Certain vitamins and minerals have been found beneficial in lowering blood sugar and thus useful in the treatment of diabetes.
Vitamin B complex - Vitamins of the B group are valuable in the treatment of diabetes. Despite and adequate intake of these vitamins, diabetics often have abnormally small amounts of vitamin B in their blood because of high urinary loss of exhibit symptoms of vitamin B deficiency. Marked clinical improvement has been reported in patients of diabetes with only 16000 units of daily supplements of vitamin B complex. Because these vitamins help reduce blood fat and cholesterol, they should be generously supplied at all times.
Thiamine or Vitamin B1 - Of the various vitamins of the B group, thiamine or vitamin B1 and pyridoxine or vitamin B6 is of special value in diabetes. Diabetic diet inadequate in vitamin B1, often leads to the development of neuritis, which is relieved as soon as large amounts of this vitamin are given. Vitamin B1 is said to be particularly valuable in preventing damage to the brain during diabetic acidosis. The greater the insulin requirement, the higher is the requirement for vitamin B1, pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 and biotin or vitamin B8.
The primary natural vegetable sources of thiamine are wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, the outer layers of rice, wheat and other whole grain cereals, pulses, nuts, peas, lime, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, banana and apple. Those of pantothenic acid are wheat germ, whole grain bread, green vegetables and peanuts. Biotin is found in brewer’s yeast, rice bran, rice germ, rice polishing and peanut butter.
Pyridoxine or Vitamin B6 - When diet is inadequate in vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, and essential amino acid tryptophan, is converted into a substance known as xanthurenic acid. It has been shown in laboratory experiments that xanthurenic acid tends to damage the pancreatic tissue.
Diabetics who have been given 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily have shown a rapid and marked decrease in urinary xanthurenic acid. In one case, the quantity dropped almost 97 percent the first day. Total absence of urinary xanthurenic acid amongst those who continued with a daily dosage of 10 to 20 mg of this vitamin indicated that none was being formed in the body. Diabetics are thus greatly helped by a liberal intake of vitamin B6. The main natural sources of pyridoxine are milk, brewer’s yeast, cereals, legumes, green leafy vegetables and carrot.
Find complete diabetes information, diabetes supply, diabetes treatment, diabetes diet, diabetes causes, diabetes types. More on Diabetes Mellitus Information and Treatment Supply. Also see Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Cure for Diabetes.
Dr John Anne
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/some-useful-vitamins-that-lower-blood-sugar-61209.html
One of the problems that women face is a blood sugar. There are a number of factors that can cause high blood sugar levels. Pregnancy and menopause change estrogen levels which affect metabolism and how body processes fat. In turn, that affects blood sugar levels. Menstruation also affects blood sugar, at least indirectly. Everyone has heard about “those pesky hormones” and all about craving certain foods like salty items such as chips or everyone’s favorite treat, chocolate. With some dietary changes and a little help from supplements you can achieve a healthy balance in your blood sugar levels.
Tackling the Diet
Carbohydrates are important for your body, but eating too many of them in your diet can cause your blood sugar to have more drastic highs and lows. In addition, you’ll find that more fat collects along your midriff and hips. By being selective in the types of carbs you ingest, you will still get what you need in your diet but without those blood sugar swings.
Just say no to processed foods. Basically white foods – anything with white flour and sugars – are converted more quickly to glucose in your body. This causes a spike in your blood sugar levels that lasts just a short time. Before you know it, your energy plummets and you feel lethargic because that “sugar rush” is gone. Then, in order to get that energy level back up, you eat more carbs and the cycle starts all over again.
By choosing carbohydrates that are found in whole grain foods, your body has to work harder to process them. What this means for you is that extreme high-low factor goes away and you are left with a more balanced blood sugar level and your energy level is more consistent. And because your body works harder to process these types of carbohydrates, you are expending calories, meaning less fat gets deposited in your mid-section.
Vitamins and Supplements
While taking care with your diet helps greatly, sometimes you just need an additional boost. This is where women supplements and vitamins for women come in. Business is booming with herbal supplements and special vitamin formulas. But which ones help with your blood sugar?
