What Are Some Factors Leading To Insulin Resistance?
Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, permits cells to absorb glucose so that it can be utilized as energy. Insulin resistance is a situation in which a given concentration of insulin produces a less-than-expected biological effect. Insulin resistance has also been described as the requirement of 200 or more units of insulin per day to succeed glycemic control and to inhibit ketosis. One in three Americans—half of those age 60 and older— have a silent blood sugar complication known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance raises the risk for prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and a host of additional serious health problems- heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. In insulin resistance, muscle, fat, and liver cells do not react accurately to insulin and thus cannot efficiently absorb glucose from the bloodstream. As a consequence, the body needs higher levels of insulin to maintain glucose enter the cells. Causes Insulin Resistance Excess Weight Physical Inactivity Hypertension Cigarette smoking Prediabetes Age 40–45 years or older Family history of type 2 diabetes Excessive fat stored in the liver and pancreas Arteriosclerosis Hemochromatosis Chronic stress Cushing’s disease Some medications(glucosamine, rifampicin, isoniazid, olanzapine, risperidone, glucocorticoids, progestogens, methadone, many antiretrovirals) Continue reading >>
- Lower Blood Sugar Naturally to Prevent High Blood Sugar from Leading to Diabetes
- A vegan diet could prevent, treat and even reverse type 2 diabetes, say leading experts this Diabetes Week (12-18 June).
- Leading Diabetes Groups Publish Consensus Statement on "Beyond A1C" Measures to Guide FDA, Researchers
11 Ways To Start Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Today
Whether you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or or you’ve been told you’re at risk, read on for 11 ways to start reversing the effects immediately. Type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions. There are 3.9 million people living with diabetes – 90 per cent those of being affected by type 2 diabetes. Here’s another shocking statistic: 1 in 3 UK adults has prediabetes, the condition that precedes diabetes. As you’ll soon see on BBC One’s Doctor in the House, it is entirely possible to both prevent as well as reverse type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, a lot of the advice that is given for the condition is, in my opinion, unhelpful and misguided. Most people think of it as a blood sugar problem but this is the ultimate effect rather than the cause. WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES? Type 2 diabetes is a condition that is characterised by chronically elevated blood sugar levels. However, the main cause as well as the driver for this condition is something called Insulin Resistance. When you eat certain foods, particularly refined carbohydrates, that food is converted to sugar inside your body. Your body’s way of dealing with this sugar is to produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin moves the sugar inside your cells so that it can be used for energy. Sounds great, right? Well, yes and no. When working efficiently, this is a fantastic system that helps your body to function well. But when you have type 2 diabetes, prediabetes or significant abdominal obesity, that system does not work so well. Eating too many refined carbohydrates elevates your insulin levels for long periods of time and your cells start to become resistant to the effects of insulin. Think of this a bit like alcohol. When you start to drink, a single glass of wine can make you feel drunk. Once your b Continue reading >>
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes With Natural Therapies
Today’s Dietitian Vol. 14 No. 11 P. 28 Experts examine whether alternative approaches can cure the disease or at least send it into remission. John couldn’t seem to quench his thirst no matter how much water he drank. With his wife’s encouragement, he scheduled an appointment with his primary care doctor. A few days later, his doctor called him back into the office and told him, “You have severe type 2 diabetes.” Like many people who receive an unexpected diabetes diagnosis, John was frightened. He started surfing the Internet and reading as much as he could about the disease. Unfortunately, the information only left him reeling with more questions than answers. To make matters worse, his doctor prescribed medication that made him hypoglycemic. John spoke to several friends who had different health problems that had been either cured or treated by a doctor of naturopathy. He decided to schedule an appointment with the same doctor. At his first visit, the naturopathic doctor told John he’d be “off medication and free of diabetes in three months.” John left the doctor’s office with instructions to eat a low-carb diet. He’d been on a low-fat diet for years because of heart problems, but while he’d cut the fat, his meals included many highly processed foods. His new diet included “a lot of salads and healthful, organic foods.” He was given several whole food supplements that he says were “simple to mix and tasted good.” After two months under the care of the naturopath, John returned to his primary care doctor to discover that his hemoglobin A1c had dropped from 8.9% to 4.9%—a nondiabetic range. For eight months and counting, he’s been off all his diabetes medication. His last A1c reading was 5.1%. With the help of his naturopath, John seem Continue reading >>
