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• Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in type 1 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials - Diabetes Metab Res Rev 2023 May 14 - "Dysbiosis or imbalance of microbes in the gut has been associated with susceptibility and progression of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The present systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on fasting blood glucose (FBG), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-peptide, and insulin requirements in T1DM patients ... The pooled effect size showed that FBG decreased following probiotic supplementation (weighted mean difference = -31.24 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval = -45.65, -16.83; p < 0.001), however, there was no significant improvement in serum HbA1c, C-peptide, and insulin requirements. Probiotic supplementation could be a complementary therapeutic strategy in T1DM. The evidence is limited; therefore, it is crucial to conduct more trials" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Effect of saffron and fenugreek on lowering blood glucose: A systematic review with meta-analysis - Phytother Res 2023 Mar 29 - "Saffron and fenugreek have been shown to have an effect on lowering blood glucose; therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of using saffron and fenugreek on blood glucose control ... Overall, using fenugreek decreased fasting blood glucose (FBG) (SMD: -0.90; 95%CI: -1.43 to -0.38; I2 = 87%; p < 0.001), postprandial blood glucose (PPBG) (SMD: -1.13; 95%CI: -1.99 to -0.28; I2 = 94%; p < 0.001), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (SMD: -0.43; 95%CI: -0.75 to -0.12; I2 = 20%; p = 0.29). Saffron supplementation reduced FBG (MD: -9.06 mg/dl; 95%CI: -16.25 to -1.86; I2 = 40%; p = 0.12) and HbA1c (MD: -0.19%; 95%CI: -0.23 to -0.14; I2 = 0%; p > 0.99). Our results show that using saffron and fenugreek can reduce FBG, PPBG, and HbA1c; however, there are some shortcomings that require attention for these results" - See saffron supplements at Amazon.com and fenugreek at Amazon.com.
• Effects of omega-3 supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with gestational diabetes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - J Diabetes Complications 2023 Mar 7 - "Omega-3 supplementation can decrease the levels of FPG and inflammatory factors, enhance blood lipid metabolism, and reduce insulin resistance in patients with GDM" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Effect of vitamin E intake on glycemic control and insulin resistance in diabetic patients: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Nutr J 2023 Feb 17 - "This indicates a significant lowering effect of vitamin E on HbA1c, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, while no significant effect on fasting blood glucose in diabetic patients. However, in subgroup analyses, we found that vitamin E intake significantly reduced fasting blood glucose in studies with an intervention duration of < 10 weeks. In conclusion, vitamin E intake has a beneficial role in improving HbA1c and insulin resistance in a population with diabetes. Moreover, short-term interventions with vitamin E have resulted in lower fasting blood glucose in these patients" - See vitamin E at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D Could Be Weapon Against Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 2/7/23 - "On average, the study found, supplements lowered the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes by 15%" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled add-on trial to assess the efficacy, safety, and anti-atherogenic effect of spirulina platensis in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus - Phytother Res 2023 Jan 4 - "The efficacy of spirulina platensis (S. platensis) as an add-on therapy to metformin and its effect on atherogenic keys in patients with uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) was evaluated ... During the three-month intervention period, supplementation with S. platensis resulted in a significant lowering of HbA1c (↓1.43, p < 0.001) and FBS (↓ 24.94 mg/dL, p < 001) levels. Mean TG in the intervention group was found to be significantly lower in the intervention group than in controls (p < 0.001). Total cholesterol (TC) and its fraction, LDL-C, exhibited a fall (↓41.36 mg/dL and ↓38.4 mg/dL, respectively; p < 0.001) coupled with a marginal increase in the level of HDL-C (↑3 mg/dL; p < 0.001). Add-on therapy with S. platensis was superior to metformin regarding long-term glucose regulation and controlling blood glucose levels of subjects with T2DM. Also, as a functional supplement, S. platensis has a beneficial effect on atherogenic keys (TG and HDL-C) with no adverse events" - See spirulina at Amazon.com.
• The effect of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) on glycemia, lipid profile, and antioxidant status in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized placebo-controlled trial - Phytother Res 2022 Dec 29 - "At the end of the eighth week, saffron intervention could significantly reduce FBS (7.57%), lipid profile (except high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]), atherogenic indices, and liver enzymes (p < .05). Moreover, saffron could improve oxidative status (nitric oxide [NO] and malondialdehyde [MDA] reduced by 26.29% and 16.35%, respectively). Catalase (CAT) concentration remained unchanged. Saffron supplementation may alleviate T2DM by improving glycemic status, lipid profile, liver enzymes, and oxidative status" - See saffron supplements at Amazon.com.
• Ginsenoside CK improves skeletal muscle insulin resistance by activating DRP1/PINK1-mediated mitophagy - Food Funct 2022 Dec 23 - "Skeletal muscle insulin resistance is the main cause of type 2 diabetes, and mitochondria play a key role. Ginsenoside CK is the main active compound of ginseng with a variety of therapeutic effects, but few studies have reported on its mechanism towards skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Here, we found that CK significantly increased skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity, thereby alleviating hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Furthermore, the effects of CK on skeletal muscle were associated with an improved mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics balance and fatty acid oxidation. In fatty acid (FA)-induced C2C12 cells, CK promoted the translocation of GLUT4 to the cell membrane to improve glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis and also enhanced the mitochondrial quality. CK ameliorated the damaged mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), which was based on mitophagy activation. After the knockdown of mitophagy-related receptors, we found that DRP1/PINK1 was the key pathway of CK-induced mitophagy. These findings indicated that ginsenoside CK is a promising lead compound against diabetes" - See ginseng at Amazon.com.
• Effect of an Intermittent Calorie-restricted Diet on Type 2 Diabetes Remission: A Randomized Controlled Trial - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Dec 14 - "Participants between ages 38 and 72 years with a duration of T2D of 1 to 11 years, a body mass index (BMI) of 19.1 to 30.4, 66.7% male, and antidiabetic agent use and/or insulin injection were randomly allocated at a ratio of 1:1 to the Chinese Medical Nutrition Therapy (CMNT) or control group. The primary outcome was diabetes remission, defined as a stable glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of less than 48 mmol/mol (< 6.5%) for at least 3 months after discontinuing all antidiabetic medications ... On completing the 3-month intervention plus 3-month follow-up, 47.2% (17/36) of participants achieved diabetes remission in the CMNT group, whereas only 2.8% (1/36) of individuals achieved remission in the control group (odds ratio 31.32; 95% CI, 2.39-121.07; P < 0.0001). The mean body weight of participants in the CMNT group was reduced by 5.93 kg (SD 2.47) compared to 0.27 kg (1.43) in the control group. After the 12-month follow-up, 44.4% (16/36) of the participants achieved sustained remission, with an HbA1c level of 6.33% (SD 0.87). The medication costs of the CMNT group were 77.22% lower than those of the control group (60.4/month vs 265.1/month)"
• Effects of curcumin, a bioactive component of turmeric, on type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications: an updated review - Food Funct 2022 Nov 11 - "Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a substantial issue in public health. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the effectiveness of using herbal supplements for T2DM. Among the herbal supplements, turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) has been attracting an avalanche of attention owing to its main component, curcumin ... Studies on diabetic humans and animals have revealed that curcumin may have positive effects on oxidative stress and inflammation and may reduce fasting blood glucose levels, increase insulin sensitivity/secretion and regulate the lipid profile. Thus, it may prevent and treat diabetes by affecting various molecular targets" - See curcumin at Amazon.com.
• Wholegrains May Improve Survival in People With Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 9/20/22 - "Decreased mortality from any cause was found for a higher intake of fish (SRR per serving/week: 0.95, over six studies); whole grain (SRR per 20 g/day: 0.84; two studies); fiber (SRR per 5 g/day: 0.86; three studies), and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (SRR per 0.1 g/day: 0.87; two studies) ... A low certainty of evidence was found for an inverse association between all-cause mortality and vegetable consumption (SRR per 100 g/day: 0.88; two studies) and plant protein intake (SRR per 10 g/day: 0.91; three studies) ... Eggs were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (SRR per 10 g/day: 1.05; seven studies), as was dietary cholesterol (SRR per 300 mg/day: 1.19; two studies)"
• Eat More Dairy, Less Red Meat to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 9/20/22 - "Significant increases in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes were found for consumption of 100 g/day of total meat (RR, 1.20; 20% increase) and red meat (1.22, 22% increase) and with 50 g/day of processed meats (1.30, 30% increase). A borderline increased risk was also seen for 50 g/day of white meat (1.04, 4% increase) ... The opposite was found for dairy foods. Inverse associations for type 2 diabetes development were found for an intake of 200 g/day of total dairy (0.95, 5% reduction), low-fat dairy (0.96, 4% reduction), milk (0.90, 10% reduction), and for 100 g/day of yogurt (0.94, 6% reduction) ... Neutral (nonsignificant) effects were found for 200 g/day of full-fat dairy (0.98) and for 30 g/day of cheese (0.97). Fish consumption also had a neutral association with type 2 diabetes risk (1.04 for 100 g/day) as did one egg per day (1.07), but evidence quality was low ... processed meats also contain nitrates, nitrites, and sodium that can contribute to pancreatic cell damage and vascular dysfunction, thus affecting insulin sensitivity"
• Hesperetin, a Promising Treatment Option for Diabetes and Related Complications: A Literature Review - J Agric Food Chem 2022 Jul 8 - "The morbidity and mortality of diabetes have increased dramatically in recent decades. Novel strategies for treating diabetes and its complications with minimal side effects are in urgent need. New monomeric molecules extracted from herbal medicine, which is a form of alternative medicine, are being sought as drug candidates for the treatment of diabetes and its complications. Hesperetin (Hst), a citrus flavonoid, is of increasing interest in scientific studies recently due to its properties in combating diabetes and its complications, whereas existing studies are scattered and unsystematic" - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.
• The Effect of Curcumin on Lipid Profile and Glycemic Status of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2022 Jun 17 - "The estimated pooled mean changes with curcumin were -18.97 mg/dL (95% CI: -36.47 to -1.47; P=0.03) for triglyceride (TG), -8.91 mg/dL (95% CI: -14.18 to -3.63, P=0.001) for total cholesterol (TC), -4.01 mg/dL (95% CI: -10.96 to 2.95, P=0.259) for low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), 0.32 mg/dL (95% CI: -0.74 to 1.37, P=0.557) for high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), -8.85 mg/dL (95% CI: -14.4 to -3.29, P=0.002) for fasting blood glucose (FBG), -0.54 (95% CI: -0.81 to -0.27, P ≤ 0.001) for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (%) compared with controls ... curcumin supplementation had beneficial effects on glycemic status and some lipid parameters in patients with T2DM" - See curcumin at Amazon.com.
• Protein supplement helps control Type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 5/27/22 - "glucose levels were much better controlled when taking the whey supplement before meals. On average, they had two hours extra per day of normal blood sugar levels compared to the no protein week. In addition, their daily blood glucose levels were 0.6 mmol/L lower compared to when they consumed the supplement without any protein. ... We believe the whey protein works in two ways, firstly, by slowing down how quickly food passes through the digestive system and secondly, by stimulating a number of important hormones that prevent the blood sugars climbing so high" - See whey protein at Amazon.com.
• Hypoglycemic Effect of Nobiletin via Regulation of Islet β-Cell Mitophagy and Gut Microbiota Homeostasis in Streptozocin-Challenged Mice - J Agric Food Chem 2022 May 6 - "Our results indicated that nobiletin could significantly suppress the high blood glucose in STZ-challenged mice. In addition, nobiletin could effectively activate the mitophagy and inhibit the inflammatory pathways in NIT-1 cells. The mitochondria membrane potential dysbiosis induced by glucotoxicity in NIT-1 cells was restored after treatment by nobiletin. Further investigation revealed that the hypoglycemic effect of nobiletin was mainly through regulation of gut microbiota dysbiosis, activation of mitophagy flux, inhibition of inflammasome expression, and restoration of islet morphological destruction in the pancreas of STZ-challenged mice. Our study revealed that nobiletin could be used as a functional food or drug candidate for the treatment of diabetes" - See nobiletin at Amazon.com.
• Antihyperglycemic effect of an anthocyanin, cyanidin-3- O-glucoside, is achieved by regulating GLUT-1 via the Wnt/β-catenin-WISP1 signaling pathway - Food Funct 2022 Mar 31 - "Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), an essential representative of anthocyanins, has been proved to possess a myriad of biological activities. However, the effects of C3G on glucose metabolism and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive ... our study provided evidence of the antihyperglycemic effect of C3G in vivo and in vitro via regulating GLUT-1 expression and the related signaling pathways" - See anthocyanins at Amazon.com.
• An Eluate of the Medicinal Plant Garcinia kola Displays Strong Antidiabetic and Neuroprotective Properties in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2022 Mar 21 - "G. kola methanolic extract was fractionated using increasingly polar solvents. Fractions were administered to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice until marked motor signs developed in diabetic controls ... Our results suggest that subfraction F5 of G. kola extract prevented the development of motor signs and improved disease profile in an STZ-induced mouse model of diabetic encephalopathy. Antidiabetic activity of β-lactam molecules accounted at least partly for these effects" - See Gotu Kola at Amazon.com.
• The Association of Consumption Time for Food With Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality Among Diabetic Patients - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Mar 15 - "Higher intake of potato or starchy vegetable in forenoon, whole grain in the afternoon, and dark vegetable and milk in the evening and lower intake of processed meat in the evening was associated with better long-term survival in people with diabetes"
• The effects of oral magnesium supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials - Br J Nutr 2022 Jan 20 - "The dose-response testing indicated that the estimated mean difference in HbA1c at 500 mg/day was -0.73% (95% CI: -1.25, -0.22) suggesting modest improvement in HbA1c with strong evidence [P value: 0.004]. And in FBS at 360 mg/day was -7.11 mg/dL (95% CI: -14.03, -0.19) suggesting minimal amelioration in FBS with weak evidence [P value: 0.092] against the model hypothesis at this sample size. The estimated mean difference in FBS and HbA1c at 24 weeks was -15.58 mg/dL (95%CI: -24.67, -6.49) and -0.48 (95%CI: -0.77, -0.19) respectively, suggesting modest improvement in FBS [P value: 0.034] and HbA1c [P value: 0.001] with strong evidence against the model hypothesis at this sample size" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Therapeutic Benefits of Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplementation in Diabetes Mellitus: A Narrative Review - J Diet Suppl 2021 Dec 23 - "Elevated oxidative stress is a common denominator between pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and diabetes complications, prompting the use of antioxidant compounds in diabetes therapy. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), has been investigated for its role as a potent antioxidant in diabetes treatment and the results from clinical trials indicate improved glucose metabolism, reduced oxidative stress, improved endothelial dysfunction, a decline in platelet reactivity and moderate improvements to weight loss yet conflicting data regarding insulin metabolism. ALA inhibits nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB), chelates divalent transient metal ions and induces the expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)" - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Erectile Dysfunction Drug Tadalafil Exerts Modest Glucose Control - Medscape, 12/9/21 - "International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ... At the end of the study, A1c levels declined compared with baseline by an average of 0.137% in the tadalafil group and rose by an average of 0.196% in the placebo group ... After 6 months, average fasting plasma glucose was 6.40 mg/dL lower than baseline in the tadalafil group and was 5.35 mg/dL higher than baseline in the placebo group ... Improvement in the IIEF-5 score was significantly greater in the tadalafil group than in the placebo group at 6 months, with an average score of 6.56 with tadalafil and 2.22 with placebo ... The IPSS showed a numerical improvement among patients taking tadalafil compared with those taking placebo, which was not significant" - See tadalafil at ReliableRXPharmacy.
