Cinnamon
One of the easiest ways to improve blood sugar is to take a daily cup of cinnamon tea. Cinnamon is a small tree that grows in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Egypt. It’s one of the oldest known spices. To prepare it, the bark of the cinnamon tree is dried and rolled into cinnamon sticks, also called quills. Cinnamon can also be dried and ground into a powder. The characteristic flavor and aroma of cinnamon comes from a compound in the essential oil of the bark called cinnamonaldehyde. Although there are four main varieties of cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon are the most popular. Ceylon cinnamon is sometimes called true cinnamon. It is more expensive and has a sweet taste. The quills are softer and can be easily ground in a coffee grinder.

Ginseng
One of the hallmarks of diagnosing type 2 diabetes is a positive result on the glucose tolerance test, an elevation in blood sugar level two hours after ingesting a dose of glucose; its normalization is one of the primary goals of controlling diabetes and preventing complications. Research suggests ginseng may be beneficial for diabetes Several types of plants are referred to as ginseng. Lower dose of ginseng was as effective as a higher dose Additional ginseng doses above 3g (they also tested 6 and 9g) did not result in further reductions in blood sugar level. They also found that the ginseng could be taken any time within two hours before the glucose tolerance test with the same effectiveness. The physiological mechanism requires further investigation, but it appears that ginseng increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin, a hormone that sends the signal to cells to reduce blood sugar by taking up glucose. Ginseng may also increase the secretion of insulin. Another clinically practical finding is that ginseng only appeared to have a glucose-lowering effect after prior glucose stimulation (in this case, the glucose tolerance test). Ginseng should be used therapeutically only with the advice of a trained health practitioner. Although subjects in the study did not report major side effects, ginseng can potentially augment the effect of prescription drugs used to lower blood sugar, causing a dangerous decrease in blood sugar. Adverse effects with concurrent use of oral anti-diabetic drugs, such as Warfarin, heparin, aspirin, and NSAIDS are another possibility

Reference

Vuksan V, Stavro MP, Sievenpiper JL, Beljan-Zdravkovic U, Leiter LA, Josse RG, Xu Z. Similar postprandial glycemic reductions with escalation of dose and administration time of American Ginseng in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 23(9):1221-1225, 2000.

Created: December 19, 2003

Bitter Melon

Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) is a fruit that is sold in many Asian grocery stores. The typical dosage is one small, unripe, raw melon, which provides about 50 to 100 ml of fresh juice. This is divided into 2 or 3 doses to be taken over the course of the day.
The taste of bitter melon is extremely bitter. Tinctures of bitter melon are also available. Bitter melon is used primarily used for the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes. It has been used traditionally for diabetes, cancer, and infections. Side effects of excessive doses are stomach pain and diarrhea. People with hypoglycemia should avoid bitter melon. Combining standard drugs with bitter melon may reduce blood sugar to dangerously low levels, so it should only be taken under the strict guidance of a physician. In addition, people should not stop their medication or substitute it with bitter melon unless they are doing it under the guidance of a physician.

Biotin
Biotin is a B vitamin that plays an important role in energy metabolism Biotin(Alternate name: Biocytin) is a B vitamin that plays an important role in energy metabolism. It helps four essential enzymes break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Good dietary sources of biotin include brewer’s yeast, nutritional yeast, whole grains, nuts, egg yolks, sardines, legumes, liver, bananas, cauliflower, and mushrooms. We usually get enough bacteria living in the digestive tract. Biotin deficiency is not common, unless you frequently eat a lot of raw egg white, which contains a protein that blocks the absorption of biotin. A typical dose of biotin is 7,000 to 15,000 mcg daily for people with diabetes. It is also used for treating brittle nails, diaper rash, and cradle cap.
Alcohol consumption may increase the need for biotin .Biotin appears to be safe, although maximum doses for pregnant or nursing women, children, or people with liver or kidney disease. People using anti seizure medication may benefit from biotin supplementation, however, it is possible that excessive biotin supplementation may interfere with seizure control.

Glucosamine

There have been several reports suggesting that glucosamine should be used with caution by people with diabetes .Glucosamine is a substance that occurs naturally in the human body. It provides strength, flexibility, and elasticity to cartilage and connective tissue by stimulating the production of glycosamino glycans, molecules that hold joint tissue together. Glucosamine also decreases inflammation that can lead to the joint destruction of arthritis.
With the potential to repair damaged joints and slow the progression of arthritis, glucosamine has become an immensely popular dietary supplement around the world. In 1999, glucosamine was the top-selling dietary supplement in the United States, with annual sales of US $288 million.However, a few clinical reports have suggested side effects that even health practitioners were initially unaware of. One woman reported that her diabetes symptoms worsened after taking glucosamine.It is because Glucosamine is ten times as potent as regular glucose in causing insulin resistance in animals.

Glucosamine can increase fasting blood sugar levels and worsen glucose tolerance
These side effects occur because glucosamine activates a metabolic pathway in the body that leads to the deterioration of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and causes insulin resistance, two factors associated with diabetes.
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References

1.. Monauni T, Zenti MG, Cretti A, Daniels MC, Targher G, Caruso B, Caputo M, McClain D, Del Prato S, Giaccari A, Muggeo M, Bonora E, Bonadonna RC. Effects of glucosamine infusion on insulin secretion and insulin action in humans. Diabetes 49:926-35, 2000

2. Kaneto H, Xu G, Song K, Suzuma K, Bonner-Weir S, Sharma A, Weir GC. Activation of the hexosamine pathway leads to deterioration of pancreatic beta-cell function through the induction of oxidative stress. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 33: 31099-31104, 2001.

3. Murray M. Dr. Murray’s Total Body Tune-Up. New York, New York. Random House, Inc.; 2000.
4. Yoshikawa H, Tajiri Y, Sako Y, Hashimotos T, Umeda F, Nawata H. Glucosamine-induced beta-cell dysfunction: A possible involvement of glucokinase or glucose transporter type 2. Pancreas 24:228-34, 2002.

Created: December 31, 2007