The Diabetes Base

Beware of carbohydrates!

2006-11-22T16:41:00.000-08:00

How many carbohydrates do you really need? And how many carbohydrates do you get everyday again? Check your food, start couting and don’t be amazed when you discover that you are a carbohydrate junkie! Sure carbohydrates are full of energy but be aware, they will increase your blood sugar level and your weight too! In the passed Dr. Atkins suggested that a low carbohydrate, high fat diet could help against (developing) diabetes. Today Dr. Mary Vernon claims to be successful with the same approach. Food for thought? More.

Be smart. Be skeptical.

2006-11-22T00:28:00.000-08:00

Diabetes is big business. On the Internet you can shop around for many miracle cures to get rid of diabetes. But hey… do not believe all those promises that raise false hopes. Sorry, but you have to deal with the idea that there is no solution yet. So do not spent your money on phony diabetes cures. Be smart. Be skeptical. That is also the message from a new campaign by The Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. They warn you to avoid fraudulant products and cure-alls for diabetes that you can buy on the Internet. More.

Diabetes!? No panic!

2006-11-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Panic attacks are unpleasant for everyone. But especially when you have diabetes, you should try to stay cool under any circumstances. Because panic disorder has a negative influence on your HbA1c level and makes you extra vulnerable for complications. Research by Evette Ludman, Ph. D. form Group Health Cooperative in Seattle showed an average HbA1c of 8.1 percent for those diabetics with repeated panic attacks, compared 7.7 percent for the “cool” ones. And while the panic patients reported an average of 4.2 diabetes symptoms, the relaxed diabetics reported an average of 2.4. More.

Cinnamon supplements classified as medical?

2006-11-19T06:07:00.000-08:00

Over the years, several researchers have declared that cinnamon could lower your blood sugars. But still there are many doubts about it. Nevertheless, a growing number of diabetics is using cinnamon supplements on a daily basis. Some of this supplements are containing high levels of coumarin, that could cause serious damage to your health. Therefore two federal institutes in Germany are working on a proposal to get cinnamon supplements classified as ‘medical products’. Which means these products have to be examined on efficacy, safety and pharmaceutical quality. More.

Breastfeeding: 39% less chance of diabetes.

2006-11-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows… mother’s milk is the best for your baby. But did you know it also lowers the risk of diabetes? As a result of several studies with almost 77.000 participants, researcher Christopher G. Owen concluded: breastfeeding may lower diabetes risk by 39%. He also discovered that one in twenty cases of diabetes type 2 could be linked to formula milk. But as always: more research is needed. More.

New: chewing gum for diabetics!

2006-11-16T16:36:00.000-08:00

You want healthy teeth and low bloods sugar levels too? Hold on. A company named Generex introduces a chewing gum for diabetics with Metformin. In the last 30 years Metformin became the most prescribed drug for diabetes Type 2. It reduces not only the production of glucose but also is an effective solution to lower the risk of cardiovascular complications by diabetes. So let’s chew! More.

Contact lenses measuring your blood sugar.

2006-11-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Tired of finger-pricking to see if your blood sugar is too high or too low? The solution is nearby. At the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute in Baltimore, they are developing a new generation contact lenses for diabetics with a tiny sensor spot. When there is something wrong with your glucose level, this spot would change color. Isn’t that a lovely way to keep continuous an eye on your blood sugars? More.

India counts almost 37.000.000 diabetes patients.

2006-11-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

Not the United States but India seems to be the diabetic capital of the world. The changing lifestyle in this country with more then 1.1 billion inhabitants cause many diabetes victims. At the moment India counts about 37.000.000 diabetes patients. And by the year of 2025 they would have 57,5 million diabetics, according the latest estimation of the World Health Organization. In the south of India, there are several cities like Chennai and Hyderabad, where nearly 16 per cent of the locals becoming diabetic. More.

Succes with stem cells from bone marrow.

2006-11-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

Stem cells from human bone marrow seems to repair the pancreas. Researchers from the Tulane Univesity treated a group of diabetic mice with high blood sugar and damaged kidneys. After three weeks the mice produced more insulin and had lower glucose levels. This experiment also resulted in positive effects on their kidneys. More.