Imbalance Of Gut Bacteria Linked To Elevated Risk For Diabetes

New data from researchers at the University of Copenhagen provides stronger evidence linking certain bacteria that populate our intestinal tract with a higher risk for developing insulin resistance, ultimately a precursor to developing diabetes.
The research was published in the journal Nature late last week, suggesting that the gut microbiome might be a potential target for therapeutic intervention in this ravaging disease.
Insulin resistance is a condition whereby the body still produces insulin, but is not able to utilize it effectively. When someone develops insulin resistance, glucose accumulates in the bloodstream rather than being absorbed by the cells in the body, ultimately leading to prediabetes or to type 2 diabetes.
After extensively studying a population’s gut microbial composition to identify specific compounds (branched-chain amino acids, BCAA) that ultimately led to insulin resistance from the action of specific bacteria, the researchers then extracted the causative bacteria and fed them to mice who were devoid of any bacterial flora (sham mice) to prove that the action of the bacteria on the gut flora was truly the cause of insulin resistance.
" We show that specific imbalances in the gut microbiota are essential contributors to insulin resistance , a forerunner state of widespread disorders like type 2 diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, which are in epidemic growth," said Professor Oluf Pedersen, Metabolism Center, University of Copenhagen, and senior lead author of the research.
The researchers from the University of Cop Continue reading

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16 Of The Best Foods To Control Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition whereby the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells of the body are not responding properly to the insulin that is produced. Some people believe that once diagnosed, they will need to be medicated for a lifetime.
However, many people that are type 2 diabetic, with rigorous diet control, are able to stay away from medication. An intake of the correct micronutrients such as chromium, magnesium and zinc, along with a balanced intake of carbohydrates, fats and proteins can often provide enough support to regulate your blood sugar levels.
Here are 18 of the best foods to help support diabetes!
1. Nuts
High in both fats and protein, nuts are a great food to snack on and include in your breakfast, smoothies or salads.
2. Fish
Fish is rich in omega-3 fats, which are vital for reducing the inflammation that can come with diabetes. Fish is also a great source of lean protein.
3. Coconut Oil
Rich in medium-chain triglycerides, coconut oil may help to slow down the absorption of sugars in the blood and improve insulin sensitivity.
4. Algae
Algae is a superfood that supports diabetes by providing alkalization to the body tissue. Plus, it contains little to no carbohydrate so shouldn’t affect blood sugar levels!
5. Hemp seeds
Just 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds provide you with 10 grams of protein and around 3000mg of omega-3 fats. As protein supports blood sugar levels and omega-3 fats reduce inflammation, this is one food to include.
6. Avocados
Avocados are loaded with healthy fats and a little bit of protein, helping to regulate your Continue reading

A Quest: Insulin-Releasing Implant For Type-1 Diabetes

Scientists in California think they may have found a way to transplant insulin-producing cells into diabetic patients who lack those cells — and protect the little insulin-producers from immune rejection. Their system, one of several promising approaches under development, hasn't yet been tested in people. But if it works, it could make living with diabetes much less of a burden.
For now, patients with Type-1 diabetes have to regularly test their blood sugar levels, and inject themselves with insulin when it's needed.
Some researchers are developing machines to automate that process.
But Crystal Nyitray, founder and CEO of the biotechnology startup Encellin, in San Francisco, didn't want to use a machine to treat diabetes. As a graduate student in bioengineering at the University of California, San Francisco a few years ago, Nyitray wanted to try something different: living cells.
"Cells are the ultimate smart machine," she says. Clinical trials that transplant insulin-making pancreatic cells into people with diabetes have been underway for several years, with some success. But the recipient's immune system is hard on these transplanted cells, and most patients still need insulin injections eventually.
Nyitray and colleagues designed a system that would encase live islet cells from the pancreas in a flexible membrane that could be implanted under the skin. Insulin and blood sugar could pass through the membrane, but cells from the recipient's immune system would be kept out, preventing immune rejection.
"I think of it like if you're sitting in a house and you have the win Continue reading

How Diabetes Got To Be The No. 1 Killer In Mexico

Mario Alberto Maciel Tinajero looks like a fairly healthy 68-year-old. He has a few extra pounds on his chest but he's relatively fit. Yet he's suffered for the last 20 years from what he calls a "terrible" condition: diabetes.
"I've never gotten used to this disease," he says. Maciel runs a stall in the Lagunilla market in downtown Mexico City. This market is famous for its custom-made quinceañera dresses and hand-tailored suits.
Diabetes has come to dominate Maciel's life. It claimed the life of his mother. He has to take pills and injections every day to keep it under control.
And because of the disease he's supposed to eat a diet heavy in vegetables that he views as inconvenient and bland. "Imagine not being able to eat a carnitas taco!" he says with indignation. His doctors have told him to stop eating the steaming hot street food that's for sale all around the market — tacos, tamales, quesadillas, fat sandwiches called tortas. His eyes light up when talks about the roast pork taquitos and simmering beef barbacoa that he's supposed to stay away from.
"A person who has to work 8 or 10 hours has to eat what's at hand, what's available," he says. "It's difficult to follow a diabetic diet. The truth is it's very difficult."
Diabetes is the leading cause of death in Mexico, according to the World Health Organization. The disease claims nearly 80,000 lives each year, and forecasters say the health problem is expected to get worse in the decades to come. By contrast, in the U.S. it's the sixth leading cause of death, with heart disease and cancer claiming 10 times more Ame Continue reading

Diabetes has become one of America’s most expensive diseases

With an estimated 30 million Americans struggling with diabetes, the disease is one of the nation’s most entrenched chronic conditions. It’s also one of the most expensive.
Consider these facts:
▪ In California, roughly 55 percent of adults either have diagnosed diabetes or blood-sugar levels that put them at high risk of developing the disease. That includes roughly 1 in every 3 adults ages 18 to 39 – a finding researchers call alarming.
▪ In terms of personal health care spending, diabetes tops the nation’s list of 155 chronic conditions, hitting $101.4 billion in 2013. According to the American Diabetes Association, average medical expenditures for people with diabetes are an estimated 2.3 times higher than for those without it.
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▪ The cost of insulin alone has spiked by triple-digit percentages in the past 20 years.
“It’s horrible for patients,” said N. Chesney Hoagland-Fuchs, a registered nurse and chairwoman of the Diabetes Coalition of California. She said prices for insulin medications began a slow climb after the recession and started “shooting up” around 2013.
Over the past 20 years, the price of human insulin produced by two major manufacturers – Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk – rose 450 percent, after accounting for inflation, according to a 2016 Washington Post analysis of data from Michigan-based Truven Health Analytics. A single 10-milliliter vial of Eli Lilly’s Humalog insulin – less than a month’s supply for many adult Continue reading