Pancreas Vitamins Diabetes

7 Strategies To Heal Pancreatitis Naturally

7 Strategies to Heal Pancreatitis Naturally Pancreatitis can be a debilitating condition that results in overwhelming pain and malnutrition. Chronic pancreatitis in the United States results in more than 122,000 outpatient visits and more than 56,000 hospitalizations per year. Painful flare ups bring these patients in for help. The most common causes of pancreatitis and additional flare ups include alcoholism and obstructive gallstones in the liver that block the pancreatic duct. As a healthcare provider, I feel compelled to help these patients deal with their pain naturally and relieve the causes as best as possible. Many of these patients experience their lives being changed forever due to an inflamed pancreas and they go to the medical doctor to receive pain medication and told to consume a low fat and low salt diet. This leaves the patient severely malnourished. They may be pain free, but the effects of opioids, NSAIDs, and malnutrition make the body function decline drastically. Unfortunately, there is currently little research done on natural ways to overcome pancreatitis. However, this article will dive into the few natural strategies that have been proven to help control pain and increase nutritional absorption. Anatomy and Physiology The pancreas is located in the upper abdomen close to the liver and rests just behind the stomach. It has a connecting entrance into the duodenum of the small intestine. The pancreas is known for having exocrine and endocrine functions, meaning that it secretes hormones externally and internally respectively. The pancreas has a pancreatic duct, which runs along the middle of the pancreas and joins the common bile duct and enters the duodenum at the ampulla of Vater. This opening is surrounded by the sphincter of Oddi, which helps t Continue reading >>

Diabetes Mellitus Worsens Antioxidant Status In Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis1,2,3

Abstract Background: Patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) are at high risk of antioxidant deficiencies. Furthermore, this disease can lead to diabetes mellitus (DM) that could exacerbate the severity of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress and the resulting LDL oxidation are a major cause of atherosclerosis. Objective: The objective of the study was to ascertain whether diabetes significantly modifies oxidative status in patients with CP. Design: CP patients with or without DM were compared with type 1 DM patients and healthy control subjects. Results: Two-way factorial analyses showed that a decrease in the plasma concentrations of vitamin A, vitamin E, and carotenoids accompanied both CP and DM, and CP was also associated with lower plasma concentrations of selenium and zinc, lower catalase activity, and higher plasma concentrations of copper. The lag phase of LDL oxidation was lower in CP patients with or without DM than in the control subjects, whereas there was no significant difference between type 1 DM patients and control subjects. Multivariate analysis showed that LDL vitamin E (R2 = 0.24, P < 0.0001) and fasting plasma glucose (R2 = 0.32, P < 0.0001) concentrations were the main determinants of the lag phase of LDL oxidation. Conclusions: Antioxidant status is altered in CP patients, particularly in those who also have DM. In these patients, a vitamin E deficiency and an elevated plasma glucose concentration were associated with significantly higher LDL oxidizability. INTRODUCTION Patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency are at a greater risk than are patients with exocrine pancreatic sufficiency of developing vitamin or trace-element deficiencies as a result of malabsorption (1-6). This finding is mostly in relation to the fat-soluble vitamins, althou Continue reading >>

Vii. Diabetes And The Energy Pathway

DIABETES, A 21ST CENTURY EPIDEMIC By Dr. Lawrence Wilson All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition. Table of Contents Definition Classification Other Related Conditions Common symptoms Less common symptoms Type 1 - Infection And Toxicity With Iron Type 2 - Dehydration, Diet, And Mineral Deficiencies The Diabetic Personality Symptoms Simple Blood And Urine Tests The Glucose Tolerance Test Hair Mineral Testing Medical Approach Very Inadequate Nutritional Balancing Arteriosclerosis Blindness Loss Of Limbs Other Steps In The Energy Pathway Diet Lifestyle Weight Hypoglycemia Metabolic Syndrome Or Syndrome X Gestational Diabetes Pre-Diabetes Is Diabetes Ever Just Low Insulin? Avoid The “Diabetic Diet” Hydration, Reverse Osmosis And Water Filters Genetic Versus Congenital Factors The Role Of Osteocalcin In Diabetes Why Is There More Diabetes As People Age? Diabetes Insipidus I. INTRODUCTION Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by a high blood sugar level. The most common types are: Type 1 diabetes– often an infection or iron toxicity that affects the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. Type 2 diabetes– a result of an improper diet and often excessive weight. Gestational diabetes – high blood sugar during pregnancy. According to some researchers, this is due to high xanthurenic acid, and can be corrected easily by taking vitamin B6. Diabetes insipidus – a rare deficiency of the hormone vasopressin or anti-diuretic hormone, which is produced by the pituitary gland. We discuss it briefly at the end of this article. Brain diabetes – this is an inability of the brain to properly metabolize glucose. It causes one type of dementia that Continue reading >>

Is It Safe To Take Supplements If You Have Diabetes?