• Cordycepin, a major bioactive component of Cordyceps militaris, ameliorates diabetes-induced testicular damage through the Sirt1/Foxo3a pathway - Andrologia 2021 Nov 22 - "Diabetes-induced male dysfunction is considered as a worldwide challenge, and testicular damage mainly caused by oxidative stress is its most common manifestation. Cordycepin, a natural antioxidant, has been used in the treatment of diabetic complications ... These findings indicated that cordycepin could improve hyperglycaemia-induced testicular damage by regulating downstream antioxidant enzymes activity through the SIRT1/Foxo3a signalling pathway" - See cordyceps at Amazon.com.
• The Effect of Resveratrol on Blood Glucose and Blood Lipids in Rats with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Oct 19 - "Resveratrol has a dose-dependent effect on GDM rats to increase insulin secretion, reduce blood glucose and body weight, and regulate blood lipids and plasma adipokines." - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.
• Intermittent fasting can help manage metabolic disease - Science Daily, 9/22/21 - "Eating your daily calories within a consistent window of 8-10 hours is a powerful strategy to prevent and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease"
• Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin Supplement on Improvement of Insulin Resistance in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Aug 24 - "Based on the current evidence, curcumin may assist in improving the insulin resistance, glycemic control, and decreased TG and TC in patients with T2DM" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Efficacy and Safety of Resveratrol Supplements on Blood Lipid and Blood Glucose Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Aug 24 - "Diabetes is a major public health concern. Resveratrol has shown great beneficial effects on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance and as an antioxidant ... Based on the current evidence, resveratrol may improve insulin resistance, lower fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, and improve oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.
• Changes in Dietary Magnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Middle School Students: Using Data from the HEALTHY Study - J Nutr 2021 Jul 27 - "The difference in dietary magnesium intake was significantly related to changes in BMI percentile from 6th to 8th grade in intervention and in control schools ... We conclude that a multi-component intervention was associated with reduced risk in T2DM, and may be modulated, in part, by magnesium. The differences in dietary magnesium intake from 6th to 8th grade were negatively related to changes in BMI percentile among middle school students" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Higher Habitual Flavonoid Intakes Are Associated With A Lower Incidence Of Diabetes - J Nutr 2021 Jul 27 - "These findings suggest that a diet abundant in flavonoid-rich foods may help to ameliorate diabetes risk, in part through a reduction in body fat" - See flavonoids at Amazon.com and flavonoids at iHerb.com.
• Olive Leaf Powder Modulate Insulin Production and Circulating Adipokines in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats - J Diet Suppl 2021 Jun 11 - "Olives (Olea europaea) have natural phytochemical compounds that are of great importance for their potential beneficially health effects ... Forty Wistar-albino male rats, weighing 200-225 g were divided into four groups (n = 10); group I: Normal healthy rats received balanced diet; group II: Diabetic control rats receiving balanced diet; group III: Diabetic rats receiving balanced diet + standard antidiabetic drugs (metformin, 600 mg/bw) and group four: Diabetic rats received diet supplemented with 2.0% OLP. The experiment was conducted for four weeks. Our results showed that the consumption of 2.0% OLP decreased serum glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, whereas serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) level was increased. OLP supplementation also inhibited the atherogenic index [AI; log (TG/HDL-C) and atherogenic coefficient (AC)] levels relative to those of the untreated diabetic group. Moreover, OLP increased serum adiponectin concentration, and decreased serum leptin concentration. Liver and kidney functions were also attenuated by OLP. This finding also implies that OLP can play an important role in the treatment and delay of diabetic complications" - See olive leaf extract at Amazon.com.
• Eat Two Fruits a Day, Ward Off Diabetes? - Medscape, 6/10/21 - "Researchers divided participants into quartiles based on their median fruit consumption: 62 (range 0-95) g/day, 122 (95-162) g/day, 230 (162-283) g/day, and 372 (283-961) g/day ... The most commonly consumed fruit was apples (23% of total fruit intake), followed by bananas (20%) and citrus fruit (18%). Other fruits each accounted for less than 8% of total fruit intake, so they were not studied separately ... Compared to participants with a low fruit intake (quartile 1), those with a moderate fruit intake (quartile 3) had a 36% lower odds of developing diabetes within 5 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% CI, 0.44-0.92) after adjusting for age, sex, physical activity, education, socioeconomic status, income, body mass index, smoking, cardiovascular disease, parental history of diabetes, and consumption of alcohol, vegetables, red meat, processed meat, and calories"
• Daily Cup of Coffee Cuts Type 2 Diabetes Risk by About 5% - Medscape, 5/27/21 - "Overall, an increase of one coffee cup a day was associated with a 4%-6% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratios, 0.94 for the Rotterdam Study and 0.96 for the UK Biobank study). The effects appeared strongest in drinkers of filtered or ground coffee vs. those who reported drinking mainly instant coffee ... Also, an increase in coffee consumption of one cup a day was linked to lower levels of longitudinally assessed homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), with lower C reactive protein (CRP) and higher levels of adiponectin ... Although the associations between coffee and type 2 diabetes have been previously reported, "this study offers important findings due to the carefully standardized analyses on these two major data sources," ... But what makes this study different is that "these investigators hypothesized that this association could be due to an anti-inflammatory benefit"
• Mulberry leaf activates brown adipose tissue and induces browning of inguinal white adipose tissue in type 2 diabetic rats through regulating AMPK signaling pathway - Br J Nutr 2021 May 11 - "Activation of brown adipocytes and browning of white adipocytes are considered as a promising molecular target for T2DM treatment. Mulberry leaf, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been demonstrated to have multi-biological activities, including anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. Our experiment results showed that mulberry leaf significantly alleviated the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM rats including reducing body weight (BW) gain, Lee's index, food intake, inguinal white adipose tissue (IWAT) accumulation, blood lipid fasting insulin level and fasting blood glucose level, increasing the ratios of brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass to BW, and improving insulin sensitivity and liver function. In addition, mulberry leaf induced browning of IWAT by enhancing the expressions of brown-mark genes as well as beige-specific genes, including uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), PRD1-BF-1-RIZ1 homologous domain containing protein 16 (PRDM16), cell death inducing DFFA like effector A (Cidea), CD137 and transmembrane protein 26 (TMEM26). Mulberry leaf also activated BAT by increasing the expressions of brown-mark genes including UCP1, PGC-1α, PPARα, PRDM16 and Cidea. Moreover, mulberry leaf enhanced the expression of nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) genes that are responsible for mitochondrial biogenesis in IWAT and BAT. Importantly, mulberry leaf also increased the expression of UCP1 and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1) protein in both IWAT and BAT via a mechanism involving Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and PGC-1α pathway. In conclusion, our findings identify the role of mulberry leaf in inducing adipose browning, indicating that mulberry leaf may be used as a candidate browning agent for the treatment of T2DM" - See Mulberry leaf extract.
• Effects of delta-tocotrienol supplementation on Glycemic Control, oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers and miRNA expression in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized control trial - Phytother Res 2021 Apr 25 - "Compared to the placebo, δT3 supplementation resulted in a significant (p ≤ .05) reduction [mean difference (95% confidence interval)] in plasma glucose [-0.48 (-0.65, -0.30)], insulin [-1.19 (-1.51, -0.87)], homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [-0.67 (-0.86, -0.49)], glycosylated hemoglobin [-0.53 (-0.79, -0.28)], malondialdehyde [-0.34 (-0.45, -0.22)], high sensitive-C-reactive protein[-0.35 (-0.54, -0.16)], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [-1.22 (-1.62, -0.83)], and interleukin-6[-2.30 (-2.91, -1.68)]. More than twofold downregulation in miRNA-375, miRNA-34a, miRNA-21, and upregulation in miRNA-126, miRNA-132 expression was observed in the δT3 group compared to the placebo. The study demonstrated that δT3 supplementation in addition to oral hypoglycemic agents, improved glycemic control, inflammation, oxidative stress, and miRNA expression in T2DM without any adverse effect. Thus, δT3 might be considered as an effective dietary supplement to prevent long-term diabetic complications" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.
• n-3 Fatty Acid Biomarkers and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: An Individual Participant-Level Pooling Project of 20 Prospective Cohort Studies - Diabetes Care 2021 Mar 3 - "Higher circulating biomarkers of seafood-derived n-3 fatty acids, including EPA, DPA, DHA, and their sum, were associated with lower risk of T2D in a global consortium of prospective studies. The biomarker of plant-derived ALA was not significantly associated with T2D risk" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Glucosyl Hesperidin Has an Anti-diabetic Effect in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice - Biol Pharm Bull 2021;44(3):422-430 - "Glucosyl hesperidin (GH) is a water-soluble derivative of hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid. GH has various pharmacological effects, such as hypolipidemic and hypouricemic effects, and may therefore be a useful supplement or drug. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of long- and short-term intake of GH on hyperglycemia and macrophage infiltration into the adipose tissue of high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Long-term (11-week) consumption of GH tended to reduce body weight and the fasting blood glucose concentration of the HFD-fed mice, and ameliorated glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, according to glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Additionally, although GH did not affect fat pad weight, it reduced HFD-induced macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue. Short-term (2-week) consumption of GH did not affect the HFD-induced increases in body weight or fasting blood glucose, and it did not ameliorate glucose intolerance or insulin resistance. However, short-term intake did reduce the HFD-induced macrophage infiltration and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) expression in adipose tissue. Furthermore, hesperetin, which is an aglycone of GH, inhibited MCP-1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, 3T3-L1 adipocytes co-cultured with RAW264 macrophages, and tumor necrosis factor-α-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The present findings suggest that daily consumption of GH may have preventive and/or therapeutic effects on obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes mellitus" - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.
• Effectiveness of the piperine-supplemented Curcuma longa L. in metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial - Int J Food Sci Nutr 2021 Feb 14 - "A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with 71 participants divided into a Curcuma longa L. group (500 mg/day with piperine 5 mg) and a placebo group, for 120 days ... The curcuma group presented a significantly decreased glycaemia (p=.013), glycated haemoglobin (p=.015), HOMA index (p=.037) and triglycerides (TGs) (p=.002). The use of piperine-added Curcuma longa L. was effective in the glycaemic and TG control of patients with type 2 diabetes" - [Nutra USA] - See curcumin at Amazon.com and piperine extract at Amazon.com.
• Oily Fish Linked to Lower Risk of Diabetes in Largest Study to Date - Medscape, 2/1/21 - "Participants who ate either one, or two or more, servings of oily fish weekly each had a significant 22% lower rate of incident type 2 diabetes than those who ate no oily fish, after adjustment for multiple confounders. Those who reported regularly taking a fish oil supplement had a significant 9% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes than those who didn't ... Oily Fish: Solid Evidence for Prevention of CVD Events ... In contrast, the case for including oily fish in the diet to prevent CVD events seems settled. In 2018, a panel assembled by the American Heart Association to address the issue released a statement that concluded: "Current scientific evidence strongly supports the recommendation that seafood be an integral component of a heart-healthy dietary pattern." It added that "a large body of evidence supports the recommendation to consume nonfried seafood, especially species higher in long-chain n-3 fatty acids, one to two times per week for cardiovascular benefits, including reduced risk of cardiac death, coronary heart disease, and ischemic stroke."" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Go Low-Carb for Type 2 Diabetes Remission? - WebMD, 1/19/21 - "Overall, Brinkworth's team found, low-carb diets were winning at the six-month mark: People on those plans had lost, on average, about 7.5 pounds more than those on comparison diets, and their triglycerides (a type of blood fat) were lower ... In trials that looked at diabetes remission, 57% of people on low-carb plans had gone into remission, versus 31% of people on other diets. Remission meant that a person's average blood sugar in the past three months was below the threshold for diagnosing diabetes ... By the 12-month point, however, most of the advantages of low-carb diets had vanished ... "Despite the benefits for blood-sugar control that very low-carb diets can offer, they can be very difficult to adhere to," said Julie Stefanski"
• Association of Oily and Nonoily Fish Consumption and Fish Oil Supplements With Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A Large Population-Based Prospective Study - Diabetes Care 2021 Jan 11 - "Compared with participants who reported never consumption of oily fish, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of T2D were 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.91), 0.78 (0.72-0.85), and 0.78 (0.71-0.86) for those who reported <1 serving/week, weekly, and ≥2 servings/week of oily fish consumption, respectively (P-trend < 0.001). Consumption of nonoily fish was not associated with risk of T2D (P-trend = 0.45). Participants who reported regular fish oil use at baseline had a 9% (95% CI 4-14%) lower risk of T2D compared with nonusers. Baseline regular users of fish oil who also reported fish oil use during at least one of the 24-h dietary recalls had an 18% (8-27%) lower risk of T2D compared with constant nonusers." - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• DHA-enriched fish oil reduces insulin resistance in overweight and obese adults - Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2020 Aug - "Adipose tissue inflammation is major factor in the development of insulin resistance (IR). Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are anti-inflammatory bioactive lipids, thus may protect against type 2 diabetes (T2D) development ... Men and women with abdominal obesity (waist circumference: males, ≥102 cm; females, ≥88 cm) and without diabetes were recruited from the community. Participants (age: 50.9 ± 12.7 years, female: 63.7%, BMI: 32.4 ± 6.6 kg/m2) were randomly allocated to either 2 g FO (860 mg DHA + 120 mg EPA) (intervention, n = 38) or 2 g corn oil (CO) /day (control, n = 35) for 12 weeks in a double-blind randomised controlled trial ... Compared with CO (n = 32), FO (n = 36) significantly reduced fasting insulin by -1.62 μIU/L (95%CI: -2.99, -0.26,) (p = 0.021) and HOMA-IR by -0.40 units (95%CI: -0.78, -0.02, p = 0.038). Higher insulin and HOMA-IR at baseline were associated with greater reductions in the FO group (p < 0.001). There was no interaction between sex and treatment for the change in insulin (p-interactionsex*treatment = 0.816) or HOMA-IR (p-interactionsex*treatment = 0.825). DHA-enriched FO reduces IR in adults with abdominal obesity, however, sex-dependent differences were not evident in this study" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com and and iHerb.
• Go (over) easy on the eggs: 'Egg-cess' consumption linked to diabetes - Science Daily, 11/15/20 - "higher long-term egg consumption (greater than 38 grams per day) increased the risk of diabetes among Chinese adults by approximately 25 per cent ... adults who regularly ate a lot of eggs (over 50 grams, or equivalent to one egg, per day) had an increased risk of diabetes by 60 per cent"
• Drinking green tea and coffee daily linked to lower death risk in people with diabetes - Science Daily, 10/20/20 - "Drinking up to 1 cup of green tea every day was associated with 15% lower odds of death; while drinking 2-3 cups was associated with 27% lower odds. Getting through 4 or more daily cups was associated with 40% lower odds ... Among coffee drinkers, up to 1 daily cup was associated with 12% lower odds; while 1 cup a day was associated with 19% lower odds. And 2 or more cups was associated with 41% lower odds" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com and green tea extract at iHerb.