When your blood sugar levels fluctuate, it can be draining on your body and leave you feeling a bit sluggish. Taking supplements for women that contain chromium might give you a boost and alleviate some of that fatigue. If you have diabetes or might be prone to developing it, ginseng can also be beneficial. It has been known to boost metabolism and help control blood sugar.
If you are looking for vitamins or supplements you have to make sure you only buy high quality products. Always look for products from companies that only specialize in vitamins and supplements products for women. One of the companies that makes nutrients for women and specializes in supplements for women health is nutraOrigin.
There are a number of other women vitamins and supplements that could also be beneficial. However, be sure the check with your doctor to determine which ones might be best for you. If you are taking other medications, certain vitamins or women supplements might counteract with them.
It all boils down to common sense. Do your research into the different vitamins and supplements. Make positive changes in your diet. Women are built differently than men. Therefore, you must be more diligent with your body and what goes into it for your health.
Ajay R (articlesubmit.net)
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/natural-supplements-for-womens-health-blood-sugar-52323.html
How to learn the correct way to test your blood sugar levels at home
Merry Christmas and wish you all a very Happy Healthy New Year!!!
During the holiday season especially during festivals diabetic people wonder what their blood sugar levels are and what they can do to keep it in control.
Lots of people have doubts about their blood sugar levels.
Some of the questions that people have asked me are:
•What should my blood sugar level be most of the time?
•How often should I test my blood sugar levels?
•What is the HbA1C blood sugar test and how often should I test that?
•Is there any particular time of the day that I should test my blood sugar levels?
•Is there anything else that I should know about blood sugar testing?
My answer to them is, “Learn to measure your blood sugar levels correctly”
How do you do that?
First buy a glucometer.
Secondly, after you have a glucometer. You need to learn how to use it correctly. It is a machine and if used wrongly, it will give wrong results. In my experience what you should do is read the booklet that came with the machine. Next take the glucometer along with you for your next appointment and ask your doctor to show you how to use it. After that you show the doctor how you check you blood sugar levels and ask if you are doing it correctly. If you are making any mistakes your doctor can correct you.
The importance of an HbA1C test
Now know how to check your sugar levels correctly.
Let me tell you the basics regarding the HbA1c blood test.
How often should this test be done?
This test is usually done once in 3 months for diabetics
What is the use of doing this test?
It tells your doctor and you the average blood sugar level during the past three months.
One of my patients had asked me this question. “Why should I do this test? I check my blood sugar every week.”
This was my answer: it is not enough to know the fasting blood sugar and post Prandial blood sugar levels because what I have seen among my patients is that just before the blood test for few days they eat correctly and when the test comes the level is almost normal. But when I do this test for them it shows a high value. This means that most of the “other” time my patient has high blood sugar levels.
Similarly your doctor and you need to know if this is what happens in your case and your treatment needs to change depending on such a result, or tomorrow a diabetes complication could occur and both your doctor and you will wonder why this happened to you.
When and How often to test your blood sugar levels at home
The next step is to know when and how often you need to test your blood sugar levels.
This depends on various factors and your doctor is the best person to tell you how often you need to test your sugar levels.
Newly diagnosed diabetics and diabetics who are not under control may have to test:
•Fasting for at least 8 hours(Before Breakfast)
•1-2 Hours After Breakfast
•Before Lunch
•1-2 Hours After Lunch
•Before Dinner
•1-2 Hours After Dinner
•Bedtime
•3 A.M. (in some conditions)
I have just mentioned the maximum that a person whom I would treat might have to test in one day. In such cases I usually ask them to get admitted and have a lovely nurse do the testing.
But on average my patients are asked to test three to four times a day till their sugar levels are in control then I ask them to test once a day.
But there are some conditions where you should test more often than normal.