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Without Medication
You may frequently hear people reversing type 2 diabetes without medication. How is it they can do it and you seem to struggle long term? First, be honest with yourself. Are you not taking medication because you are in a "monitoring stage" and have not been prescribed? You don't want to take prescribed medication, however, your high glucose levels tell your doctor another story? Are you considering discontinuing your medication for reversing type 2 diabetes without medication? The decision to reversing type 2 diabetes without medication must be conducted in a thoughtful manner and should not be done alone. Always work with your physician and diabetes coach. Let's review a few steps on how you can start this process: Review all medication and insulin dosages with your medical professional. Determine if you are at the lowest, midrange, or highest dosage available. Some medication should not be abruptly stopped, be clear on the consequences. Track any side effects that may possibly be due to your medication or disease. Create a health plan and set your health goals. If you are at the highest medication dosage set a goal to reach a lower dosage first before working toward elimination. Beware, depending on your length of time on insulin and other considerations, you may work toward lowering dosages rather than elimination. Food and exercise goals should be part of your health plan. We live in a fast and highly processed-food society. Let's get back to our roots and start consuming fresh, whole foods. As you progress, pay attention to the little nuances, are you losing weight? Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? Did that tingling or numbness in your feet go away? And, most importantly, are you lowering your glucose levels? Reversing type 2 diabetes without medic Continue reading >>
Losing Weight Can Reverse Diabetes Without Drugs
Putting a person with type 2 diabetes on an intensive weight loss programme can reverse the disease with no need for medication, according to a landmark study. The findings could revolutionise the way it is treated, researchers said, benefiting both patients and the NHS. Almost half of the participants in a weight-loss programme that used low-calorie shakes and soups were in remission after 12 months, despite some having had type 2 diabetes for six years. Almost one in ten adults in Britain has type 2 diabetes and the condition costs the NHS about £14 billion a year. Mike Lean from the University of Glasgow, lead researcher of the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (Direct), said: “Putting type 2 diabetes into remission as early as possible after… Continue reading >>
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes With Nutritional Ketosis
Virta is a science-based online specialty medical clinic using continuous remote monitoring and intensive coaching to help our patients reverse type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. A unique contributor to our success in this is harnessing and sustaining the metabolic benefits of nutritional ketosis. Admittedly, reversing diabetes is a rather bold goal. By way of contrast, the American Diabetes Association defines type 2 diabetes as a progressive disease whose course at best can be slowed by lifestyle change and medication. Based upon solid science—some old and some new—we beg to differ. Perhaps it’s time for a paradigm change. There are few times in the lives of medical scientists where we have the opportunity to change the course of a major medical disease; and even fewer cases where we actually succeed in doing so. In 1920, Banting’s discovery that injected insulin could control type 1 diabetes (T1D) was such an event. As a result, over the last century, millions of people with T1D have achieved long and productive lives; whereas before 1920 most of them would have succumbed to this insulin-deficiency disease within less than a year. Type 2 diabetes (T2D), on the other hand, is a very different disease that affects hundreds of millions of people. It responds very poorly to injected insulin. Whereas T1D patients cannot make insulin, people with T2D typically make lots of insulin but are resistant to insulin’s effects across a variety of cellular functions. Despite these facts having been known for 5 decades, we are taught that the core components of T2D management are to force the body to make even more insulin or to inject more insulin to overcome the insulin resistance that characterizes this disease. But in study after study, intensive management of type 2 dia Continue reading >>