• Intratrial Exposure to Vitamin D and New-Onset Diabetes Among Adults With Prediabetes: A Secondary Analysis From the Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes (D2d) Study - Diabetes Care 2020 Oct 5 - "The hazard ratio for diabetes for an increase of 25 nmol/L in intratrial 25(OH)D level was 0.75 (95% CI 0.68-0.82) among those assigned to vitamin D and 0.90 (0.80-1.02) among those assigned to placebo. The hazard ratios for diabetes among participants treated with vitamin D who maintained intratrial 25(OH)D levels of 100-124 and ≥125 nmol/L were 0.48 (0.29-0.80) and 0.29 (0.17-0.50), respectively, compared with those who maintained a level of 50-74 nmol/L" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.
• Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105(8) - "In patients with prediabetes, vitamin D supplementation at moderate to high doses (≥1000 IU/day), significantly reduced the incidence risk of T2DM, compared with placebo." - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.
• Higher fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake linked to lower risk of diabetes - Science Daily, 7/9/20 - "a team of European researchers examined the association between blood levels of vitamin C and carotenoids (pigments found in colourful fruits and vegetables) with risk of developing type 2 diabetes ... Compared with people who had the lowest composite biomarker score, the risk in people whose biomarker score was in the top 20% of the population was 50% lower. The risk in those with biomarker scores between these two extremes was intermediate ... The researchers calculate that every 66 grams per day increase in total fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes ... In the second study, researchers in the United States examined associations between total and individual whole grain food intake and type 2 diabetes ... After adjusting for lifestyle and dietary risk factors for diabetes, participants in the highest category for total whole grain consumption had a 29% lower rate of type 2 diabetes compared with those in the lowest category"
• Melatonin Prevents Deterioration of Erectile Function in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats via sirtuin-1 Expression - Andrologia 2020 Jun 1 - "The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of melatonin for erectile function with sirtuin-1 protein expression in type 1 diabetic rat models. Fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were placed into five groups. Except for those in the control group (C), each animal received a single dose (60 mg/kg) of streptozotocin to induce diabetes. The animals were placed into the diabetes (D) group, insulin (I) group (6 U/kg/day), melatonin (Mel) group (10 mg kg-1 day-1 ) and combined treatment (I + Mel) group. Ten weeks later, the serum testosterone levels, intracavernosal pressure (ICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), malondialdehyde (MDA), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), caspase-3 activity, sirtuin-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression and histological findings were assessed. The mean ICP/MAP ratio for the D group was lower than the mean ratios for the other groups. The treatment groups, particularly the I + Mel group, exhibited lower 8-OHdG and MDA levels and caspase-3 activity than the D group. The sirtuin-1 and eNOS expression and cavernosal tissue (CT) histology seemed to have been preserved by the melatonin and/or insulin therapy. These results were indicative of a profound protective effect of melatonin by the activation of sirtuin-1 protein expression against hyperglycemia-induced oxidative CT injury" - See melatonin at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020 Jun 3 - "In trials testing moderate to high doses of supplementation (≥1000 IU/d), all conducted among participants with prediabetes, the RR for vitamin D compared with placebo was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.79-0.99). In contrast, the trials testing lower doses, which were conducted in general population samples, showed no risk reduction (RR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.94-1.10]); P, interaction by dose = 0.04" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.
• Effects of 12-Week Ingestion of Yogurt Containing Lactobacillus plantarum OLL2712 on Glucose Metabolism and Chronic Inflammation in Prediabetic Adults: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial - Nutrients. 2020 Jan 31 - "The ingestion of Lactobacillus plantarum OLL2712 (OLL2712) cells improved glucose metabolism by suppressing chronic inflammation in mouse models and in a preliminary clinical study. We aimed to clarify the effect of OLL2712 on glucose metabolism and chronic inflammation for healthy adults. Prediabetic adults (n = 130, age range: 20-64 years) were randomly assigned to either the placebo or OLL2712 groups (n = 65 each) and were administered conventional yogurt or yogurt containing more than 5 × 109 heat-treated OLL2712 cells, respectively, daily for 12 weeks. Reduced HbA1c levels after 12 weeks of treatment were observed in both groups compared to those at baseline; however, the 12-week reduction of HbA1c levels was significantly greater in the OLL2712 group than in the placebo group. Increased chronic inflammation marker levels and insulin-resistant index (HOMA-IR) occurred in the placebo group but not in the OLL2712 group. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels did not change significantly in both groups; however, in subgroup analyses including participants with higher FBG levels, FBG levels were significantly reduced only in the OLL2712 group compared to baseline. These results suggest that OLL2712 cell ingestion can reduce HbA1c levels and can prevent the aggravation of chronic inflammation and insulin resistance" - [Nutra USA]
• Efficacy and Safety of Resveratrol in Type 1 Diabetes Patients: A Two-Month Preliminary Exploratory Trial - Nutrients. 2020 Jan 6;12(1) - "All patients received resveratrol in 500 mg capsules, twice daily for 60 days ... Resveratrol supplementation for 60 days significantly decreased FBS and HbA1c in comparison with the baseline values. Resveratrol treatment also resulted in a decrease in the level of a marker for oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, and an increase in total antioxidant capacity in T1D patients. Insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, and markers of liver and kidney function and inflammation were not significantly affected by resveratrol treatment. Overall, the results showed that 60 days of resveratrol supplementation exerted strong antidiabetic and antioxidant effects in patients with T1D" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Filter Coffee Tied to Lower Diabetes Risk in Metabolomics Study - Medscape, 12/31/19 - "Adults who drank two to three cups of filtered coffee a day (the highest quartile of filtered coffee–metabolite score) had a 58% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes within 10 years than those who drank fewer than one cup of filtered coffee a day (lowest quartile)"
• Association of Magnesium Consumption with Type 2 Diabetes and Glucose Metabolism: a Systematic Literature Review and Pooled Study with Trial Sequential Analysis - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2019 Nov 22 - "Compared to the lowest magnesium intake, the highest level was associated with a 22% lower risk for T2D; the risk was reduced by 6% for each 100 mg increment in daily magnesium intake. Additional analysis of 26 RCTs (1168 participants) was performed, revealing that magnesium supplementation significantly reduced the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level (SMD, -0.32 [95% CI, -0.59 to -0.05], 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (2-h OGTT) result (SMD, -0.30 [-0.58 to -0.02]), fasting insulin level (SMD, -0.17 [-0.30 to -0.04]), homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score (SMD, -0.41 [-0.71 to -0.11]), triglyceride (TG) level, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). TSA showed an inverse association, with most benefits of magnesium supplementation on glucose metabolism being stable. In conclusion, magnesium intake has an inverse dose-response association with T2D incidence, and supplementation appears to be advisable in terms of glucose parameters in T2D/high-risk individuals" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Association of low serum magnesium with diabetes and hypertension: findings from Qatar Biobank Study - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2019 Oct 31 - "magnesium related dietary pattern (MRDP) ... Prediabetes was defined as HbA1c between 5.7% and 6.4%. Subclinical magnesium deficiency was defined as serum magnesium <0.85 mmol/L ... The prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes and subclinical magnesium deficiency was 18.9%, 11.5% and 59.5%, respectively. Across the quartiles of serum magnesium from high to low, the prevalence ratios (PR 95%CI) for diabetes were 1.00, 1.35, 1.88, and 2.70 (95%CI 2.38-3.05), respectively (p for trend <0.001). The presence of hypertension significantly increased the probability of diabetes along a wide range of low serum magnesium. A low intake of MRDP was also positively associated with diabetes and high HbA1c ... Subclinical magnesium deficiency is common in Qatar and associates with diabetes, prediabetes and hypertension in Qatari adults" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• A novel Gymnema sylvestre extract protects pancreatic beta-cells from cytokine-induced apoptosis - Phytother Res. 2019 Sep 12 - "Inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β, TNF-α, and interferon-γ are known to be involved in mediating β-cells death in diabetes mellitus (DM). Thus, protecting from β-cells death in patients with DM may be a useful target in alleviating symptoms of hyperglycemia. Traditional plant-based remedies have been used to treat DM for many centuries and may play a role in protecting β-cell from death. An example of these remedies is Gymnema sylvestre (GS) extract ... Om Santal Adivasi (OSA®) maintained cell membrane integrity in MIN6 cells and mouse islets. Om Santal Adivasi significantly protected MIN6 cells and mouse islets from cytokine-induced apoptosis. In the presence of cytokines, OSA® significantly reduced the expression and activity of caspase-3. The antiapoptotic effect of OSA® as shown by microarray analysis is largely mediated by activating pathways involved in cell survival (mainly casein kinase II pathway) and the free radical scavenger system (specifically superoxide dismutase and catalase). This study indicates that the GS isolate OSA® protects against cytokine-induced apoptosis of β-cells by increasing the expression of cell survival pathways and free radical scavenger system" - See Gymnema sylvestre at Amazon.com.
• Probiotics for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2019 Aug 29 - "Based on the evidence reviewed, multi-strain probiotics that contain seven million to 100 billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and/or Bifidobacterium lactis administered for six to twelve weeks may be efficacious for improving glycemic control in adults with T2DM" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Ginkgo biloba may aid in treating type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 8/22/19 - "In diabetic rats Ginkgo biloba had a very good effect on the beta cells of Langerhans -- cells in the pancreas responsible for insulin secretion -- by creating a restorative effect similar to what we see in healthy non-diabetic rats" - See Ginkgo biloba at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D supplementation may slow diabetes progression - Science Daily, 7/25/19 - "Although only 46% of study participants were determined to have low vitamin D levels at the start of the study, supplementation with vitamin D significantly improved the action of insulin in muscle tissue of participants after six months" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D and estradiol help guard against heart disease, stroke, and diabetes - Science Daily, 6/12/19 - "vitamin D has been associated with several markers of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Supplementation with vitamin D has been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome over a 20-year follow-up ... Because the synergistic benefits of vitamin D and estrogen are already documented to improve bone health in women, researchers in this newest study from China hypothesized that the same interaction might affect metabolic syndrome. The cross-sectional study included 616 postmenopausal women aged 49 to 86 years who were not taking estrogen and vitamin D/calcium supplements at the beginning of the trial. It concluded there was a positive correlation between vitamin D and estradiol" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Nutrients may reduce blood glucose levels - Science Daily, 10/10/18 - "scientists gave alanine by mouth to mice and found that levels of AMPK rose in the animals. Moreover, if mice ate alanine before they received a dose of glucose, their resulting blood glucose levels were significantly lower. And while glucose metabolism often behaves quite differently in lean mice than in obese mice, this mechanism was seen in both groups of mice ... All these data together suggest that amino acids, and specifically alanine, may be a unique potential way to modify glucose metabolism" - See alanine at Amazon.com.
• Whole grains one of the most important food groups for preventing type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 9/5/18 - "The participants were divided into 4 different groups, based on how much wholegrain they reported eating ... The proportion who developed type 2 diabetes was lowest in the group which reported the highest wholegrain consumption, and increased for each group which had eaten less wholegrain. In the group with the highest wholegrain intake, the diabetes risk was 34 percent lower for men, and 22 percent lower for women, than in the group with the lowest wholegrain intake"
• Long-Term Testosterone Reverses Diabetes in Some Hypogonadal Men - Medscape, 7/5/18 - "After almost a decade of testosterone injections every 3 months, 22% of men with type 2 diabetes and hypogonadism had diabetes remission, in unexpected findings from a small registry study that was only designed to assess a new preparation of the hormone ... In the total group of 133 patients, there was not a single patient who did not benefit from testosterone therapy"
• Could broccoli be a secret weapon against diabetes? - Science Daily, 6/14/17 - "The researchers constructed a signature for type 2 diabetes based on 50 genes, then used publically available expression datasets to screen 3,852 compounds for drugs that potentially reverse disease. The most promising chemical -- sulforaphane, a naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables -- tamped down glucose production by liver cells growing in culture, and shifted liver gene expression away from a diseased state in diabetic rats ... When the researchers gave concentrated broccoli sprout extracts to 97 human type 2 diabetes patients in a 12-week randomized placebo-controlled trial, obese participants who entered the study with dysregulated disease demonstrated significantly decreased fasting blood glucose levels compared to controls" - See sulforaphane at Amazon.com.
• Long-Term Vitamin D Supplementation Affects Metabolic Status in Vitamin D-Deficient Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Coronary Artery Disease - J Nutr. 2017 Jan 25 - "Compared with placebo, vitamin D supplementation resulted in significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-14.9 ± 7.1 compared with +19.3 ± 7.1 mg/dL; P = 0.001), serum insulin (-2.7 ± 1.1 compared with +1.8 ± 1.1 μIU/mL; P = 0.006), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (-0.7 ± 0.3 compared with +0.5 ± 0.3; P = 0.01), and β cell function (-9.1 ± 4.2 compared with +5.7 ± 4.2; P = 0.01) and a significant increase in serum vitamin D (+6.8 ± 0.9 compared with +0.1 ± 0.9 ng/mL; P < 0.001) and the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (+0.008 ± 0.004 compared with -0.007 ± 0.004; P = 0.01). In addition, changes in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; -1.0 ± 0.5 compared with +0.6 ± 0.5 μg/mL; P = 0.02), plasma nitric oxide (NO; +7.0 ± 2.0 compared with -4.6 ± 2.0 μmol/L; P < 0.001), total reduced glutathione (GSH; +104 ± 16.4 compared with +24.8 ± 16.4 μmol/L; P = 0.001), and malondialdehyde concentrations (-0.2 ± 0.1 compared with +0.2 ± 0.1 μmol/L; P < 0.001) in the supplemented group were significantly different from the changes in these indicators in the placebo group" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Serum potassium is a predictor of incident diabetes in African Americans with normal aldosterone: the Jackson Heart Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Dec 14 - "in those with normal aldosterone (<9 ng/dL, n = 1163), participants in the highest 2 potassium quartiles had significantly lower odds of incident diabetes than did those in the lowest potassium quartile [OR (95% CI): 0.61 (0.39, 0.97) and 0.54 (0.33, 0.90), respectively]" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Dose-Response Relationship between Dietary Magnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies - Nutrients. 2016 Nov 19;8(11). pii: E739 - "Compared with the lowest magnesium consumption group in the population, the risk of T2D was reduced by 17% across all the studies; 19% in women and 16% in men. A statistically significant linear dose-response relationship was found between incremental magnesium intake and T2D risk. After adjusting for age and body mass index, the risk of T2D incidence was reduced by 8%-13% for per 100 mg/day increment in dietary magnesium intake" - See Magtein at Amazon.com.