You will find supplements for anything and everything these days. Even when you do not suffer from an ailment, supplements are suggested to keep you healthy and ailment-free. According to CDC, use of supplements is common among US adult population – over 50% adults used supplements during 2003-2006, with multivitamins/multiminerals being the most commonly used. So when you are a diabetic, especially if you have prediabetes and type-2 diabetes, you may find yourself confronting a large number of options for supplements that claim to support, reduce and even cure your diabetes. Diabetes is quite a frustrating disorder and you may find yourself tempted to try out these supplements one after another. But is it really safe to take supplements when you are a diabetic? Let us find out. But before that you need to understand what exactly supplements are. Defining Supplements As the name suggests, a supplement is anything that adds on to something. A dietary supplement is therefore something that one takes in addition to one’s diet to get proper nutrition. US Congress in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act defines dietary supplements as having the following characteristics: It is a product that is intended to supplement the diet; It contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids, and other substances) or their constituents; It is intended to be taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid; It is not represented for use as a conventional food or as sole item of a mean or a diet; and, It is labeled on the front panel as being a dietary supplement. Now let us look at some general benefits and risks of taking supplements. We will discuss these in context of diabetes later in the article. Benefit Continue reading >>

Is Pancreatic Diabetes (type 3c Diabetes) Underdiagnosed And Misdiagnosed?

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is frequently associated with diabetes, with high prevalence in both insulin-dependent or insulin-independent patients. Exocrine pancreatic failure has often been perceived as a complication of diabetes. In contrast, recent clinical observations lead to the notion that nonendocrine pancreatic disease is a critical factor for development rather than a sequel to diabetes. The incidence of diabetes caused by exocrine pancreatic disease appears to be underestimated and may comprise 8% or more of the general diabetic patient population. Nonendocrine pancreas disease can cause diabetes by multiple mechanisms. Genetic defects have been characterized, resulting in a syndrome of both exocrine and endocrine failure. Regulation of β-cell mass and physiological incretin secretion are directly dependent on normal exocrine function. Algorithms for diagnosis and therapy of diabetes should therefore address both endocrine and exocrine pancreatic function. PREVALENCE OF PANCREATIC EXOCRINE INSUFFICIENCY IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES— In recent years, the evaluation of exocrine pancreatic function has been greatly facilitated by newly available noninvasive stool tests allowing screening of large patient populations. Measurement of fecal elastase-1 concentrations (FECs) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on monoclonal human specific antibodies has become a standard diagnostic parameter with good correlation to direct tests of pancreatic exocrine function (12) and morphological pancreas alterations (13), albeit limited sensitivity in mild pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Exocrine pancreatic function using FEC assessment has been extensively studied in patients with diabetes. Normal exocrine function (FEC >200 μg/g) was observed in ∼58% of patie Continue reading >>

7 Vitamins That Help Control Blood Sugar

Vitamin deficiencies are quite common among diabetics. Given the importance of vitamins to cellular processes especially glucose metabolism and energy production in cells, low levels of certain vitamins may impair glucose utilization and lead to poor blood sugar control. This article identifies and discusses the vitamins that are most important to glycemic control and diabetes complications. The B vitamins are especially important to glucose metabolism. They usually serve as cofactors in cellular reactions utilizing glucose. Therefore, they have been extensively studied to determine their benefits for controlling blood sugar levels. Because the B vitamins are water soluble, they are easily excreted from the body along with urine. This is especially important for diabetics as they easily develop deficiencies of the B vitamins. Vitamin B1 or thiamine is a coenzyme in the metabolism of keto sugars. It is also important for the breakdown of pyruvic acid, a product released during glucose metabolism. Therefore, vitamin B1 can help improve how cells utilize glucose. This can lead to better control of blood sugar levels. However, available studies do not always agree on the importance of vitamin B1 supplementation for diabetics. Clinical data show that patients with Type 1 diabetes usually have low vitamin B1 levels and can, therefore, benefit from vitamin B1 supplements. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes patients usually have normal blood levels of vitamin B1. However, one study demonstrated that although diabetics have normal levels of this vitamin, its transportation across tissues is impaired. Therefore, even normal levels of the vitamin may not be sufficient to effectively control blood glucose levels in diabetics. Vitamin B1 supplementation has been proven to prevent an Continue reading >>

