Blueberries, Grapes And Apples Linked To Lower Risk Of Diabetes

Blueberries, grapes and apples linked to lower risk of diabetes

A large cohort study involving researchers from the US, UK and SIngapore, which focused on individual fruit consumption and risk of diabetes, reveals that certain fruits - but not juices - may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults.
The study, published in BMJ, pulled data from three studies: the Nurses' Health Study (NHS 1984-2008), the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II 1991-2009) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS 1986-2008).
In total, there were 187,382 participants, both men and women, who took part in the study, and participants who had diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer at the start were not included.
The researchers used food frequency questionnaires every 4 years in order to analyze the participants' diet, and ten fruits were used in the study:
Grapes or raisins
Peaches, plums or apricots
Prunes
Cantaloupe
Apples or pears
Oranges
Grapefruit
Strawberries
Additionally, fruit juice, such as apple, orange and grapefruit juice, was included.
Over the course of the study, 6.5% of the participants developed diabetes, but the researchers found that consuming three servings per week of blueberries, grapes, raisins, apples or pears reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7%.
However, the results also showed that the greater amount of fruit juice an individual drank, the more their risk for type 2 diabetes increased.
In general, substituting fruit juice with whole fruits decreased this risk, but strawberries and cantaloupe were the exception to this finding.
The researchers write in the study:
Individual fruits might not be equally associated with ri Continue reading

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Do Simvastatin Side Effects Include Diabetes and Joint Pain?

Many physicians tell us that even if statins increase the risk for diabetes, the drug benefits far outweigh any increase in blood glucose. But diabetes is a challenging condition to treat. Then there are the twin complications of muscle and joint pain. Most of the drug company research shows that simvastatin side effects are barely different from those brought on by placebo. The conclusion is often that simvastatin and related drugs do not really cause muscle pain or weakness and do not contribute to joint problems. Readers tell a different story.
A Simvastatin Experience:
Q. I took simvastatin for many years to control my cholesterol. Soon after I started taking it, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I don’t know if there is a connection.
About six months ago I stopped taking simvastatin; my hips and knees no longer hurt. My latest lab results show an increase in LDL to a bit over the standard range. My HDL is OK.
I had also experienced sexual problems, but I attributed those to paroxetine I took for depression. I stopped taking the paroxetine about two months ago and the sexual difficulties have completely disappeared. I feel much better after eliminating both drugs.
A. Simvastatin can raise blood sugar and make people more prone to type 2 diabetes. A fascinating study showed that people taking a different statin, pravastatin, together with paroxetine had elevated blood glucose levels not caused by either drug alone (Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, July 2011).
Do Simvastatin Side Effects Include Joint Pain?
The official prescribing information for simvastatin s Continue reading

PCOS: The Cousin of Diabetes?

Have you ever heard of polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS)?
If not, don’t worry, as many people haven’t. Yet it’s estimated that 5 to 10 percent of women in the U.S. (about 5 million!) have this syndrome, whose wide variety of symptoms often affect their reproductive health in ways that can be truly devastating, including infertility.
September is PCOS Awareness Month, which makes this a good opportunity to learn more about this endocrine system disorder and its link to diabetes. Here’s what you need to know.
So what is PCOS? How do I know if I have it?
PCOS is a condition that causes an imbalance of female sex hormones. It is the number-one cause of female infertility.
Why is this? Well, a woman’s ovaries have follicles, which are tiny, fluid-filled sacs that hold the eggs. When an egg is mature, the follicle releases the egg so it can travel to the uterus for fertilization. In women with PCOS, immature follicles bunch together to form large cysts or lumps. The eggs mature within the bunched follicles, but the follicles don’t break open to release them.
As a result, women with PCOS often don’t have menstrual periods or only have periods on occasion. Because the eggs are not released, most have trouble getting pregnant.
Though most commonly diagnosed in women of reproductive age, PCOS can be diagnosed in any phase of life—in girls as young as 8 to 9 years old, up through post-menopause.
Here are the most common signs and symptoms of PCOS:
Irregular or no menstrual cycles
Heavy or prolonged bleeding
Painful periods
Inability to get pregnant
High levels of and Continue reading

6 Fruits to Eat That Prevent Type 2 Diabetes & One to Avoid – But There Is A Catch…

We are a long way away from the past misconception that any sugar is bad sugar when it comes to diabetes. While there are even groups of people who cure their diabetes by eating enormous quantities of fruits – such as RAW foodies and fruitarians – science has now found solid evidence that is easily adaptable into any diet. And if you love fruits – science has really good news for you.
Most fruits do not cause, but actually prevent type-2 diabetes.
There is, however, an exception. While fruit itself is associated with a lower risk for type-2 diabetes, fruit juice is associated with a higher risk of this disease. The main reason for this is that whole fruit contains fiber, while juice does not. And fiber stabilizes blood sugar levels.
These findings were brought to us by a 2013 study by Harvard scientists. They took information from a total of 187,382 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study collected in 1984-2009. They studied their fruit eating habits, while taking into consideration other diabetes risk factors and lifestyle differences. They also reviewed 56 total studies, and eventually concluded that:
“Greater consumption of specific whole fruits…is significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas greater consumption of fruit juice is associated with a higher risk.”
Here are 5 fruits that the Harvard researchers found to be especially good for prevention of diabetes:
Blueberries
: Blueberries were shown as the absolute number one fruit for diabetes prevention – the other fruits did not even come close in comparison. If you drink ju Continue reading

Diabetes Complications Trigger Stroke And Impotence – Medical Expert

A professor of medicine and consultant physician/endocrinologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Anthonia Ogbera, talks about diabetes mellitus and how to avoid it.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are abnormally high because the body does not produce enough insulin to meet its needs.
With a population of over 170 million people, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa and accounts for one sixth of Africa’s population. Diabetes mellitus is on the increase and assuming pandemic proportions. The latest estimates from IDF Diabetes Atlas indicate that 382 million people are living with diabetes mellitus worldwide and that by 2035, this figure will be doubled. The bad news is that much of this increase in numbers will be documented in the developing countries of the world like Nigeria.
Unfortunately, Nigeria, like most developing countries, is experiencing a rapid epidemiological transition with the burden of non-communicable diseases like diabetes mellitus and hypertension poised to overwhelm the healthcare system that is already overburdened by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Guestimates indicate that currently, about 15 million Nigerians are living with diabetes mellitus as against two million in 1997. The epidemic has grown in parallel with the worldwide rise in obesity and it is fuelled by rapid urbanisation, nutrition transition, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
What are the types of diabetes?
There are two main types of this disease; they are type 1 diabetes mellitus which has its ons Continue reading