• Pomegranate juice causes a partial improvement through lowering oxidative stress for erectile dysfunction in streptozotocin-diabetic rat - Int J Impot Res. 2016 Sep 1 - "Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). Pomegranate juice (PJ) is a potent antioxidant in diabetes induced oxidative stress ... This is the first study to show that PJ treatment ameliorates partially ED and completely oxidative stress and fibrosis in a diabetic rat model. Our results highlight the success of antioxidant mechanism of PJ in ED with diabetes and open the way for future understanding in alternative treatment combinations with PDE5 inhibitors" - See pomegranate extract at Amazon.com.
• Effect of magnesium supplementation on glucose metabolism in people with or at risk of diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind randomized controlled trials - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016 Aug 17 - "Compared with placebo (n=334), Mg treatment (n=336) reduced fasting plasma glucose (studies=9; SMD=-0.40; 95% CI: -0.80 to -0.00; I2=77%) in people with diabetes. In conditions in people at high risk of diabetes (Mg: 226; placebo=227 participants), Mg supplementation significantly improved plasma glucose levels after a 2 h oral glucose tolerance test (three studies; SMD=-0.35; 95% CI: -0.62 to -0.07; I2=0%) and demonstrated trend level reductions in HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance; five studies; SMD=-0.57; 95% CI: -1.17 to 0.03; I2=88%). Mg supplementation appears to have a beneficial role and improves glucose parameters in people with diabetes and also improves insulin-sensitivity parameters in those at high risk of diabetes" - See Magtein at Amazon.com.
• Acute Resveratrol Consumption Improves Neurovascular Coupling Capacity in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Nutrients. 2016 Jul 12;8(7) - "Poor cerebral perfusion may contribute to cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) ... Thirty-six T2DM adults aged 40-80 years were randomized to consume single doses of resveratrol (0, 75, 150 and 300 mg) at weekly intervals ... Thirty-six T2DM adults aged 40-80 years were randomized to consume single doses of resveratrol (0, 75, 150 and 300 mg) at weekly intervals" - See Reserveage Nutrition - Resveratrol with Pterostilbene 500mg, Cellular Age-Defying Formula, 60 veg capsules at Amazon.com.
• Zinc supplementation for improving glucose handling in pre-diabetes: A double blind randomized placebo controlled pilot study - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2016 May;115:39-46 - "fasting blood glucose levels, (FBG) ... received either 30mg zinc sulphate dispersible tablet or placebo, once daily for six months ... After six months, the intervention group significantly improved their FBG concentration compared to the placebo group (5.37±0.20mmol/L vs 5.69±0.26, p<0.001) as well as compared to their own baseline (5.37±0.20mmol/L vs 5.8±0.09, p<0.001). Beta cell function, insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance all showed a statistically significant improvement as well" - See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.
• Serum magnesium is inversely associated with coronary artery calcification in the Genetics of Atherosclerotic Disease (GEA) study - Nutr J. 2016 Mar 1;15(1):22 - "After full adjustment, subjects in the highest quartile of serum magnesium had 48 % lower odds of hypertension (p = 0.028), 69 % lower odds of DM2 (p = 0.003), and 42 % lower odds of CAC score > 0 (p = 0.016) compared to those with the lowest serum magnesium. The analyses also showed that a 0.17 mg/dL (1SD) increment in serum magnesium was independently associated with 16 % lower CAC" - See Jarrow Formulas, MagMind at Amazon.com.
• Potatoes Tied to Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes; French Fries Worst - Medscape, 12/24/15 - "Eating potatoes may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and replacing them with whole grains may lower this risk ... Potatoes contain a large amount of starch and a relatively small amount of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols ... participants who ate less than two to four servings of potatoes per week had a 7% increased risk of type 2 diabetes (pooled hazard ratio [HR], 1.07), while those who ate seven or more servings per week had 33% increased risk (pooled HR, 1.33) compared with those who ate less than one serving per week"
• Fruit, vegetable and vitamin C intakes and plasma vitamin C: cross-sectional associations with insulin resistance and glycaemia in 9-10 year-old children - Diabet Med. 2015 Oct 24 - "a one interquartile range higher plasma vitamin C concentration (30.9 μmol/l) was associated with a 9.6% (95% CI 6.5, 12.6%) lower homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance value, 0.8% (95% CI 0.4, 1.2%) lower fasting glucose, 4.5% (95% CI 3.2, 5.9%) lower urate and 2.2% (95% CI 0.9, 3.4%) higher HDL cholesterol" - See American Health Products - Ester C W/Citrus Bioflavonoids, 1000 mg, 180 veg tablets at Amazon.com.
• Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Is Lower in US Adults Taking Chromium-Containing Supplements - J Nutr. 2015 Oct 7 - "Compared with nonusers, the odds of having T2D (HbA1c ≥6.5%) were lower in persons who consumed chromium-containing supplements within the previous 30 d than in those who did not (OR: 0.73" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Beneficial effects of oral chromium picolinate supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical study - J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2015 Oct - "A four month controlled, single blind, randomized trial was performed with 71 patients with poorly controlled (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]>7%) T2DM divided into 2 groups: Control (n=39, using placebo), and supplemented (n=32, using 600μg/day CrPic) ... CrPic supplementation significantly reduced the fasting glucose concentration (-31.0mg/dL supplemented group; -14.0mg/dL control group; p<0.05, post- vs. pre-treatment, in each group) and postprandial glucose concentration (-37.0mg/dL in the supplemented group; -11.5 mg/dL in the control group; p<0.05). HbA1c values were also significantly reduced in both groups (p<0.001, comparing post- vs. pre-treatment groups). Post-treatment HbA1c values in supplemented patients were significantly lower than those of control patients. HbA1c lowering in the supplemented group (-1.90), and in the control group (-1.00), was also significant, comparing pre- and post-treatment values, for each group (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively) ... HDL-c and LDL-c were significantly lowered, comparing pre- and post-treatment period, in the control group" - [Nutra USA] - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Oral magnesium supplementation improves glycaemic status in subjects with prediabetes and hypomagnesaemia: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial - Diabetes Metab. 2015 Jun;41(3):202-7 - "At baseline, there were no significant statistical differences in terms of anthropometric and biochemical variables between individuals in the supplement and placebo groups. At the end of follow-up, fasting (86.9±7.9 and 98.3±4.6mg/dL, respectively; P=0.004) and post-load glucose (124.7±33.4 and 136.7±23.9mg/dL, respectively; P=0.03) levels, HOMA-IR indices (2.85±1.0 and 4.1±2.7, respectively; P=0.04) and triglycerides (166.4±90.6 and 227.0±89.7, respectively; P=0.009) were significantly decreased, whereas HDL cholesterol (45.6±10.9 and 46.8±9.2mg/dL, respectively; P=0.04) and serum magnesium (1.96±0.27 and 1.60±0.26mg/dL, respectively; P=0.005) levels were significantly increased" - [Nutra USA] - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Probiotics as beneficial agents on the management of diabetes mellitus: a systematic review - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2015 May 11 - "We found that probiotics have beneficial effects on glycemic controls, as all human studies showed significant reductions in at least one of the primary outcome endpoints which were the levels of fasting plasma glucose, postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, insulin resistance and onset of diabetes; similarly, all the animal reports, except for two, documented significant changes in these parameters" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Fish oil may help with diabetic neuropathy - Science Daily, 5/6/15 - "Approximately 50 percent of patients with diabetes suffer from nerve damage, or neuropathy. No cure exists, and the most effective treatment, keeping blood sugar in control, only slows neuropathy ... fish oil supplements can restore the condition of nerves damaged from diabetes in mice ... Previous studies of obesity and diabetes have reported better blood sugar handling, liver function and reduced inflammation with omega-3 fatty acids treatment. The health benefits were attributed to protective molecules produced from omega-3 fatty acids, including one type called resolvins" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Resveratrol Protects against Methylglyoxal-Induced Hyperglycemia and Pancreatic Damage In Vivo - Nutrients. 2015 Apr 15 - "Treatment with resveratrol markedly improved blood glucose level from the oral glucose tolerance test and promoted nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) phosphorylation (p < 0.05) in the pancreas of MG-treated mice ... These findings support that resveratrol may be useful in the treatment of type-2 diabetes by protecting against pancreatic cell dysfunction" - See ReserveAge Resveratrol Vegetarian Capsules, 500 Mg, 60-Count at Amazon.com.
• Dietary vitamin D3 improves postprandial hyperglycemia in aged mice - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2015 Apr 10 - "Recent observational and randomized studies on vitamin D3 suggested that higher plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] concentrations and more vitamin D3 intake are associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by postprandial hyperglycemia due to inappropriate glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and its age-dependent increase of onset ... When vitamin D3 is orally ingested in mice aged 12-14 weeks during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), the serum glucose profile was not changed. In contrast, when OGTT was performed with old mice aged 30-34 weeks, the glucose profile was dramatically improved with increased insulin secretion, suggesting that orally ingested vitamin D3 potentiated GSIS in aged mice. Interestingly, there was also a significant increase in plasma GLP-1 in these aged mice" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• High-fat dairy products linked to reduced type 2 diabetes risk - Science Daily, 4/2/15 - "are in line with previous studies of eating habits that indicated a link between high consumption of dairy products and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes ... the new study indicates that it is high-fat dairy products specifically that are associated with reduced risk ... Those who ate the most high-fat dairy products had a 23 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least. High meat consumption was linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes regardless of the fat content of the meat"
• Eating eggs reduces risk of type 2 diabetes, study indicates - Science Daily, 4/2/15 - "The dietary habits of 2,332 men aged between 42 and 60 years were assessed at the baseline of the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, KIHD, at the University of Eastern Finland in 1984-1989 ... follow-up of 19.3 years ... egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes as well as with lower blood glucose levels. Men who ate approximately four eggs per week had a 37 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes than men who only ate approximately one egg per week ... The consumption of more than four eggs did not bring any significant additional benefits"
• Resveratrol treatment restores peripheral insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice in a sirt1-independent manner - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2015 Mar 25 - "Resveratrol improves peripheral insulin signalling independently of Sirt1 in diabetic mice in association with the inhibition of PTP1B and, therefore, this polyphenol could be an effective adjuvant for the treatment of diabetes" - See ReserveAge Resveratrol Vegetarian Capsules, 500 Mg, 60-Count at Amazon.com.
• n-3 Fatty Acids Attenuate the Risk of Diabetes Associated With Elevated Serum Nonesterified Fatty Acids: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis - Diabetes Care. 2015 Jan 8 - "Chronically high nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) are a marker of metabolic dysfunction and likely increase risk of type 2 diabetes. By comparison, n-3 fatty acids (FAs) have been shown to have various health benefits and may protect against disease development ... Over a mean 11.4 years of study period, higher diabetes incidence was found across successive NEFA quartiles (Q) (hazard ratio [95% CI]): Q1, 1.0; Q2, 1.35 (1.07, 1.71); Q3, 1.58 (1.24, 2.00); and Q4, 1.86 (1.45, 2.38) (Ptrend < 0.001). A significant interaction of n-3 FAs on the relation between NEFAs and type 2 diabetes was also observed (Pinteraction = 0.03). For individuals with lower n-3 levels (<75th percentile), a higher risk of type 2 diabetes was observed across quartiles of NEFAs: Q1, 1.0; Q2, 1.41 (1.07, 1.84); Q3, 1.77 (1.35, 2.31); and Q4, 2.18 (1.65, 2.88)" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• The alpha-lipoic acid decreases urinary podocalyxin excretion in type 2 diabetics by inhibiting oxidative stress in vivo - J Diabetes Complications. 2014 Sep 30 - "Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on oxidative stress (OS) ... ALA can provide some protection against glomerular podocyte injury in type 2 diabetics, which may be related partly to its effects in alleviating enhanced OS and strengthening antioxidant ability in vivo" - See alpha lipoic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Positive association of free triiodothyronine with pancreatic β-cell function in people with prediabetes - Diabet Med. 2014 Sep 26 - "Free triiodothyronine is associated with both basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in people with prediabetes who are euthyroid; therefore, the regulation of insulin secretion by thyroid hormones is a potentially novel therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes" - See T3 at International Anti-aging Systems.
• Raising low vitamin D levels lowers risk of prediabetes progressing to diabetes - Science Daily, 6/23/14 - "In the new study, every unit increase in vitamin D level after supplementation of the vitamin decreased the risk of progression to diabetes by 8 percent ... 68 subjects received ready-to-mix, powdered vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, D-Rise sachets, USV Ltd., Mumbai, India) at a dose of 60,000 International Units (IU) once weekly for eight weeks and then monthly ... After an average of nearly two years and four months' follow-up, only six of 55 subjects (10.9 percent) in the group that received vitamin D plus calcium supplementation had become diabetic, whereas diabetes developed in 13 of 49 individuals (26.5 percent) in the calcium-alone group. Blood sugar levels reportedly became normal in about twice as many people in the vitamin D group as in the group that did not get vitamin D supplementation: 23 of 55 subjects versus 10 of 49 subjects, respectively (41.8 percent versus 20.4 percent)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• l-Citrulline, But Not l-Arginine, Prevents Diabetes Mellitus-Induced Glomerular Hyperfiltration and Proteinuria in Rat - Hypertension. 2014 May 27 - "l-citrulline administered to diabetic rats increases plasma l-arginine concentration, which prevents the diabetes mellitus-induced glomerular hyperfiltration, filtration fraction, and proteinuria, possibly by a vascular effect" - See l-citrulline at Amazon.com.