8 Essential “dos” To Beat Diabetes… Without Drugs!
Save Many people I talk to are very surprised to hear that it is possible to manage, and even reverse, Diabetes II without medication. I have been taught that if you are diagnosed with a disease like this, you will be bound to pharmaceuticals for the rest of your life; but when I was diagnosed and prescribed medication, I felt terrible from the side effects. So I made a choice, and opted out. Since then I have met many others who want to do the same, but don’t know how to do it. Here are 8 tips I used to beat Type II Diabetes without drugs. Note: Do not stop taking any medications without talking to your doctor first about how to do it safely! 1) When I was first diagnosed with diabetes I spent a lot of hours reading and talking to experts. I also found some really great videos, that documented other people’s journeys from sickness to health without drugs, or with limited drugs. I researched different diets and stories to the find ones that worked for others. I wish Further Food had existed back then! 2) Shift Your Perspective: Say it with me, “DRUGS ARE NOT THE ONLY WAY!!!” I am certainly not against drugs, there is a time and a place for everything, but too often they are what we turn towards first. You will have many skeptics, who will tell you that defeating diabetes without drugs cannot be done. I want to encourage you to be confident and know that thousands of people have done this. For me, drugs are a band-aid, while developing healthy habits in your food and exercise helped me to get to the root of my disease! 3) Invest in Yourself: If you’re worried about the time and effort required to make healthy changes, think of it this way: you are going to have to invest time, money, and energy into dealing with diabetes, regardless of which route you take…yo Continue reading >>
How To Help Your Body Reverse Diabetes
Diabetes rates are rising, in fact it is now considered an “epidemic” in the medical community. The American Diabetes Association reports that: 23.6 million Americans have diabetes 57 million Americans are pre-diabetic 1.6 new cases of diabetes are reported each year For those over age 60, almost 1 in 4 have diabetes Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death Diabetes increases heart attack risk and 68% of diabetes related death certificates report heart related problems 75% of adults with diabetes will develop high blood pressure Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and nervous system disorders Diabetes costs $174 billion annually Diabetes is a well-established problem and a multi-billion dollar industry. It is medically characterized by Fasting Blood Glucose higher than 126 mg/dL , which ranges between 100-125 mg/dL are considered pre-diabetic and ranges below 99 mg/dL are considered normal. Studies are finding that a fasting blood glucose below 83 mg/dL is actually a better benchmark, as risk of heart disease begins to increase at anything above that. IMPORTANT: There is a difference between Type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune condition) and Type 2 diabetes (lifestyle related). This article refers specifically to Type 2 diabetes. Some medical professionals use an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) to test for diabetes. If you’ve ever been pregnant and had to drink the sickeningly sweet sugar cocktail and then have blood drawn, you are familiar with this one. Basically, a patient is given 50-75 grams of glucose in concentrated solution and his blood sugar response is measured. I’m not a fan of this test because no one should be ingesting that much concentrated glucose, and the test is not a completely accurate measure. (Just a side note: if yo Continue reading >>
A Cure For Diabetes: Crash Diet Can Reverse Type 2 In Three Months... And Isobel And Tony Are Living Proof That You Can Stop The Killer Disease
A crash diet lasting just three months can reverse Type 2 diabetes, a landmark study has shown. Nearly half the people who underwent the diet saw their condition go into remission — providing the strongest evidence yet that diabetes can be eradicated by simply losing weight. The patients had struggled with their condition for up to six years, using drugs to control their blood sugar levels. But a year after starting the 850-calorie-a-day diet, 75 per cent were drug free and 46 per cent had seen their blood sugar drop so far they were no longer considered diabetic. Among those who lost the most weight the results were even more extraordinary, the Lancet publication shows. Some 86 per cent of people who lost more than 15kg (2st 5lb) went into remission, along with 57 per cent of those who lost 10kg (1st 8lb) to 15kg, and 34 per cent of those who lost 5kg (11lb) to 10kg. The British project — led by the universities of Newcastle and Glasgow — could fundamentally change the way the NHS deals with the UK's booming diabetes epidemic. More than four million people in Britain have Type 2 diabetes, costing the NHS £14 billion a year. The disease — driven by obesity —was thought to be incurable once developed, and patients are usually just given drugs to control their blood sugar. Study leader Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle University, said: 'These findings are very exciting. 'The weightloss goals provided by this programme are achievable for many people.' The team believes Type 2 diabetes is caused when accumulated fat in the pancreas and liver interferes with insulin production, which in turn sees blood sugar levels spiking. Professor Taylor said: 'Substantial weight loss results in reduced fat inside the liver and pancreas, allowing the organs to return to norma Continue reading >>
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Is Possible Through Weight Loss, Study Finds
December 7, 2017 Type 2 diabetes has long been viewed as an incurable, chronic condition that often requires lifelong management through medication, such as Glucophage (metformin) and insulin. But a study published in December 2017 in the journal The Lancet suggested following a radical diet that restricts calorie consumption to under 1,000 per day has the potential to reverse the disease in some individuals without using conventional treatments. "Our findings suggest that even if you have had type 2 diabetes for six years, putting the disease into remission is feasible," colead author Michael Lean, bachelor of medicine and chair of human nutrition at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, says in a news release. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100 million American adults are living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Worldwide, an estimated 108 million people have type 2 diabetes, according to the World Health Organization. What Previous Research Says About Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Through Weight Loss Previous studies have found that diet and weight loss can help people better manage type 2 diabetes, and in some cases, such as through the CDC Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), prevent prediabetes from progressing into type 2 diabetes. In fact, an analysis published in September 2017 in the journal BMJ offered a magic number of pounds that is linked with reversal of type 2 diabetes: 33 pounds (lbs). Though risky, bariatric surgery also can help people with type 2 diabetes better manage the disease — potentially better than medication alone, according to a study published in February 2017 in the New England Journal of Medicine. How Researchers Conducted the Current Type 2 Diabetes Study For the current study, cal Continue reading >>
How Do You Cure Diabetes Naturally Without Medication?
