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Mice Have Had Their Diabetes Reversed After Receiving Pancreatic Tissue Grown In Rats

Mice Have Had Their Diabetes Reversed After Receiving Pancreatic Tissue Grown in Rats

Mice Have Had Their Diabetes Reversed After Receiving Pancreatic Tissue Grown in Rats

Researchers have managed to reverse type 1 diabetes in mice by giving them a transplant of pancreatic tissue grown inside rats.
The pancreatic tissue was grown from stem cells taken from healthy mice, which means the diabetic mice accepted the transplant without needing immunosuppressive drugs - and the new pancreatic cells successfully managed their blood sugar levels for more than a year without any other medication.
The results suggest the same technology could one day be used to treat humans, and possibly improve the success of all types of organ donations.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys certain tissues within the pancreas, such as the pancreatic islet cells, which are responsible for producing insulin.
Without insulin, the body has a hard time getting glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells, which is why diabetics need to rely on regular injections and blood-sugar monitoring to manage their condition.
But researchers are constantly looking for a more effective, long-term solution.
In the 1970s, scientists found some success transplanting clusters of so-called islet cells in lab mice, prompting hopes that tissue-transplants were just around the corner for diabetics. But progress has been slow, in spite of advances in recent years that have seen transplanted cells survive longer.
Yet these transplants still require a lifetime of antirejection drugs.
Having islet cells that the body accepts as its own would help do away with these antirejection medications, which mask the foreign appearance of another individual’s tissues, and scient Continue reading

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Snack Ideas for People with Diabetes

Snack Ideas for People with Diabetes

When it comes to diabetes, keeping your blood sugar stable and avoiding excess carbohydrates are the two main goals of a snack.
Snacks will keep you full and help prevent cravings, and they're also important to have on hand when you're traveling or on-the-go to provide healthy alternatives to fast food.
Below are some snack ideas based on the different categories of food. Mix them up to create variety in your routine and try new ones so you're less likely to get bored and reach for junk. Also, pair proteins with veggies or fruits to create a more nutritionally balanced bite.
Proteins
Some protein-filled snack ideas include:
15 almonds
1 hard-boiled egg
8 green olives
1/3 cup hummus (with 1 cup veggies)
1/2 turkey sandwich (1 slice of whole-wheat bread and 2 ounces of turkey with mustard)
1/2 cup tuna
Grains, Nuts and Seeds
Eat grains more sparingly, and pair nuts or seeds with veggies or fruit:
2 saltine crackers
10 Goldfish crackers
2 tablespoons pumpkin or sesame seeds
1/4 cup trail mix
3 cups light popcorn
2 rice cakes with 1 tablespoon nut butter
5 whole-wheat crackers
1/2 English muffin with 1 tablespoon nut butter
1/2 cup whole grain cereal with low-fat milk
Dairy
Dairy products should generally be low- or no-fat:
6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 cup fresh fruit
1 cheese quesadilla (with one 6-inch corn or whole wheat tortilla and 1 ounce of cheese)
1 string cheese stick
Fruits
Remember that fruits are not all created equal. For the most part, stick with fruits that are lower in sugar, like berries.
5 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup blueberries
1/ Continue reading

Diabetes and the Risk of Hearing Impairment

Diabetes and the Risk of Hearing Impairment

No one wants to hear that diabetes is correlated with a greater risk of hearing loss, but that is what researchers have found. Having diabetes may double your chances of experiencing some type of hearing loss.
It is another reason, though there are already more than enough, for people diagnosed with diabetes to maintain healthy-as-possible blood glucose levels.
Auditory Apparatus and Glucose
Many research studies on hearing loss and diabetes do not differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. There may be hearing-related issues connected to each type yet unknown. However, many experts theorize it is the effects of high blood sugar, and not the diabetes onset mechanism, which can harm our auditory apparatus.
High blood sugar is known to damage the body’s small blood vessels and the nerves those vessels feed. It makes sense to most scientists that the same type of effects can occur within the intricacies of our ear. The capillaries and cells involved with hearing are tiny and sometimes delicate, not designed to handle glucose-heavy blood flow.
Still, there could be other reasons for a diabetes-hearing loss connection. For instance, side effects from the drugs many diabetics use, such as blood pressure medications, may turn out to be involved.
Concerns About Hearing
Regardless of why diabetes is linked with hearing impairment, statistics in the U.S. show that more than 70 percent of those with diabetes, ages 50 to 69, have high-range hearing loss and about 33 percent have low- to mid-frequency loss. Auditory impairment also seems to begin at earlier ages in those with d Continue reading

Goodbye to Type 2 Diabetes, Meds, and a Lifetime of Dieting

Goodbye to Type 2 Diabetes, Meds, and a Lifetime of Dieting

When I started my plant-based journey almost two years ago, I did it to improve my health. The weight loss that everyone notices was just a happy side effect—it was never the original goal. However, I was overweight for most of my adult life. I was part of the population that wanted a quick fix and would try anything to lose a few pounds as quickly as possible. I fluctuated between fad diets, counting calories, and eating the Standard American diet.
After having two pregnancies with gestational diabetes, I was told by my doctors I was at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life. I managed to control my prediabetes for a while, but I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about four years ago. For a couple years, I went on various diabetes drugs like metformin and glyburide, but they made me sick on a daily basis. After feeling unwell for so long, I refused to take any more medication. I told my doctor I was going to try and cure my diabetes through diet. He laughed at me. I never went back to him again.
Almost two years ago, I began to eat a plant-based diet with an emphasis on raw fruits and vegetables. Through my research, I discovered Dr. McDougall, Dr. Campbell, and all the other amazing whole-food, plant-based doctors. I became obsessed with learning everything about this lifestyle I could find. I think I watched Forks Over Knives about six times! Since going plant-based, I have more energy than I ever had in my life. I even took up bike riding and cycled over 1500 kilometers (930+ miles) last summer! I dropped 15 pounds right away, but lost a lot more in Continue reading

To Ward Off Diabetes, Eat Whole Fruit, Shun Fruit Juice

To Ward Off Diabetes, Eat Whole Fruit, Shun Fruit Juice

Science is finding more health benefits from blueberries—but raising more concerns about fruit juice. According to a new study by Harvard University researchers, eating whole fruits helps ward off diabetes, while drinking juice can actually raise the risk of developing the disease.
In a study published in the British Medical Journal, nutrition experts report that consumption of certain fruits—especially blueberries—cut people’s risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 26 percent in a survey of more than 180,000 subjects over two and a half decades.
Study participants were asked about their consumption of grapes or raisins, prunes, bananas, cantaloupe, apples or pears, oranges, grapefruit, blueberries, strawberries, and stone fruits (peaches, plums, or apricots).
Blueberries had the strongest effect on cutting diabetes risk, followed by grapes and apples, especially when three or more servings a week were eaten. A standard serving of blueberries was half a cup.
Prunes, pears, bananas, and grapefruit also helped lower diabetes risk, while the other fruits did not.
The difference is something called polyphenols, said study co-author Qi Sun, an assistant professor of nutrition at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health. Some of these plant-based chemical compounds—including anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, and resveratrol, all powerful antioxidants—may help the body process glucose. Blueberries, grapes, and apples are all rich in these beneficial polyphenols.
Sun and his collaborators based their research on data from 151,209 female participan Continue reading

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