Type 1 Diabetes: Autoimmune Disease, Pathology & Management

Author Sidebar: When I was in the hospital, because my blood sugar was so high, there was some concern that I might be a Type 1 diabetic. After they tested my blood for certain antibodies, I remember the nurse saying that I was lucky because I had Type 2 diabetes instead of Type 1 diabetes. Later, when I started to do some research, I began to understand what she meant -- that Type 1 diabetes is a more devastating disease than Type 2 ... Although some of you may disagree, I believe that Type 1 diabetes is a lot more difficult disease to deal with because it is an autoimmune disease that attacks mostly children whereas Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle-driven disease that attacks mostly adults (although today more children are becoming Type 2 diabetic). From a scientific perspective, the pathology of Type 1 diabetes is more difficult to understand at the cellular level. As a result, it is a lot more difficult to design safe alternative solutions because it's not clear what is the specific root causes of this disease. And, from an engineering science perspective, it is almost impossible to design an effective solution for a problem if you don't know what's causing the problem, that is you don't know the root causes of the problem. I also believe that parents and children with this disease are sadly being misled as Western Medicine keeps its head buried in the sand, refusing to investigate alternative therapies. This is unfortunate, because there appears to be some evidence that alternative solutions can be helpful when combined with insulin therapy. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that is entirely different from Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes; and, used to be referred to as juvenile diabetes because it affected primarily Continue reading >>

7 Essential Vitamins To Prevent Diabetes Complications

I recently carried out a survey among physicians working with diabetic patients: I wanted to know how comprehensive their treatments were. To my surprise, all of them focused treatment on strict blood glucose control using either only drug therapy or a combination of drugs and dietary changes. Unfortunately, this simplified approach not only fails to address the damage diabetes causes, but it can actually hasten the progression of diabetes. Keep reading to find out what vitamins are crucial for optimal diabetes management and why people with diabetes need them. Before I get started, please keep in mind that I am not implying you should run to the nearest health store and buy all the following vitamins. I usually advise my patients to try and get all the nutrients their body needs from REAL foods while ensuring their digestive tract is working optimally. Why do diabetic patients need more vitamins? The first reason is that diabetes is a nutritional wasting disease – when blood glucose (sugar) levels are high, they act as a diuretic. This causes excessive urination which washes out loads of nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and zinc. Simply drinking more water won’t help replace the water-soluble nutrients that were lost. Another reason is glycation, a process in which glucose molecules react with proteins in the body – this damages the protein turning them into nonfunctional structures called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Unfortunately, although glycation is a key-feature of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, heart attack and nerve damage, it does not figure in conventional treatment for diabetes. You’ve probably heard of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a well-known AGE among diabetics. Well, HbA1c is Continue reading >>

10 Foods That Can Help Prevent Diabetes

Diabetes is an epidemic in the United States, with about 29 million people who have it, another 8 million who are undiagnosed and 86 million who are considered pre-diabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, is a disease in which the body’s cells don’t use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to get glucose into the cells, but over time, the pancreas can’t make enough to keep blood glucose levels normal and the result is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes increases a person’s risk for several health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. It’s also responsible for as many as 12 percent of deaths in the U.S., three times higher than previous estimates, a January 2017 study in the journal PLOS ONE found. Although genetics can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, both diet and exercise also play a big role. In fact, people with pre-diabetes who lost just 5 to 7 percent of their body weight reduced their risk by 54 percent, a study out of John Hopkins in July 2013 found. Here, experts weigh in with 10 foods that balance your blood sugar and can prevent diabetes: 1. Apples You might think fruit is off the menu because of its sugar content, but fruit is filled with vitamins and nutrients that can help ward off diabetes. Apples are one of the best fruits you can eat because they’re rich in quercetin, a plant pigment. Quercetin helps the body secrete insulin more efficiently and wards off insulin resistance, which occurs when the body has to make more and more insulin to help glucose enter the cells. Insulin resistance is the hallmark characteristic of type 2 diabetes. “It’s filled with antioxidants, and also there’s fiber in the fruit that nat Continue reading >>