Yes, Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Reversed. By Dr. Candice Hall, D.C. I admit, this is a topic about which I am passionate. At the helm of the integrative/functional health practice I founded in Irvine, Calif., I’ve worked with hundreds of people suffering from diabetes, thyroid disease, immune disorders and a myriad of chronic and degenerative conditions. It is amazing to see so many patients in our practice reduce the symptoms of, or even reverse, their condition. I am particularly gratified when considering how many patients have found it possible to reduce, or even eliminate, their need for prescription drugs. How is this possible? Much has to do with the vantage point of “upstream” versus “downstream” approaches to illness and health. When a blood test indicates that you have diabetes, what happens? In a “downstream” approach to illness and treatment, the symptom that produced the diagnoses — high blood sugar — is treated with drugs. For example, insulin brings the blood sugar measurements into a normal range, and you’re “managing” diabetes. Except that you’re not. In contrast, an “upstream” view of health looks to determine the “whys” of a patient’s condition. For instance, many diabetics are confused and frustrated by the fact that they eat better than many people they know, yet they struggle with weight and diabetes, while others eat whatever they want and don't have to worry about their blood sugars. In an “upstream” approach, the real question is — why? Why are my blood sugars high or volatile? Why am I being given medications to “manage” my condition, rather than solutions to address the underlying cause of the problem? The course of action each individual takes is highly personal, clearly. And in some cases, medication Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Reversed By Strict Weight Loss Programme Without Medication, Study Finds
Type 2 diabetes can be completely reversed by a weight loss programme without any medication, a study has found. The landmark trial of UK adults published in the Lancet showed that 46% of patients on the strict calorie counting programme who lost an average of 10kg were ‘cured’ a year later. That compared to only 4% of a second group which followed the current best practice treatment of GPs’ lifestyle advice and drugs to reduce blood sugar levels. Scientists are hailing the programme of strict calorie control combined with counselling and then gradual increases in exercise as a possible template to reverse diabetes. Almost nine out of 10 participants who lost more than 15kg on programme put their condition into remission. There are 3.6 million people diagnosed with the condition in the UK and a further one million who do not know they have it. The findings suggest, if rolled out nationally, at lest 1.5 million Brits could reverse their diabetes within a year. The NHS currently spends 10% of its budget on treating diabetes and its complications, around £14 billion annually. This is expected to rise to 17% by 2035. Co-author Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle University, said: "Rather than addressing the root cause, management guidelines for type 2 diabetes focus on reducing blood sugar levels through drug treatments. "Diet and lifestyle are touched upon but diabetes remission by cutting calories is rarely discussed. "A major difference from other studies is that we advised a period of dietary weight loss with no increase in physical activity, but during the long-term follow up increased daily activity is important. "Bariatric surgery can achieve remission of diabetes in about three-quarters of people, but it is more expensive and risky, and is only available to a Continue reading >>
Control Or Even Reverse Your Type 2 Diabetes
If you feel doomed to live with diabetes type 2 forever, think again. Even though your insurance company might not agree, you can reverse all of the laboratory parameters that are used to diagnose type 2 diabetes. If you feel doomed to live with diabetes type 2 forever, think again. Even though your insurance company might not agree, you can reverse all of the laboratory parameters that are used to diagnose diabetes type 2, and achieve a normal blood sugar, insulin level, and have normal glucose tolerance tests. You can control your type 2 diabetes without medication by making the right dietary adjustments. While this might not be the case for every person, it IS possible for some individuals. You can control or even reverse your type 2 diabetes with the right diet and exercise regimen. The problem with diabetes lies in how your body is able to handle glucose, or sugar. When you eat carbohydrates and foods made with