• Effects of vitamin e, C and d supplementation on inflammation and oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2013 Jun;83(3):168-75 - "These results indicate the preventive role of vitamin C, E, and D against STZ-induced diabetic oxidative stress and inflammation. Hence these vitamins could be used as an adjuvant therapy for the prevention and/or management of diabetes"
• Effect of resveratrol on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials - Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Apr 2 - "a strategic literature search of PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library (updated to March 2014) for randomized controlled trials ... Resveratrol consumption significantly reduced fasting glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c, and insulin resistance (measured by using the homeostatic model assessment) levels in participants with diabetes. No significant effect of resveratrol on glycemic measures of nondiabetic participants was found in the meta-analysis" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of chromium supplementation in diabetes - J Clin Pharm Ther. 2014 Mar 17 - "Overall, chromium mono- and combined supplementation significantly improved glycaemic control (mean difference for HbA1c -0.55% ... chromium monotherapy significantly reduced triglycerides and increased HDL-C levels. The effects on glucose and triglycerides levels were shown especially with chromium picolinate. Glycaemic control may improve with chromium monosupplementation of more than 200 μg daily. HbA1c and FPG also improved in patients with inadequate glycaemic control at baseline. The risk of adverse events did not differ between chromium and placebo" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Type 1 diabetes: Vitamin D deficiency occurs in early stage - Science Daily, 2/27/14 - "Vitamin D deficiency precedes the onset of type 1 diabetes. This may be a consequence of an immune response ... In the case of prediabetic children, we must therefore be mindful of the risk of vitamin D deficiency and consider recommending vitamin D supplementation at an early stage of type 1 diabetes" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Association of Myocardial Dysfunction with Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - J Diabetes Complications. 2014 Jan 16 - "Vitamin D deficiency was evident in 60 (63%) patients ... In patients with T2DM and no history of coronary artery disease, vit-D deficiency is independently associated with impaired global longitudinal strain. This suggests that vit-D deficiency may contribute to the development of myocardial dysfunction in these patients" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin-D supplementation in prediabetes reduced progression to type 2 diabetes and was associated with decreased insulin resistance and systemic inflammation: An open label randomized prospective study from Eastern India - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2014 Jan 6 - "Vitamin-D supplementation in vitamin-D insufficient/deficient prediabetes individuals is associated with significantly lower progression to diabetes (6/55 vs. 13/49; p=0.04) and higher reversal to normoglycemia (23/55 vs. 10/49; p=0.02), associated with decreased insulin resistance and systemic inflammation (TNFα and IL6). Baseline vitamin-D and 2h blood glucose independently predicted progression to diabetes" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-analysis - Diabetes Care. 2014 Feb;37(2):569-86 - "PubMed and Embase were searched for cohort or nested case-control studies that assessed the relationship of coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes from 1966 to February 2013 ... Compared with no or rare coffee consumption, the relative risk (RR; 95% CI) for diabetes was 0.92 (0.90-0.94), 0.85 (0.82-0.88), 0.79 (0.75-0.83), 0.75 (0.71-0.80), 0.71 (0.65-0.76), and 0.67 (0.61-0.74) for 1-6 cups/day, respectively. The RR of diabetes for a 1 cup/day increase was 0.91 (0.89-0.94) for caffeinated coffee consumption and 0.94 (0.91-0.98) for decaffeinated coffee consumption"
• Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) intake on glycemia: a meta-analysis of clinical trials - Nutr J. 2014 Jan 18;13(1):7 - "A total of 10 trials were identified. Fenugreek significantly changed fasting blood glucose by -0.96 mmol/l (95% CI: -1.52, -0.40; I2 = 80%; 10 trials), 2 hour postload glucose by -2.19 mmol/l (95% CI: -3.19, -1.19; I2 = 71%; 7 trials) and HbA1c by -0.85% (95% CI -1.49%, -0.22%; I2 = 0%; 3 trials) as compared with control interventions" - See fenugreek at Amazon.com.
• Ingredients in Chocolate, Tea, Berries Could Guard Against Diabetes - Science Daily, 1/20/14 - "Researchers studied almost 2,000 healthy women volunteers from TwinsUK who had completed a food questionnaire designed to estimate total dietary flavonoid intake as well as intakes from six flavonoid subclasses ... those who consumed plenty of anthocyanins and flavones had lower insulin resistance. High insulin resistance is associated with Type 2 diabetes, so what we are seeing is that people who eat foods rich in these two compounds -- such as berries, herbs, red grapes, wine- are less likely to develop the disease ... We also found that those who ate the most anthocyanins were least likely to suffer chronic inflammation -- which is associated with many of today's most pressing health concerns including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer ... those who consumed the most flavone compounds had improved levels of a protein (adiponectin) which helps regulate a number of metabolic processes including glucose levels" - See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• Replace White Rice With Brown to Cut Obesity and Diabetes - Medscape, 1/16/14 - "randomized 150 adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 23 or greater and no known chronic diseases to a diet based on either white rice or brown rice for 3 months ... Five-day mean glucose concentrations were approximately 20% lower among those consuming a brown-rice–based diet, based on continuous glucose monitoring ... fasting insulin concentrations were 57% lower among those eating the brown-rice–based diet ... With white rice, once you mill it, you can keep it for a couple of years, but the brown rice gets rancid quickly"
• Fish derived serum omega-3 fatty acids help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 1/14/14 - "Ongoing at the University of Eastern Finland, the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD) determined the serum omega-3 fatty acid concentrations of 2,212 men between 42 and 60 years of age at the onset of the study, in 1984-1989 ... follow-up of 19.3 years ... The risk of men in the highest serum omega-3 fatty acid concentration quarter to develop type 2 diabetes was 33% lower than the risk of men in the lowest quarter" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Mediterranean Diet Cuts Type 2 Diabetes Risk by a Third - Medscape, 1/6/14 - "The Mediterranean diet is high in fat (30% to 40% of total calories) from vegetable sources such as olive oil and nuts and relatively low in dairy products. The diet also commonly includes sauces with tomato, onions, garlic, and spices and moderate wine consumption ... enrolled 7447 men and women aged 55 to 80 years who did not have CVD at baseline but were at risk for it. They were randomized to 1 of 3 diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with either EVOO (50 mL/d) or mixed nuts (30 g/d) or a control diet with advice to reduce intake of all types of fat ... both Mediterranean diets cut the CVD event risk by as much as 30% compared with the controls at 4.8 years of follow-up ... CVD effects of the Mediterranean diet are believed to be due to its inclusion of ingredients containing various minerals, polyphenols, and other phytochemicals that combat oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance ... It's not clear why the Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts failed to show a significant diabetes reduction benefit ... Another reason may be that the foods that one eats with olive oil are better for preventing diabetes than those one eats with nuts. Or the higher monounsaturated-fat intake of the EVOO is more important than the polyunsaturated fatty acids from the nuts" - Note:  Nuts have about four times as much omega-6 as omega-3.  Olive oil is mostly omega-9.
• Dietary total antioxidant capacity is related to glucose tolerance in older people: The Hertfordshire Cohort Study - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2013 Oct 24 - "Dietary antioxidants may play a protective role in the aetiology of type 2 diabetes ... We aimed to examine the relationships between dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and markers of glucose metabolism among 1441 men and 1253 women aged 59-73 years who participated in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study, UK ... Diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaire ... These findings suggest dietary TAC may have important protective effects on glucose tolerance, especially in older obese women" - See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Intakes of Individual Flavanols and Flavonols Are Inversely Associated with Incident Type 2 Diabetes in European Populations - J Nutr. 2013 Dec 24 - "The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct case-cohort study was conducted in 8 European countries across 26 study centers with 340,234 participants contributing 3.99 million person-years of follow-up, among whom 12,403 incident T2D cases were ascertained and a center-stratified subcohort of 16,154 individuals was defined. We estimated flavonoid intake at baseline from validated dietary questionnaires using a database developed from Phenol-Explorer and USDA databases ... Among the flavanol subclass, we observed significant inverse trends between intakes of all individual flavan-3-ol monomers and risk of T2D in multivariable models (all P-trend < 0.05). We also observed significant trends for the intakes of proanthocyanidin dimers (HR for the highest vs. the lowest quintile: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.92; P-trend = 0.003) and trimers (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.04; P-trend = 0.07) but not for proanthocyanidins with a greater polymerization degree. Among the flavonol subclass, myricetin (HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.93; P-trend = 0.001) was associated with a lower incidence of T2D" - See flavonoids at Amazon.com.
• Erythrocyte n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Koreans: A Case-Control Study - Ann Nutr Metab. 2013 Dec 7;63(4):283-290 - "The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFAs are negatively associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes and correlated with levels of glucose and HbA1c in Koreans ... A total of 130 patients with type 2 diabetes and 260 age- and sex-matched controls participated in this study ... The risk of type 2 diabetes was negatively associated with erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFA, which were negatively correlated with HbA1c levels in Koreans, suggesting that n-3 PUFAs might reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in Asians" - See See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Higher dietary acid load increases risk of diabetes, study says - Science Daily, 11/11/13 - "A western diet rich in animal products and other acidogenic foods can induce an acid load that is not compensated for by fruit and vegetables; this can cause chronic metabolic acidosis and lead to metabolic complications. Most importantly from a blood-sugar control perspective, increasing acidosis can reduce the ability of insulin to bind at appropriate receptors in the body, and reduce insulin sensitivity ... potential renal acid load (PRAL) ... In the overall population, those in the top 25% (quartile) for PRAL had a 56% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with the bottom quartile ... A diet rich in animal protein may favour net acid intake, while most fruits and vegetables form alkaline precursors that neutralise the acidity. Contrary to what is generally believed, most fruits such as peaches, apples, pears, bananas and even lemons and oranges actually reduce dietary acid load once the body has processed them" - Note:  Yogurt has a pH of 4.5 (7 is neutral).  I'm hoping that the seven potassium capsules I take per day will counter some of that.
• Insulin resistance indices are inversely associated with vitamin D binding protein concentrations - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Oct 29 - "vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) ... Subjects were 47, post menarchal, female adolescents, mean age 15.8 +/- 1.4 years ... Our data suggest that, VDBP concentrations are regulated by total 25(OH)D levels to maintain adequate concentrations of bioavailable 25(OH)D. VDBP concentrations are inversely associated with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• 'Good' cholesterol controls blood glucose - Science Daily, 10/30/13 - "without ApoA-I, burning of calories is reduced in skeletal muscle resulting in increased blood glucose and weaker muscle function. The scientists then determined that HDL cholesterol and its protein ApoA-I both enhance usage of glucose and calories inside muscle cells. Raising HDL and ApoA-I levels in animal models resulted in protection against hyperglycemia and age-related symptoms such as decline of muscle performance or fat mass gain. Improved calorie burning in mitochondria (the "power plants" in each cell) was further indicated by a marked reduction of circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor 21, a novel biomarker for mitochondrial dysfunction ... Our results link for the first time low HDL-cholesterol with impaired use of glucose and burning of calories in type 2 diabetes" - See my niacin page and niacin at Amazon.com.
• Higher magnesium intake reduces risk of impaired glucose and insulin metabolism, and progression from prediabetes to diabetes in middle-aged Americans - Diabetes Care. 2013 Oct 2 - "In 2,582 community-dwelling participants 26-81 yrs old at baseline, magnesium intake and risk of incident "metabolic impairment," defined as impaired fasting glucose (≥5.6-<7.0 mmol/L), impaired glucose tolerance (2-hr postload glucose ≥7.8-<11.1 mmol/L), IR, or hyperinsulinemia (≥90th percentile of HOMA-IR or fasting insulin, respectively), was estimated among those with normal baseline status, and risk of incident diabetes was estimated among those with baseline metabolic impairment ... compared to those with the lowest magnesium intake, those with the highest intake had 37% lower risk of incident metabolic impairment (P trend=0.02), while in those with baseline metabolic impairment, higher intake was associated with 32% lower risk of incident diabetes (P trend=0.05). In the combined population, the risk in those with the highest intake was 53% (P trend=0.0004) of those with the lowest intake" - See Jarrow Formulas, MagMind, 90 Veggie Caps.
• Dietary Magnesium Intake Improves Insulin Resistance among Non-Diabetic Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome Participating in a Dietary Trial - Nutrients. 2013 Sep 27;5(10):3910-9 - "The dietary intervention study examined this question in 234 individuals with MetS. Magnesium intake was assessed using 24-h dietary recalls at baseline, 6, and 12 months ... After multivariate adjustment, magnesium intake was inversely associated with metabolic biomarkers of insulin resistance (P < 0.01). Further, the likelihood of elevated HOMA-IR (>3.6) over time was 71% lower [odds ratio (OR): 0.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12, 0.72] in participants in the highest quartile of magnesium intake than those in the lowest quartile. For individuals meeting the RDA for magnesium, the multivariate-adjusted OR for high HOMA-IR over time was 0.37 (95% CI: 0.18, 0.77). These findings indicate that dietary magnesium intake is inadequate among non-diabetic individuals with MetS and suggest that increasing dietary magnesium to meet the RDA has a protective effect on insulin resistance" - See Jarrow Formulas, MagMind, 90 Veggie Caps.
• Big Breakfast May Be Best for Diabetes Patients - WebMD, 9/26/13 - "randomly assigned 59 people with type 2 diabetes to either a big or small breakfast group ... after 13 weeks, blood sugar levels and blood pressure dropped dramatically in people who ate a big breakfast every day. Those who ate a big breakfast enjoyed blood sugar level reductions three times greater than those who ate a small breakfast, and blood pressure reductions that were four times greater ... About one-third of the people eating a big breakfast ended up cutting back on the daily diabetic medication they needed to take. By comparison, about 17 percent of the small breakfast group had to increase their medication prescriptions during the course of the trial ... Rabinovitz speculated that a big breakfast rich in protein causes suppression of ghrelin, which is known as the "hunger hormone."
• Inverse relationship between vitamin D status and insulin resistance and the risk of impaired fasting glucose in Korean children and adolescents: the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2009-2010 - Public Health Nutr. 2013 Sep 19:1-8 - "In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the likelihood of participants in the lowest serum 25(OH)D category having IFG was 2.96-3.15 compared with those in the highest 25(OH)D category" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Dairy consumption, type 2 diabetes and changes in cardiometabolic traits-a prospective cohort study of middle-aged and older Chinese in Beijing and Shanghai - Diabetes Care. 2013 Sep 11 - "2,091 middle-aged and older Chinese men and women were recruited and followed for 6 years. Baseline dairy consumption was assessed by a 74-item food frequency questionnaire ... Compared to non-consumers, relative risks (RR) and 95%CIs of type 2 diabetes among those having 0.5-1 serving/day and >1 serving/day were 0.70(0.55, 0.88) and 0.65(0.49, 0.85), respectively, after multivariate adjustment (Ptrend<0.001), which was attenuated by further adjusting for changes in glucose during follow-up (Ptrend=0.07). Total dairy consumption was associated with favorable changes in glucose, waistline, BMI, diastolic blood pressure (All Ptrend<0.05) and systolic blood pressure (Ptrend=0.05) after multivariate adjustment including baseline values of dependent variables ... Dairy consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes and favorable changes of cardiometabolic traits in Chinese"
• Amino Acid With Promising Anti-Diabetic Effects - Science Daily, 9/9/13 - "the amino acid is just as effective as several well-established drugs for type 2 diabetics ... researchers subjected lean and obese animal models to a so-called glucose tolerance test, which measures the body's ability to remove glucose from the blood over time ... both lean and fat laboratory mice benefit considerably from arginine supplements. In fact, we improved glucose metabolism by as much as 40% in both groups. We can also see that arginine increases the body's production of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an intestinal hormone which plays an important role in regulating appetite and glucose metabolism, and which is therefore used in numerous drugs for treating type 2 diabetes" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Obesity and diabetes risk: One in four has alarmingly few intestinal bacteria, Danish study finds - Science Daily, 8/28/13 - "Oluf Pedersen compares the human gut and its bacteria with a tropical rainforest. He explains that we need as much diversity as possible, and -- as is the case with the natural tropical rainforests -- decreasing diversity is a cause for concern. It appears that the richer and more diverse the composition of our intestinal bacteria, the stronger our health. The bacteria produce vital vitamins, mature and strengthen our immune system and communicate with the many nerve cells and hormone-producing cells in the intestinal system. And, not least, the bacteria produce a wealth of bioactive substances which penetrate into the bloodstream and affect our biology in countless ways ... people having few and less diverse intestinal bacteria are more obese than the rest. They have a preponderance of bacteria which exhibit the potential to cause mild inflammation in the digestive tract and in the entire body, which is reflected in blood samples that reveal a state of chronic inflammation, which we know from other studies to affect metabolism and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases" - See Garden of Life, Primal Defense at Amazon.com.
  • Your Gut Bacteria May Predict Your Obesity Risk - WebMD, 8/28/13 - Same study but a somewhat different take.