Situations where your doctor might want you to check your blood sugar levels more frequently:
•If your diabetes medicine changes
•If you begin taking other kinds of medicines
•If you change your diet
•If your exercise routine or activity level changes
•If your level of stress increases
•If you are sick. When you are sick, even without eating, your sugar levels may run high, so testing is important.
Continue testing more often until you have maintained your blood sugar levels for at least 1 week, or until your doctor advises you that more frequent testing is no longer necessary.
Sherry Chandy
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/blood-sugar-testing-what-every-diabetic-should-know-700949.html
Proper and early identification IS A MUST. What you don’t know can indeed hurt you. Early detection allows people to take action before there are serious consequences . About 6 million have had diabetes for several years and don’t know it and tens of million may be pre-diabetic and don’t know it either. By the time most diabetics get diagnosed they have diabetes for several years and already had some damage to their arteries and nervous system. Don’t be like those other people get identified NOW. Early detection and i mmediate weight reduction, even as little as 5 to 7 pounds, can help you regain sugar control, reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol and may even reverse the entire situation. You can lose these 5 to 7 pounds by making favorable food and activity choices, as recommended in my Learning to Make Favorable Lifestyle Choices section (Action Step 4). These wise choices can bring the situation under control.
People who have any combination of the following criteria should test for blood sugar at least once a year during a yearly doctor check up:
Table 1
• People who are overweight or obese
• People who are couch potatoes
• Smokers
• People with a family history of diabetes
• Women with a history of gestational diabetes or who have given birth to babies over 9 pounds
• People belonging to the following ethnic groups: African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian- Americans, Pacific Islanders
• People with high blood pressure
• People with high cholesterol
• People with heart disease
• People who have symptoms of continuous thirst, and who experience frequent urination, fatigue, sudden vision problems, or numbness and/or tingling in the hands and feet.
If your blood fasting sugar is below 100 mg/dl then you are not diabetic. If your fasting blood sugar level is between 100 and 125 mg/dl, then you are considered glucose intolerant and/or are suffering from a condition called pre-diabetes . This means that you are about to have full-blown diabetes unless you start making favorable lifestyle choices as recommended in Action Steps 4 and 5. If your fasting blood sugar, however, is 126 mg/dl and over on 2 separate readings then this is a diagnosis for diabetes.
I’d like to share a story. Ever since I started pharmacy practice in 1987, I tried, whenever possible, to become more involved with my patients. I didn’t want to just be a dispensing pharmacist. Through my constant communications with my patients, I realized that only a small minority were informed and took appropriate action to bring their condition under control. They lived happily since their decision to take that control. Unfortunately, the vast majority had the “I don’t care,” or the “it is not going to happen to me” and “my health is someone else’s or the doctor’s responsibility” type of attitude. Those latter people paid the ultimate price.
Diabetics who espoused the latter approach had the worst outcomes and eventually developed most of the diabetes complications previously listed. I was very impressed by the actions of some patients who I would counsel; some over 80 years old, had diabetes but were persistent in their action to keep their condition under control from the moment of their initial diagnosis. They looked and felt good and they enjoyed the ultimate quality of life. It can be done. You can live a long and healthy life despite being a diabetic , IF you keep its complications in check by becoming more informed and by being proactive and employing the information you receive from this guide. That’s really all it takes.
Through my work, I have also encountered young people with diabetes in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s who either have been misinformed, are in denial, have given up or do not want to take their condition seriously. They are overweight, smoke, and are inactive. These people act the way they do because they do not want to “feel” different than others and because they think that they have to be deprived of some foods and sweets for the rest of their lives and that no matter what they do they will ultimately be affected with diabetes complications. That’s old thinking; it is not the case! They are misinformed, and the good news is they can enjoy eating from all the food groups in a balanced fashion as will be discussed in “Action Step 4”: Learning to Make Favorable Lifestyle Choices. Any diabetic can lead a very normal and very active life, just like non-diabetics and without being deprived from any food . This guide will provide you with the necessary tools to achieve that.