sugar, these are digested and absorbed and enter your bloodstream. Blood sugar, also called blood glucose, rises after you digest and absorb carbohydrates and sugars. When you have a large meal of say - pasta-and then you follow that with a serving of a sweet dessert, then your blood glucose levels will rise dramatically. When your pancreas detects a rising blood glucose following a high carbohydrate and/or a high sugar meal then it responds by releasing a hormone--insulin. Insulin is a hormone that tells glucose to leave the bloodstream and enter body cells. As a result, blood glucose levels will drop back down to normal levels. In a person without diabetes, this happens in a normal way. Insulin and Weight Gain The problem with insulin is that it doesn't just signal glucose to enter body cells, it has another task. Insulin is a very powerful fat-storing hor Continue reading >>
Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible?
I just wrote an answer to this question about 5 minutes ago and will answer it again because it is so very important for you and for millions of other people. The answer to your question is yes. From my personal experience Type 2 Diabetes can be reversed. In March of 2017 I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. It really scared me. My father was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at 60 and I watched him have to inject insulin 2 times a day. His body still deteriorated due to the diabetes. I did not want to end up like that. I was a chocoholic and ate huge portions. I was too heavy for my height and did not get enough exercise. I immediately got on the internet and started researching for cures for Type II Diabetes. I read all the information at the American Diabetes Association website and was thoroughly depressed. I was being told that I had a progressive disease with no cure that would last the rest of my life and finally cause my death. I learned that I would have to take progressively stronger medications to control my diabetes and BG, (Blood glucose levels). I decided that this path was not for me. I knew there had to be a cure for this terrible disease even if all these doctors and pharmaceutical companies were saying that there is no cure. I read everything I could find on T2 Diabetes. Causes, treatments, reversal and cure. I decided that changing my diet drastically to a low carb high fat diet, LCHF, was the way to go. I found a great deal of good information at Diet Doctor - Making low carb simple. So I did it. I absolutely changed my diet completely from that day. It was very difficult. My body was craving carbohydrates, especially sweets. I had physical flu symptoms from the body adjusting to this new diet. I used meditation and mindful eating to get through those Continue reading >>
Reversing Diabetes Is Possible
Bethesda, Maryland (CNN) -- When Jonathan Legg of Bethesda, Maryland, got a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at 39, he was shocked. "I had always been pretty active," said Legg. "But it was a big wake-up call, that what I was doing and my current weight were not OK." That was two years ago. Since that time, the Morgan Stanley executive decided to make some changes and reverse his diabetes. Although his doctor recommended he go on medication to control his illness, Legg took a different approach. Instead of meds, he began to exercise every day and changed his diet, cutting out alcohol, fatty foods and watching his carbs. Do you have diabetes? How well are you managing it? "I wanted to be able to know the changes I was making were making a difference, and it wasn't the drug," said Legg. According to new statistics just out from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.8 million people, or 8.3% of the U.S. population, are affected by either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Most, like Legg, have type 2 diabetes, which in many people develops later in life. Caused primarily by genetic makeup, a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, type 2 diabetes can be reversed in some cases. By making changes to their lives such as adding exercise and improving their diets, many type 2 diabetics can drop their glucose or sugar numbers back to the normal range, reversing their condition. "We have seen numerous people reverse their condition," says Dr. Michelle Magee, director of the MedStar Diabetes Institute in Washington. "But it takes a real dedication for the rest of their lives," she notes. So why do exercise and diet help reverse diabetes? To answer that question, we first need to know why people get diabetes in the first place. Diabetes is caused when there is too much glucose Continue reading >>