• Dairy products and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Aug 14 - "searched the PubMed database for prospective cohort and nested case-control studies of dairy product intake and risk of type 2 diabetes up to 5 June 2013 ... the summary RRs (95% CIs) were 0.93 (0.87, 0.99; I2 = 33%) per 400 g total dairy products/d (n = 12), 0.98 (0.94, 1.03; I2 = 8%) per 200 g high-fat dairy products/d (n = 9), 0.91 (0.86, 0.96; I2 = 40%) per 200 g low-fat dairy products/d (n = 9), 0.87 (0.72, 1.04; I2 = 94%) per 200 g milk/d (n = 7), 0.92 (0.86, 0.99; I2 = 0%) per 50 g cheese/d (n = 8), and 0.78 (0.60, 1.02; I2 = 70%) per 200 g yogurt/d (n = 7) ... This meta-analysis suggests that there is a significant inverse association between intakes of dairy products, low-fat dairy products, and cheese and risk of type 2 diabetes" - Note:  Yogurt was the most protective at .78 per 200 grams.  200 grams is 7 ounces.  See my yogurt recipe on my yogurt page.
• The role of resistance and aerobic exercise training on insulin sensitivity measures in STZ-induced Type 1 diabetic rodents - Metabolism. 2013 Jun 27 - "Treadmill trained rats had the lowest insulin dose requirement of the T1DM rats and the greatest reduction in insulin dosage was evident in high intensity treadmill exercise"
• Effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jun 26 - "Seventeen trials comprising a total of 1133 subjects were included in the current meta-analysis. Green tea consumption significantly reduced the fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (Hb A1c) concentrations by -0.09 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.15, -0.03 mmol/L; P < 0.01) and -0.30% (95% CI: -0.37, -0.22%; P < 0.01), respectively. Further stratified analyses from high Jadad score studies showed that green tea significantly reduced fasting insulin concentrations (-1.16 μIU/mL; 95%CI: -1.91, -0.40 μIU/mL; P = 0.03)" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D improves mood and blood pressure in women with diabetes - Science Daily, 6/25/13 - "The pilot study included 46 women who were an average age of 55 years, had diabetes an average of 8 years and insufficient blood levels of vitamin D (18 ng/ml). They took a weekly dose (50,000 International Units) of vitamin D ... After six months, their vitamin D blood levels reached sufficient levels (average 38 ng/ml) and their moods improved significantly. For example, in a 20-question depression symptom survey, scores decreased from 26.8 at the beginning of the study (indicating moderate depression) to 12.2 at six months (indicating no depression. (The depression scale ranges from 0 to 60, with higher numbers indicating more symptoms of depression.) ... Blood pressure also improved, with the upper number decreasing from 140.4 mm Hg to 132.5 mm Hg. And their weight dropped from an average of 226.1 pounds to 223.6 pounds" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Effects of synbiotic food consumption on metabolic status of diabetic patients: A double-blind randomized cross-over controlled clinical trial - Clin Nutr. 2013 Jun 7 - "This randomized double-blinded cross-over controlled clinical trial was performed among 62 diabetic patients aged 35-70 y. After a 2-wk run-in period, subjects were randomly assigned to consume either a synbiotic (n = 62) or control food (n = 62) for 6 weeks ... The synbiotic food consisted of a probiotic viable and heat-resistant Lactobacillus sporogenes (1 × 107 CFU), 0.04 g inulin (HPX) as prebiotic with 0.38 g isomalt, 0.36 g sorbitol and 0.05 g stevia as sweetener per 1 g. Control food (the same substance without probiotic bacteria and prebiotic inulin) was packed in identical 9-gram packages. Patients were asked to consume the synbiotic and control foods three times a day ... In conclusion, consumption of a synbiotic food for 6 weeks among diabetic patients had significant effects on serum insulin, hs-CRP, uric acid and plasma total GSH levels" - Note:  I not sure whether they are talking about probiotic supplements added to the food or something like yogurt.  See probiotic products at Amazon.com and my yogurt recipe at the top of my Yogurt Page.
• Getting enough sleep could help prevent type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 5/18/13 - "studied 19 non-diabetic men, with an average age of 28.6 years, who for six months or longer (average, 5.1 years) self-reported inadequate sleep during the workweek. On average, the men received only 6.2 hours of sleep each work night. But they regularly caught up on their sleep on the weekends, sleeping an extra 37.4 percent, or 2.3 hours, per night ... When the men slept 10 hours a night on each of three nights of catch-up sleep, their insulin sensitivity was much better than when they had persistent sleep restriction, the scientists found. Their insulin resistance test score also improved (decreased) with sleep extension"
• Cutting Back on Red Meat May Lower Risk for Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 6/18/13 - "Reducing red-meat consumption by more than half a serving per day over a 4-year follow-up did not confer a reduced risk for incident type 2 diabetes in the subsequent 4 years, but it was associated with a 14% reduced risk during a 12- to 16-year follow-up"
• Magnesium intake decreases Type 2 diabetes risk through the improvement of insulin resistance and inflammation: the Hisayama Study - Diabet Med. 2013 Jun 12 - "A total of 1999 subjects without diabetes aged 40-79 years who underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test were followed up prospectively for a mean of 15.6 years ... The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of Type 2 diabetes significantly decreased with increasing magnesium intake quartile levels (≤ 148.5, 148.6-171.5, 171.6-195.5 and ≥ 195.6 mg/day, P for trend = 0.01). In multivariate analyses, after adjusting for comprehensive risk factors and other dietary factors, the hazard ratio of Type 2 diabetes was 0.67 (95% CI 0.49-0.92; P = 0.01) in the third quartile and 0.63 (95% CI 0.44-0.90; P = 0.01) in the highest quartile compared with the first quartile" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Fish Oil Supplements May Help Fight Against Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 5/22/13 - "Fish oil supplements, also called omega 3 fatty acid capsules, raise levels of adiponectin in the bloodstream. Adiponectin is an important hormone that has beneficial effects on metabolic processes like glucose regulation and the modulation of inflammation. In long-term human studies, higher levels of adiponectin are associated with lower risks of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease ... The meta-analysis reviewed and analyzed results from 14 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Blood 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Levels and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A meta-analysis of prospective studies - Diabetes Care. 2013 May;36(5):1422-8 - "A linear trend analysis showed that each 10 nmol/L increment in 25(OH)D levels was associated with a 4% lower risk of type 2 diabetes" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Dietary flavonoids intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies - Clin Nutr. 2013 Mar 26 - "searched PubMed through March 2013 for relevant cohort studies that assessed total flavonoids and type 2 diabetes risks ... The summary relative risk (RR) of type 2 diabetes for the highest intake of total flavonoids compared with the lowest was 0.91 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.87-0.96). Furthermore, an increase in the total flavonoids intake of 500mg/d was associated with a significant risk reduction of 5% (RR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98)" - See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• Could Coffee Bean Extract Help Control Blood Sugar? - WebMD, 4/9/13 - "Vinson's study analyzed 30 men and women of normal weight who did not have diabetes. They took supplements containing between 100 milligrams (mg) and 400 mg of the green coffee extract in a capsule with water, followed by glucose tolerance tests at several points afterward ... All doses of the extract appeared to lower participants' blood sugar levels, Vinson said, but a dose of 400 mg was associated with a 24 percent drop 30 minutes after taking the extract and a 31 percent drop 120 minutes later ... Vinson said he believes the sugar-lowering effects of green coffee extract are due to its concentration of chlorogenic acids -- antioxidants found in apples, cherries, plums and other fruits and vegetables. High temperatures used to roast coffee beans typically break down chlorogenic acids, he said, so coffee beverages contain less of them than extracts found in supplements" - [Science Daily] - See green coffee bean extract at Amazon.com however a better choice for chlorogenic acids might be Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• Non-linear association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes: a community-based nested case-control study - Diabet Med. 2013 Mar 18 - "Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured for 761 participants (aged 20-83 years) in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study ... Odds ratios for Type 2 diabetes were obtained from conditional logistic regression models for tertiles of serum 25(OH)D concentrations [tertile-1: 2.82-11.02 (reference), tertile-2: 11.03-21.80, and tertile-3: ≥ 21.82 ng/ml] ... Unadjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of diabetes were 0.73 (0.74-1.13), 0.54 (0.34-0.85) for the second and third tertiles, respectively. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios were 0.47 (0.25-0.90) and 0.43 (0.23-0.82), respectively. Below the cutoff of ~ 10 ng/ml the risk of newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes increased dramatically" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Decreased melatonin secretion associated with higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 4/2/13 - "The analysis consisted of a case-control study nested within the Nurses' Health Study cohort ... participants in the lowest category of urinary ratio of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin to creatinine had a 2.2 times higher odds of developing type 2 diabetes compared to participants in the highest category" - [Abstract] - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
• Effects of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on glycemic control in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Feb 20 - "green tea catechins (GTCs) ... A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify relevant trials of GTCs with or without caffeine on markers of glycemic control [fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting blood insulin (FBI), glycated hemoglobin (Hb A(1c)), and HOMA-IR] ... Pooled analyses showed that FBG (-1.48 mg/dL; 95% CI: -2.57, -0.40 mg/dL) decreased significantly with GTCs with or without caffeine, whereas FBI (0.04 μU/mL; 95% CI: -0.36, 0.45 μU/mL), Hb A(1c) (-0.04%; 95% CI: -0.15, 0.08%), and HOMA-IR (-0.05; 95% CI: -0.37, 0.26) did not" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Correcting vitamin D insufficiency improves insulin sensitivity in obese adolescents: a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Feb 13 - "The objective was to determine in obese adolescents the efficacy and safety of 4000 IU vitamin D(3)/d and whether subsequent increased circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] are associated with improved markers of insulin sensitivity and resistance and reduced inflammation ... fasting insulin (-6.5 compared with +1.2 μU/mL for placebo; P = 0.026), HOMA-IR (-1.363 compared with +0.27 for placebo; P = 0.033)" - Note:  The fasting insulin was 7.7 lower (difference between -6.5 and +1.2).  See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Decreased Serum Concentrations of 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Are Associated With Increased Risk of Progression to Impaired Fasting Glucose and Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2013 Feb 7 - "In a historical prospective cohort study of subjects from the Clalit Health Services database, which includes information on nearly 4 million people, diabetes-free subjects aged 40-70 years with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) measurements available were followed up for 2 years to assess the development of IFG and diabetes in five 25-OHD subgroups: ≥25, 25.1-37.5, 37.6-50, 50.1-75, and >75 nmol/L ... The odds of transitioning from normoglycemia to IFG, from normoglycemia to diabetes, and from IFG to diabetes in subjects with a 25-OHD level ≤25 nmol/L were greater than those of subjects with a 25-OHD level >75 nmol/L [odds ratio 1.13 (95% CI 1.03-1.24), 1.77 (1.11-2.83), and 1.43 (1.16-1.76), respectively] ... Vitamin D deficiency appears to be an independent risk factor for the development of IFG and diabetes" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Low vitamin D levels may increase risk of Type 1 diabetes - Science Daily, 2/4/13 - "researchers conducted a prospective case-control study of U.S. military personnel on active duty, using blood samples from the Department of Defense Serum Repository, which contains more than 40 million samples collected from 8 million military personnel since the mid-1980s ... The researchers found that white, non-Hispanic, healthy young adults with higher serum levels (>75 nmol/L) of vitamin D had about half the risk of developing type 1 diabetes than those with the lowest levels of vitamin D (<75 nmol/L) ... The risk of type 1 diabetes appears to be increased even at vitamin D levels that are commonly regarded as normal, suggesting that a substantial proportion of the population could benefit from increased vitamin D intake ... Whereas it is premature to recommend universal use of vitamin D supplements for prevention of type 1 diabetes, the possibility that many cases could be prevented by supplementation with 1,000-4,000 IU/day, which is largely considered safe, is enticing" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Association of vitamin D deficiency with incidence of type 2 diabetes in high-risk Asian subjects - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jan 30 - "tested the hypothesis that baseline 25(OH)D is associated with the incidence of T2D in high-risk subjects for up to 5 y of follow-up, independently of obesity, baseline IR, and β cell function ... Of the participants, 10.5% had a serum 25(OH)D deficiency (<10 ng/mL), 51.6% had an insufficiency (10.0-19.9 ng/mL), and 38.0% had a sufficiency (≥20 ng/mL), and the incidence of T2D at 32.3 +/- 15.6 mo (+/-SD) declined accordingly: 15.9%, 10.2%, and 5.4%, respectively (P < 0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, blood pressure, lifestyles, family history, season, parathyroid hormone, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, the participants with 25(OH)D deficiency had an increased risk of T2D independently of BMI, HOMA2-IR, and IGI; the HRs were 2.06 for 25(OH)D 10-19.9 ng/mL compared with ≥20 ng/mL (95% CI: 1.22, 3.49) and 3.23 for 25(OH)D <10 ng/mL compared with ≥20 ng/mL (95% CI: 1.66, 6.30)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Higher Magnesium Intake Is Associated with Lower Fasting Glucose and Insulin, with No Evidence of Interaction with Select Genetic Loci, in a Meta-Analysis of 15 CHARGE Consortium Studies - J Nutr. 2013 Jan 23 - "Fifteen studies from the CHARGE (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology) Consortium provided data from up to 52,684 participants of European descent without known diabetes ... After adjustment for age, sex, energy intake, BMI, and behavioral risk factors, magnesium (per 50-mg/d increment) was inversely associated with fasting glucose [β = -0.009 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.013, -0.005), P < 0.0001] and insulin [-0.020 ln-pmol/L (95% CI: -0.024, -0.017), P < 0.0001]" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Platelet Redox Balance in Diabetic Patients With Hypertension Improved by n-3 Fatty Acids - Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec 13 - "Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, largely as a result of defective production of cardioprotective nitric oxide and a concomitant rise in oxidative stress ... We randomized hypertensive T2DM patients (T2DM HT; n = 22) and age-and-sex matched hypertensive study participants without diabetes (HT alone; n = 23) in a double-blind, crossover fashion to receive 8 weeks of n-3 PUFAs (1.8 g eicosapentaenoic acid and 1.5 g docosahexaenoic acid) or identical olive oil capsules (placebo), with an intervening 8-week washout period ... Our finding that n-3 PUFAs diminish platelet superoxide production in T2DM HT patients in vivo suggests a therapeutic role for these agents in reducing the vascular-derived oxidative stress associated with diabetes" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com and Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Dietary fibre consumption and insulin resistance - the role of body fat and physical activity - Br J Nutr. 2012 Dec 7:1-9 - "Fibre and energy consumption were assessed using 7 d weighed food records ... In women who had high soluble fibre intake (upper 50 %), the OR of having an elevated HOMA-IR level was 0.58 (95 % CI 0.36, 0.94) times that of women with low soluble fibre intake (lower 50 %). After controlling for all of the potential confounding factors simultaneously, the OR was 0.52 (95 % CI 0.29, 0.93). High fibre intake, particularly soluble fibre, is significantly related to lower levels of insulin resistance in women" - See Garden of Life, RAW Fiber at Amazon.com.