Now that you understand a little better your Type of diabetes and realize that you can make a major difference to the better in your quality of life, a call to action was upon you yesterday. If you want to have the blessing of a normal and a natural lifespan, then adopt and start implementing, NOW, the 5 Action Steps in LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER FOR DIABETICS AND PRE-DIABETICS
For more detailed information on any of these topics log on to: www.LifestyleMakeoverEbook.com and check out these information packed lifesaving book and e-book volumes: LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER FOR DIABETICS AND PRE-DIABETICS and 4 other e-books: Lifestyle Makeover: Sex, Stress, and Alcohol , Lifestyle Makeover for All Couch Potatoes , Lifestyle Makeover: Defeat High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure , and Lifestyle Makeover for all Tobacco Users . The author of this article is also the author of these volumes
Test your knowledge on these various issues and take a simple True and False quiz by logging on to: www.LifestyleMakeoverEbook.com
Copyright © 2008 by George Tohme All rights reserved.
George Tohme
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/who-should-test-their-blood-sugar-and-why-is-so-important-to-find-out-if-you-are-diabetic-679772.html
The mangosteen is a fruit grown primarily in Southeast Asia and is often called the “Queen of All Fruits”. The scientific name is Garcinia mangostana and it is mostly known for its intriguing flavor and many folk mangosteen fruit benefits.
The dark purple rind was dried and ground and used to fight off infection. Ancient healers created an extract of the fruit to reduce fever. Poultices were made to treat parasitic skin infections. It has been used for centuries to treat dysentery, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and eczema.
Researchers have identified dozens of biologically active compounds called “Xanthones” in the rind of the mangosteen fruit. There are litterally stacks of existing mangosteen research in dozens of countries talking about the benefits of mangosteen.
Xanthones, the active compounds in the mangosteen fruit, have been proven in many scientific studies to promote healthy bodily function.
Actually, countless people with Diabetes have reported more energy, wieghtloss, increased blood circulation, and lower blood sugar.
In fact, I have seen people’s blood sugar drop as much as 50 points in their first week on the mangosteen supplement.
A select few have reported their blood sugar lowering as much as 100 points when sugar was high -just after a single dose!
Many people, including those with Diabetes 1, Diabetes 2, and chronic inflammation, have been very pleased with the mangosteen supplement.
But the mangosteen fruit benefits were a mystery for ever so long. It wasn’t until about 40 years ago when scientists first put Mangosteen fruit under the microscope that they discovered these “xanthones”.
Xanthones, according to researchers, are some of the most powerful antioxidants found in nature and have also demonstrated incredible healing properties in reviewed scientific studies all around the world.
Xanthones are found more in the rind of the mangosteen fruit than any other food source on earth. The mangosteen fruit benefits have been shown to include/help the following:
Anti-aging, Anti-biotic, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Anxiety, Antioxidants, Anti-Allergy, Anti-depressant, Periodontal (gum health), Eye health, Migraines, Skin rashes, Hypertension, Pan systemic, Energizer (Energy booster), Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Tumor, Analgesic (Pain reducer), Nerve pain, Anti-pyretic (Lowers fevers), Anti-viral, Stimulates red blood cell growth, Ulcers, Osteoporosis, Immune Modulator (help immune system), Cardio protective (helps protect heart), Cataracts, Irritable bowel syndrome, Anti-fungal, Anti-pathogenic (reduce pathogens), Anti-parasitic, Supports weight loss, Hardening of the arteries, Anti-lipidemic (lowers blood fat), and Anti-diabetic (lowers blood sugar).
Six Xanthones were even found to KILL CANCER CELLS.
Although the mangosteen is only one food source, its the many xanthones and antioxidant properties that allow it to provide such a wide range of health benefits.
It’s most recognized benefit is its anti-inflammatory properties.
Still, Diabetics around the world are finding not just hope, but results in the mangosteen supplement.
With the number of prescriptions increasing and diabetes continuing to spiral upward, the mangosteen has proven to be a valuable and a blessing to those willing to give it a try.
David Schwind
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/does-mangosteen-normalize-blood-sugar-in-diabetics-99580.html