Dog Pancreatitis Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

You can treat - and even prevent - your dog's pancreatitis and improve his quality of life by feeding a low-fat, low-carb diet. What is Pancreatitis in Dogs? When your dog shows signs of abdominal pain accompanied by vomiting, pancreatitis is high on the list of possible causes. The worst thing you can do if you suspect your dog has pancreatitis is feed fatty food. Pancreatitis is the most prevalent pancreatic disease in dogs, so it's a good idea to know the signs and canine pancreatitis treatment protocol. The pancreas is an elongated gland located adjacent to your dog’s stomach and tucked alongside the small intestine. The exocrine portion of the pancreas produces enzymes that aid the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Internal mechanisms like the passing of partially digested foods into the small intestine, and distention of the stomach, stimulate a dog’s pancreas to produce enzymes, as does external factors like the sight and smell of food. Different mechanisms produce different enzymes; for example, eating fat stimulates a different enzyme than eating protein. Canine pancreatitis literally means inflammation of the pancreas in dogs. When these enzymes are activated prematurely, they actually begin to digest the pancreas itself, resulting in pain and inflammation. Dog pancreatitis occurs in two different forms, acute and chronic, and both may be either mild or severe. Acute pancreatitis in dogs occurs suddenly and is more often severe, while chronic pancreatitis refers to an ongoing inflammation that is usually less severe and may even be subclinical (no recognizable symptoms). Causes of Pancreatitis in Dogs How dogs get pancreatitis is commonly debated. High-fat diets are often pinned as what causes pancreatitis in dogs, though there is little scie Continue reading >>

Vitamin D May Improve Pancreas Function

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Vitamin D supplements reduced risk factors for type 2 diabetes by improving the function of insulin-producing cells in pre-diabetic volunteers, a new study has found. “The results...suggest that vitamin D supplementation may help to improve the main defect in type 2 diabetes,” co-author Dr. Anastassios Pittas, an endocrinologist at Tufts University Medical Center in Boston, told Reuters Health in an email. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, affects millions of Americans. The condition is characterized by high blood-sugar levels resulting from the body’s poor response to insulin, a chemical that removes sugar from the bloodstream and stores it in the liver and muscles. Insulin is made by beta cells in the pancreas. To see whether taking vitamin D would improve people’s ability to handle blood sugar, researchers gave 92 pre-diabetic adults either vitamin D3 supplements, calcium supplements, both, or placebos. After four months, the participants’ blood was tested for several known diabetes risk factors. The measures included hemoglobin A1C, an indicator of blood-sugar levels over time, and beta-cell function, as reflected by how much insulin is being released and how well the body responds to it. At the outset, participants were considered pre-diabetic if they were overweight and had blood-sugar levels that were above normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetic. The researchers found that vitamin D significantly increased the beta-cell function of pre-diabetic adults, according to results published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The vitamin D group also had slightly more favorable hemoglobin A1C levels. Calcium had no effect on beta-cell function, either alone or in combination with vitami Continue reading >>

Long-term View For Chronic Pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis accounts for more than 122,000 outpatient visits and more than 56,000 hospitalizations every year in the U.S., according to guidance published by the Cleveland Clinic. But unlike acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis is not so easily diagnosed. Whereas diagnosing acute pancreatitis is largely a matter of testing serum amylase and lipase, these pancreatic enzymes may not be elevated in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Likewise, the pain profile for chronic pancreatitis can be highly variable. Acute pancreatitis causes severe, unrelenting pain that often sends patients to the emergency department. In chronic pancreatitis, pain may be dull, continual or episodic with relation to eating, and it may change or even disappear over time. Pain can occur early in the course of the disease, before structural abnormalities in the pancreas become apparent via imaging. “There often isn't any sign of calcification on imaging, and the pancreatic ducts may not be damaged,” said Scott M. Tenner, MD, MPH, FACP, director of medical education and research in the division of gastroenterology at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn and associate professor at the State University of New York. “Internists will often scratch their heads and wonder if there are any better clues to diagnosis.” Because the other symptoms of chronic pancreatitis, such as pain, early satiety, nausea, diarrhea, oily stools, weight loss, jaundice, and malabsorption of nutrients, vitamins and fats, overlap with several gastrointestinal conditions, it's best to refer patients to a gastroenterologist early in the process, said Michael L. Kochman, MD, FACP, Wilmott Family Professor of Medicine and vice chair of medicine for clinical services at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelp Continue reading >>