• Moderate coffee consumption may reduce risk of diabetes by up to 25 percent - Science Daily, 12/4/12 - "Drinking three to four cups of coffee per day may help to prevent type 2 diabetes according to research highlighted in a session report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), a not-for-profit organization devoted to the study and disclosure of science related to coffee and health ... The report outlines the epidemiological evidence linking coffee consumption to diabetes prevention, highlighting research that shows three to four cups of coffee per day is associated with an approximate 25 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to consuming none or less than two cups per day1. Another study also found an inverse dose dependent response effect with each additional cup of coffee reducing the relative risk by 7-8 per cent"
• Grape seed proanthocyanidin extracts alleviate oxidative stress and ER stress in skeletal muscle of low-dose streptozotocin- and high-carbohydrate/high-fat diet-induced diabetic rats - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012 Nov 17 - "Although ER stress in pancreas, liver, and adipose tissue was reported to be a novel event linked to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, there is much less information on this event in skeletal muscle ... This study focuses on the effects of a strong antioxidant, grape seed proanthocyanidin extracts (GSPE), on skeletal muscle in diabetic rats induced with low dose streptozotocin- and a high-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. After 16 wk of GSPE treatment, diabetic rats showed decreased plasma glucose levels and insulin resistance ... These findings suggest that GSPE may have auxiliary therapeutic potential for type 2 diabetes mellitus by decreasing oxidative stress and ER stress in skeletal muscle" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95 at Amazon.com.
• Caffeinated and caffeine-free beverages and risk of type 2 diabetes - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Nov 14 - "observed 74,749 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1984-2008) and 39,059 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS, 1986-2008) ... sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and carbonated artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) ... caffeinated and caffeine-free SSB intake was significantly associated with a higher risk of T2D in the NHS (RR per serving: 13% for caffeinated SSB, 11% for caffeine-free SSB; P < 0.05) and in the HPFS (RR per serving: 16% for caffeinated SSB, 23% for caffeine-free SSB; P < 0.01). Only caffeine-free ASB intake in NHS participants was associated with a higher risk of T2D (RR: 6% per serving; P < 0.001). Conversely, the consumption of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was associated with a lower risk of T2D [RR per serving: 8% for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee in the NHS (P < 0.0001) and 4% for caffeinated and 7% for decaffeinated coffee in the HPFS (P < 0.01)]. Only caffeinated tea was associated with a lower T2D risk among NHS participants"
• Vitamin D deficiency linked to type 1 diabetes - Science Daily, 11/15/12 - "The six-year study of blood levels of nearly 2,000 individuals suggests a preventive role for vitamin D3 in this disease ... This study used samples from millions of blood serum specimens frozen by the Department of Defense Serum Registry for disease surveillance ... Based mainly on results of this study, Garland estimates that the level of 25(OH)D needed to prevent half the cases of type 1 diabetes is 50 ng/ml ... While there are a few conditions that influence vitamin D metabolism, for most people, 4000 IU per day of vitamin D3 will be needed to achieve the effective levels" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Arginine and proline enriched diet may speed wound healing in diabetes - Science Daily, 11/15/12 - "Researchers divided 18 rats into three groups that were either fed a standard diet, a high-protein diet, or a high protein diet supplemented with arginine and proline (ARG+PRO) ... Rats on both high protein diets had better nitrogen balance than those on the standard diet. However, the wounds of the rats on the ARG+PRO diet showed more new blood vessel growth on day 5. New blood vessel growth is an essential part of wound healing as the blood vessels supply nutrition and oxygen to growing tissue ... arginine and proline supplementation could offer new hope for effective treatment in diabetic patients with chronic wounds" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com and proline at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D may prevent clogged arteries in diabetics - Science Daily, 11/13/12 - "blood vessels are less like to clog in people with diabetes who get adequate vitamin D. But in patients with insufficient vitamin D, immune cells bind to blood vessels near the heart, then trap cholesterol to block those blood vessels ... in diabetes patients with low vitamin D -- less than 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood -- the macrophage cells were more likely to adhere to the walls of blood vessels, which triggers cells to get loaded with cholesterol, eventually causing the vessels to stiffen and block blood flow ... We looked at blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes control, body weight and race. But only vitamin D levels correlated to whether these cells stuck to the blood vessel wall" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D as an Adjunct Therapy for Patients With T2DM: Abstract and Introduction - Medscape, 11/8/12 - "In summary, the present interventional study performed in an Arab population suggests that daily 2000 IU vitamin D3 supplementation in a vitamin D deficient T2DM population is associated with measurable cardioprotective indices. Supplementation to achieve higher levels of vitamin D remains a promising adjuvant therapy for T2DM patients" - See Figure 1 in that article.  See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• High intakes of protein and processed meat associate with increased incidence of type 2 diabetes - Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug 1:1-11 - "Dietary data were collected with a modified diet history method, including registration of cooked meals. During 12 years of follow-up, 1709 incident type 2 diabetes cases were identified. High protein intake was associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio (HR) 1.27 for highest compared with lowest quintile; 95 % CI 1.08, 1.49; P for trend = 0.01). When protein consumption increased by 5 % of energy at the expense of carbohydrates (HR 1.20; 95 % CI 1.09, 1.33) or fat (HR 1.21; 95 % CI 1.09, 1.33), increased diabetes risk was observed. Intakes in the highest quintiles of processed meat (HR 1.16; 95 % CI 1.00, 1.36; P for trend = 0.01) and eggs (HR 1.21; 95 % CI 1.04, 1.41; P for trend = 0.02) were associated with increased risk. Intake of fibre-rich bread and cereals was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes (HR 0.84; 95 % CI 0.73, 0.98; P for trend = 0.004). In conclusion, results from the present large population-based prospective study indicate that high protein intake is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Replacing protein with carbohydrates may be favourable, especially if fibre-rich breads and cereals are chosen as carbohydrate sources"
• Curry Compound May Lower Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 7/31/12 - "All of the people in the study had been diagnosed with prediabetes. But according to the findings, none of the participants who took capsules of curcumin for nine months developed type 2 diabetes. By contrast, 16.4% of those who received a placebo did develop type 2 diabetes during the study period" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Hesperidin and naringin attenuate hyperglycemia-mediated oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokine production in high fat fed/streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats - J Diabetes Complications. 2012 Jul 16 - "Diabetes was induced by feeding rats with an HFD for 2weeks followed by an intraperitoneal injection of STZ (35mg/kg body weight). An oral dose of 50mg/kg hesperidin or naringin was daily given for 4weeks after diabetes induction ... At the end of the experimental period, blood was obtained from jugular vein and livers were rapidly excised and homogenized for biochemical assays. In the diabetic control group, levels of glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c%), MDA, NO, TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly increased, while serum insulin, GSH, vitamin C, and vitamin E levels were decreased. Both hesperidin and naringin administration significantly reversed these alterations. Moreover, supplementation with either compound significantly ameliorated serum and liver MDA, NO and glutathione, and liver antioxidant enzymes" - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.
• Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance is associated with low T(3)/T(4) ratio in pre diabetic euthyroid pakistani subjects - J Diabetes Complications. 2012 Jul 11 - "Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are associated with low T(3)/T(4) ratio in pre-diabetic euthyroid Pakistani subjects" - See T3 at International Anti-aging Systems.
• Curcumin Extract for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2012 Jul 6 - "After 9 months of treatment, 16.4% of subjects in the placebo group were diagnosed with T2DM, whereas none were diagnosed with T2DM in the curcumin-treated group. In addition, the curcumin-treated group showed a better overall function of β-cells, with higher HOMA-β (61.58 vs. 48.72; P < 0.01) and lower C-peptide (1.7 vs. 2.17; P < 0.05). The curcumin-treated group showed a lower level of HOMA-IR (3.22 vs. 4.04; P < 0.001) and higher adiponectin (22.46 vs. 18.45; P < 0.05) when compared with the placebo group" - See curcumin at Amazon.com.
• Breakfast Decreases Type 2 Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 6/9/12 - "an analysis of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, which is a longitudinal study of 5115 black and white women between the ages of 18 and 30 years who were initially examined in 1985 through 1986. To date, participants have been reexamined at year 2, year 5, year 7, year 10, year 15, and year 20 (2005 - 2006) ... For each additional day/week of breakfast intake, there was a 5% decrease in risk of developing T2D ... Compared with participants who ate breakfast between 0 and 3 times per week, those who ate breakfast 5 times or more had a 31% reduction in T2D risk (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.54 - 0.88). They also gained less weight (0.5 kg/m2 less weight gain; P = .01) ... Those with higher diet quality had lower incidences of T2D, but breakfast frequency was more important, as it predicted T2D risk across diet quality score quartiles"
• Really? To Lower Your Risk of Diabetes, Eat Breakfast - NYTimes.com, 4/30/12 - "People who skip that all-important first meal of the day, studies show, suffer setbacks in mood, memory and energy levels. They are also more likely to gain weight, in part because of excess eating later in the day ... researchers followed 29,000 men for 16 years, tracking their diets, exercise, disease rates and other markers of health ... Those who regularly skipped breakfast had a 21 percent higher risk of developing diabetes than those who did not"
• Why Coffee May Reduce Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 1/13/12 - "The Chinese researchers looked at three major active compounds in coffee and their effect on stopping the toxic accumulation of the protein: ... Caffeine ... Caffeic acid or CA ... Chlorogenic acid or CGA ... All three had an effect. However, caffeic acid was best" - Note:  I've always thought that artichoke extract which is 6% chlorogenic acid would do the same thing:
  • Chlorogenic acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - "Chlorogenic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, a member of a family of naturally occurring organic compounds. These are esters of polyphenolic caffeic acid and cyclitol (-)-quinic acid"
• Short Sleep Duration and Poor Sleep Quality Increase the Risk of Diabetes in Japanese Workers With No Family History of Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2011 Dec 30 - "family history of diabetes (FHD) ... Having diabetes was defined as taking medication for diabetes or a fasting plasma glucose level of ≥126 mg/dL at follow-up (2007-2008) ... after adjustment for potential confounding factors, the odds ratio (95% CI) for developing diabetes was 5.37 (1.38-20.91) in those with a sleep duration of ≤5 h compared with those with a sleep duration of >7 h. Other risk factors were awakening during the night (5.03 [1.43-17.64]), self-perceived insufficient sleep duration (6.76 [2.09-21.87]), and unsatisfactory overall quality of sleep (3.71 [1.37-10.07]). In subjects with an FHD, these associations were either absent or weaker"
• Processed and Unprocessed Red Meat Consumption and Incident Type 2 Diabetes Among French Women - Diabetes Care. 2011 Nov 18 - "Comparing the highest category of processed meat intake, ≥5 servings/week (median, 48 g/day), to the lowest, <1 serving/week (median, 5 g/day), processed meat was significantly associated with incident diabetes (hazard ratio 1.30 [95% CI 1.07-1.59], P trend = 0.0007; for 1 serving/day, 1.29 [1.14-1.45]). Unprocessed red meat was not associated with diabetes"
• Vitamin D could lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, study suggests - Science Daily, 10/4/11 - "New tests performed on participants of the KORA study have shown that people with a good supply of vitamin D have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus, while individuals with lower concentrations of vitamin D in their blood have a higher risk. This effect could be attributable, amongst other things, to the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D"
• A Diet High in Low-Fat Dairy Products Lowers Diabetes Risk in Postmenopausal Women - J Nutr. 2011 Sep 21 - "After multivariable adjustment, low-fat dairy product consumption was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. RR was roughly 0.5-0.6 in the upper quintiles compared with the lowest quintile (median servings/d, 2.8 in the 5th quintile and 1.5 in the 4th quintile vs. 0.05 in the first quintile; P-trend < 0.001). The inverse relationship was more pronounced in women with a higher BMI. High yogurt consumption was associated with a significant decrease in diabetes risk, whereas there was no relationship between high-fat dairy product consumption and diabetes risk"
• Early research shows dietary supplement may lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 9/22/11 - "a naturally produced amino acid-like molecule called GABA was given orally to mice that were obese, insulin resistant and in the early stages of Type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that GABA suppressed the inflammatory immune responses that are involved in the development of this condition ... GABA helped prevent disease progression and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, even after onset of Type 2 diabetes in mice" - See GABA at Amazon.com.