Vitamins For Pancreatitis

The pancreas is an organ that is responsible for manufacturing insulin, a substance that helps control glucose levels in your bloodstream. It also produces digestive enzymes. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that can lead to diabetes and malnutrition, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. It is typically caused by chronic alcohol use and a viral infection. Although vitamins cannot cure pancreatitis, certain vitamins may help heal your pancreas. Video of the Day Vitamins should not be used as substitutes for medical attention for pancreatitis. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may help prevent pancreas damage caused by lipids and free radical molecules in your bloodstream, according to certified nutritional consultant Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." This vitamin may also help your body repair damaged pancreatic cells and may improve blood circulation to your pancreas, supplying this organ with oxygen necessary for proper function. Eggs, sunflower oil, peanuts, whole-grain breads and hazelnuts are abundant sources of natural vitamin E. Vitamin C may offer antioxidant benefits to help protect your pancreas against free radical damage, according to the UMMC. This vitamin is also an immune system enhancer that may help prevent damage caused by viral and bacterial infections. The UMMC recommends supplementing your diet with between 1,000 and 6,000 mg of vitamin C per day to address pancreatitis. However, consuming more than 2,000 mg per day may cause stomach upset, gas and diarrhea. Like vitamins C and E, vitamin A is an antioxidant. This vitamin may also boost immune system function, stimulating the production of white blood cells and interferon, according to Balch. This may help your body destroy hepa Continue reading >>

The Pancreas And Diabetes

Sitting closely behind the stomach, the pancreas plays an important role in the process of digestion and is also responsible for keeping our blood sugars at a safe level. The Pancreatic function is divided into exocrine (the production of gut enzymes, water, electrolytes and bicarbonate which aid with digestion) and endocrine (the production of circulating hormones such as insulin and glucagon and somostatin). Because there are close anatomical and functional links between the exocrine and endocrine pancreas any disease affecting one of these parts will inevitably affect the other. What’s more, diabetes can be the result of any disease that damages the pancreas (including acute and chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis and pancreatic cancer). It can also occur because of pancreatic surgery - although removal of 90% of the mass of the pancreas can usually be performed without resulting in diabetes. When the pancreas is not working This will manifest itself either through the onset of diabetes or by symptoms which indicate that the body’s digestion is not properly functioning. This is likely to result in Losing weight Pain or tenderness in the stomach Loose, greasy and foul smelling stools that are difficult to flush Wind Feeling full You may also be unable to fully absorb fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, K and B12 - although being clinically diagnosed with vitamin deficiency is rare It’s not unusual for glucose intolerance to occur in those with chronic pancreatitis but diabetes usually occurs later in the course of the disease and is more likely to be found in patients with a family history of diabetes. (Which suggests they already have a low reserve capacity for enzyme secretion or low insulin responsiveness) Pancreatic Diabetes Pancreatic Diabetes (also called Continue reading >>

14 Amazing Herbs That Lower Blood Sugar

We live in a world where prescription medicine is getting more and more expensive as well as controversial. Alternative medicine is gaining momentum and with good reason! The same is true for treatments for diabetes type 2. You have therapies that can reverse diabetes through lifestyle and diet changes, natural supplements that can help stabilize blood sugar levels, and also herbs that lower blood sugar. Not only are these alternative therapies safer, but they are also easier on your pocket, on your body and mind. Maintaining normal blood sugar levels is necessary for the body’s overall health. Erratic blood sugar levels can affect the body’s ability to function normally and even lead to complications if left unchecked. Some herbs and spices found in nature do a tremendous job of naturally lowering blood sugar levels, making them a boon for diabetics and pre-diabetics. What’s more, being nature’s multi-taskers, herbs and spices also produce overall health benefits beyond just helping balance blood sugar. We want to clarify one thing right away – not everything on our list can be classified as ‘herbs’. However, they are all from natural sources. Herbs come from the leafy and green part of the plant. Spices are parts of the plant other than the leafy bit, such as the root, stem, bulb, bark or seeds. RELATED: Decoding The Dawn Phenomenon (High Morning Blood Sugar) With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best herbs that lower blood sugar, along with a few spices thrown in, to give you a more comprehensive list. Please note that while we normally do not use animal studies to support any dietary supplement, several herbs like garlic and ginger are considered ‘food’ and so, are used traditionally by cultures across the world in their daily diet Continue reading >>