• Harvard study supports coffee’s anti-diabetes potential - Nutra USA, 9/21/11 - "Five cups of coffee per day for two months were associated with significant metabolic benefits and live function ... the metabolic benefits were more pronounced in caffeinated coffee, a result that supports the hypothesis that caffeine is responsible for some of the apparent benefits ... Coffee is also a rich source of polyphenols ... one cup of the stuff could provide 350 milligrams of phenolics ... Of these, the most abundant compounds in coffee are chlorogenic acids, making up to 12 per cent of the green coffee bean. The most abundant of these compounds is caffeic acid ... recruited 45 healthy, overweight coffee drinking 40 year olds ... volunteers were asked to drink five cups of coffee per day of instant caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, or water for eight weeks ... coffee consumption was associated with a 60% reduction in blood levels of a compound called interleukin-6, which can promote inflammation, compared with the water group ... In addition, levels of adiponectin – a hormone released from fat cells that plays an important role in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and energy – also decreased in the caffeinated, but not decaffeinated group" - [Abstract]
• High-Protein Diet Raises Type 2 Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 9/13/11 - "The study consisted of 27,140 individuals 45 to 74 years of age who participated in the Malmö Diet and Cancer study ... the researchers found a 37% increased risk for type 2 diabetes associated with high protein intake (hazard ratio [HR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 1.61; P for trend < .001]. High intake of processed meat was also associated with an elevated risk for diabetes (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.36; P for trend = .005) ... The intake of breads and cereals rich in fiber was associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92 to 0.98; P for trend = .005)"
• Magnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies - Diabetes Care. 2011 Sep;34(9):2116-2122 - "Meta-analysis of 13 prospective cohort studies involving 536,318 participants and 24,516 cases detected a significant inverse association between magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes (relative risk [RR] 0.78 [95% CI 0.73-0.84]). This association was not substantially modified by geographic region, follow-up length, sex, or family history of type 2 diabetes. A significant inverse association was observed in overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m(2)) but not in normal-weight individuals (BMI <25 kg/m(2)), although test for interaction was not statistically significant (P(interaction) = 0.13). In the dose-response analysis, the summary RR of type 2 diabetes for every 100 mg/day increment in magnesium intake was 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.89)" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Red meat linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 8/10/11 - "After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), and other lifestyle and dietary risk factors, the researchers found that a daily 100-gram serving of unprocessed red meat (about the size of a deck of cards) was associated with a 19% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. They also found that one daily serving of half that quantity of processed meat -- 50 grams (for example, one hot dog or sausage or two slices of bacon) -- was associated with a 51% increased risk ... Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide ... for an individual who eats one daily serving of red meat, substituting one serving of nuts per day was associated with a 21% lower risk of type 2 diabetes; substituting low-fat dairy, a 17% lower risk; and substituting whole grains, a 23% lower risk ... consumption of processed red meat -- like hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and deli meats, which generally have high levels of sodium and nitrites -- should be minimized and unprocessed red meat should be reduced. If possible, they add, red meat should be replaced with healthier choices, such as nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, or beans"
• Increased muscle mass may lower risk of pre-diabetes: Study shows building muscle can lower person's risk of insulin resistance - Science Daily, 7/28/11 - "the greater an individual's total muscle mass, the lower the person's risk of having insulin resistance, the major precursor of type 2 diabetes"
• Fish intake and type 2 diabetes in Japanese men and women: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jul 20 - "During the 5-y period, 971 new cases (572 men and 399 women) of type 2 diabetes were self-reported. In men, fish intake was significantly associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes; multivariable-adjusted ORs of type 2 diabetes for the highest compared with the lowest quartile of intake were 0.73 (95% CI: 0.54, 1.00; P-trend = 0.04) for total fish and seafood and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.50, 0.92; P-trend = 0.016) for small and medium fish (horse mackerel and sardine, saury and mackerel, and eel). Additional analysis by fat content of fish did not detect any significant association for each category. In women, fish intake was not appreciably associated with type 2 diabetes risk" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Adolescent dairy product consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jul 13 - "Compared with women in the lowest quintile of high school dairy product intake, those in the highest quintile (2 servings/d) had a 38% lower risk of T2D (RR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.83; P-trend = 0.0006), after adjustment for high school risk factors. After adjustment for adult risk factors, the association persisted (RR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.97; P-trend = 0.02) but was attenuated after adjustment for adult dairy product consumption. In a multivariate joint comparison of dairy product consumption by adults and high school adolescents, compared with women with consistently low intakes, those with consistently high intakes had the lowest risk of T2D (RR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.82) ... Our data suggest that higher dairy product intake during adolescence is associated with a lower risk of T2D. Some of the benefit of dairy product intake during high school may be due to the persistence of the consumption pattern during adulthood"
• Diabetes prevalence is associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in US middle-aged Caucasian men and women: a cross-sectional analysis within the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial - Br J Nutr. 2011 May 17:1-6 - "Caucasians who had 25(OH)D ≥ 80 nmol/l were half as likely to have diabetes (OR 0.5 (95 % CI 0.3, 0.9)) compared with those who had 25(OH)D < 37 nmol/l. Those in the highest quartile of 1,25(OH)2D ( ≥ 103 pmol/l) were less than half as likely to have diabetes (OR 0.3 (95 % CI 0.1, 0.7)) than those in the lowest quartile ( < 72 pmol/l). In conclusion, the independent associations of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D with diabetes prevalence in a large population are new findings, and thus warrant confirmation in larger, prospective studies" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Higher Vitamin D Levels Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 6/25/11 - "The mean follow-up of the 2039-person cohort was 3.2 years ... Participants with vitamin D levels in the highest tertile (median concentration, 30.1 ng/mL) had a hazard ratio of 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.93) for developing diabetes, compared with those with vitamin D levels in the lowest tertile (median concentration, 12.8 ng/mL)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Low Serum Vitamin D Is Associated with High Risk of Diabetes in Korean Adults - J Nutr. 2011 Jun 22 - "Compared to individuals with a sufficient serum 25(OH)D concentration ≥75 nmol/L, the OR (95% CI) for diabetes mellitus were 1.73 (1.09-2.74), 1.30 (0.91-1.84), and 1.40 (0.99-1.98) for serum 25(OH)D concentrations <25, 25 to <50, and 50 to <75 nmol/L, respectively, after multiple adjustments (P-trend < 0.0001). Furthermore, the serum 25(OH)D level was inversely associated with HOMA-IR (β = -0.061; P = 0.001) and positively associated with QUICKI (β = 0.059; P = 0.001) in overweight or obese participants. In conclusion, a low serum vitamin D concentration is associated with a high risk of diabetes mellitus in Korean adults and the concentration is inversely associated with insulin resistance in those who are overweight or obese" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Fish, shellfish, and long-chain n-3 fatty acid consumption and risk of incident type 2 diabetes in middle-aged Chinese men and women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jun 15 - "Fish, shellfish, and long-chain n-3 fatty acid intakes were inversely associated with T2D in women. The relative risks [RRs (95% CI)] for quintiles of fish intake were 1.00, 0.96 (0.86, 1.06), 0.84 (0.75, 0.94), 0.80 (0.71, 0.90), and 0.89 (0.78, 1.01) (P for trend = 0.003) and for shellfish were 1.00, 0.91 (0.82, 1.01), 0.79 (0.71, 0.89), 0.80 (0.71, 0.91), and 0.86 (0.76, 0.99) (P for trend = 0.006). In men, only the association between shellfish intake and T2D was significant. The RRs (95% CI) for quintiles of fish intake were 1.00, 0.92 (0.75, 1.13), 0.80 (0.65, 1.00), 0.89 (0.72, 1.11), and 0.94 (0.74, 1.17) (P for trend = 0.50) and for shellfish intake were 1.00, 0.93 (0.76, 1.12), 0.70 (0.56, 086), 0.66 (0.53, 0.82), and 0.82 (0.65, 1.02) (P for trend = 0.003)" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Protective effect of taurine on diabetic rat endothelial dysfunction - Biomed Res. 2011;32(3):187-93 - "Although taurine treatment failed to decrease serum glucose levels, the increased serum malondialdehyde levels in diabetic rats were significantly decreased after taurine treatment. Norepinephrine-induced hyper-contractility as well as acetylcholine-induced, endothelium-dependent hypo-relaxation in diabetes were significantly prevented after taurine treatment. The differences in the expressions of muscarinic M(3) receptor mRNAs were statistically non-significant between groups. Moreover, diabetes-induced up-regulation of eNOS mRNAs was slightly prevented after taurine treatment. These data suggest that taurine acts beneficially against the diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction. Its potential action as a radical scavenger ameliorates the vascular disorders in diabetes" - See taurine at Amazon.com.
• Dairy consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of cohort studies - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 May 11 - "A combined RR of 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.79-0.92) was revealed on T2DM risk associated to dairy intake, with little evidence of heterogeneity. For subgroup analysis, a combined RR was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.74-0.90), 1.00 (95% CI, 0.89-1.10), 0.95 (95% CI, 0.86-1.05) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74-0.93) for the intake of low-fat dairy, high-fat dairy, whole milk and yogurt, respectively. Dose-response analysis showed that T2DM risk could be reduced 5% for total dairy products and 10% for low-fat dairy products. Conclusion: An inverse association of daily intake of dairy products, especially low-fat dairy, with T2DM was revealed, indicating a beneficial effect of dairy consumption in the prevention of T2DM development"
• Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Calcium Intake, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes After 5 Years: Results from a national, population-based prospective study (The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study) - Diabetes Care. 2011 Mar 23 - "Those who developed diabetes had lower serum 25OHD (mean 58 vs. 65 nmol/L; P < 0.001) and calcium intake (mean 881 vs. 923 mg/day; P = 0.03) compared with those who remained free of diabetes. Each 25 nmol/L increment in serum 25OHD was associated with a 24% reduced risk of diabetes (odds ratio 0.76 [95% CI 0.63-0.92]) after adjusting for age, waist circumference, ethnicity, season, latitude, smoking, physical activity, family history of diabetes, dietary magnesium, hypertension, serum triglycerides, and FPG. Dietary calcium intake was not associated with reduced diabetes risk. Only serum 25OHD was positively and independently associated with HOMA-S at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Higher serum 25OHD levels, but not higher dietary calcium, were associated with a significantly reduced risk of diabetes in Australian adult men and women" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Mitochondrial dysfunction in the liver of type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats: improvement by a combination of nutrients - Br J Nutr. 2011 Mar 22:1-8 - "treatment with a combination of four nutrients, i.e. R-α-lipoic acid, acetyl-l-carnitine, nicotinamide and biotin, just as with pioglitazone, significantly improves glucose tolerance, insulin release, plasma NEFA, skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative stress in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats ... A 3-month treatment with the four nutrients significantly improved most of these abnormalities in GK rats, and the effects of the nutrient combination were greater than those of pioglitazone for most of these indices. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with nutrients that are thought to influence mitochondrial function may be an effective strategy for improving liver dysfunction in GK diabetic rats"
  • Goto-Kakizaki rat: Definition from Answers.com - "a strain of laboratory rats that have an inherited predisposition to develop diabetes"
• Resveratrol improves insulin sensitivity, reduces oxidative stress and activates the Akt pathway in type 2 diabetic patients - Br J Nutr. 2011 Mar 9:1-7 - "After an initial general examination (including blood chemistry), nineteen patients enrolled in the 4-week-long double-blind study were randomly assigned into two groups: a resveratrol group receiving oral 2 × 5 mg resveratrol and a control group receiving placebo. Before and after the second and fourth weeks of the trial, insulin resistance/sensitivity, creatinine-normalised ortho-tyrosine level in urine samples (as a measure of oxidative stress), incretin levels and phosphorylated protein kinase B (pAkt):protein kinase B (Akt) ratio in platelets were assessed and statistically analysed. After the fourth week, resveratrol significantly decreased insulin resistance (homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance) and urinary ortho-tyrosine excretion, while it increased the pAkt:Akt ratio in platelets. On the other hand, it had no effect on parameters that relate to β-cell function (i.e. homeostasis model of assessment of β-cell function). The present study shows for the first time that resveratrol improves insulin sensitivity in humans, which might be due to a resveratrol-induced decrease in oxidative stress that leads to a more efficient insulin signalling via the Akt pathway" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Influence of magnesium status and magnesium intake on the blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes - Clin Nutr. 2011 Jan 31 - "Magnesium status was influenced by kidney depuration and was altered in patients with type 2 diabetes, and magnesium showed to play an important role in blood glucose control" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Daily consumption of vitamin D- or vitamin D + calcium-fortified yogurt drink improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Feb 2 - "randomly allocated to 3 groups to consume plain yogurt drink (PY; containing no vitamin D and 150 mg Ca/250 mL), vitamin D-fortified yogurt drink (DY; containing 500 IU vitamin D(3) and 150 mg Ca/250 mL), or vitamin D + calcium-fortified yogurt drink (DCY; containing 500 IU vitamin D(3) and 250 mg Ca/250 mL) twice per day for 12 wk ... Fasting serum glucose (FSG) ... percentage fat mass (FM) ... In both the DY and DCY groups, mean serum 25(OH)D(3) improved (+32.8 +/- 28.4 and +28.8 +/- 16.1 nmol/L, respectively; P < 0.001 for both), but FSG [-12.9 +/- 33.7 mg/dL (P = 0.015) and -9.6 +/- 46.9 mg/dL (P = 0.035), respectively], Hb A(1c) [-0.4 +/- 1.2% (P < 0.001) and -0.4 +/- 1.9% (P < 0.001), respectively], HOMA-IR [-0.6 +/- 1.4 (P = 0.001) and -0.6 +/- 3.2 (P < 0.001), respectively], waist circumference (-3.6 +/- 2.7 and -2.9 +/- 3.3, respectively; P < 0.001 for both), and body mass index [in kg/m(2); -0.9 +/- 0.6 (P < 0.001) and -0.4 +/- 0.7 (P = 0.005), respectively] decreased significantly more than in the PY group. An inverse correlation was observed between changes in serum 25(OH)D(3) and FSG (r = -0.208, P = 0.049), FM (r = -0.219, P = 0.038), and HOMA-IR (r = -0.219, P = 0.005)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Prediabetes and Prehypertension in Healthy Adults Are Associated With Low Vitamin D Levels - Diabetes Care. 2011 Jan 31 - "The odds ratio for comorbid PreDM and PreHTN in Caucasian men (n = 898) and women (n = 813) was 2.41 (P < 0.0001) with vitamin D levels ≤76.3 versus >76.3 nmol/L after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. CONCLUSIONS This study strengthens the plausibility that low serum vitamin D levels elevate the risk for early-stage diabetes (PreDM) and hypertension (PreHTN)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• High oolong tea consumption predicts future risk of diabetes among Japanese male workers: a prospective cohort study - Diabet Med. 2011 Jan 18 - "Compared with those not consuming oolong tea, multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for developing diabetes were 1.00 (95% CI 0.67-1.49) for those who drank one cup of oolong tea per day and 1.64 (95% CI 1.11-2.40) for those drinking two or more cups per day ... Long-term consumption of oolong tea may be a predictive marker for new onset diabetes" - Note:  Oolong tea is purported to prevent diabetes.  This is claiming an 64% increased chance of diabetes the way I read it.
  • Antihyperglycemic effect of oolong tea in type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2003 Jun;26(6):1714-8 - "oolong tea markedly lowered concentrations of plasma glucose (from 229 +/- 53.9 to 162.2 +/- 29.7 mg/dl, P < 0.001) and fructosamine (from 409.9 +/- 96.1 to 323.3 +/- 56.4 micromol/l ... Oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes"
• Why coffee protects against diabetes - Science Daily, 1/12/11 - "A protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) regulates the biological activity of the body's sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen, which have long been thought to play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. And coffee consumption, it turns out, increases plasma levels of SHBG"
• Coffee consumption is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in Chinese - Eur J Clin Invest. 2011 Jan 12 - "The prevalence of T2DM was 14.0% and 10.4% in men and women ... coffee intake was inversely associated with T2DM. Habitual coffee drinkers had 38-46% lower risk of T2DM than nondrinkers. Compared to nondrinkers, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for T2DM according to subjects with habitual coffee consumption (<1,1-6, ≥ 7 times per week) were 0.77 (0.52-1.13), 0.46 (0.28-0.76) and 0.37 (0.16-0.83), respectively. The decreasing ORs indicate a dose-response effect of coffee consumption on the likelihood of having T2DM (P < 0.001). A similar relationship was also evident in newly diagnosed T2DM (P < 0.05). The adjusted mean fasting glucose levels gradually decreased as the frequency of coffee consumption increased"
• Oral magnesium supplementation reduces insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects - a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 Nov 18 - "Mg supplementation resulted in a significant improvement of fasting plasma glucose and some ISI compared to placebo. Blood pressure and lipid profile didn't show significant changes. The results provide significant evidence that oral Mg supplementation improves insulin sensitivity even in normomagnesemic, overweight, non-diabetic subjects emphasizing the need for an early optimisation of Mg status to prevent insulin resistance and subsequently type 2 diabetes" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Oral Aloe Vera for Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus and Dyslipidemia - Medscape, 11/16/10 - "Five out of the seven studies that evaluated diabetes endpoints in humans showed significant reductions in fasting blood glucose after treatment with oral aloe vera in patients with diabetes or prediabetes;[21,22,24,25,28] the remaining two studies reported a trend toward decreased blood or plasma glucose concentrations in the aloe-treated groups.[26,27] Significant reductions in HbA1c—up to 22.6% of baseline—were seen in all three studies that evaluated this measure.[22,27,28] One of these studies reported improvements in fructosamine levels,[27] suggesting an improvement in average blood glucose levels over time" - See aloe vera supplements at Amazon.com.
• Serum Potassium May Predict Incident Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 10/29/10 - "Serum potassium level was inversely associated with the risk for incident diabetes, based on multivariate analyses. Compared with adults who had a high-normal serum potassium level (5.0 - 5.5 mEq/L), those with serum potassium levels less than 4.0 mEq/L, 4.0 to less than 4.5 mEq/L, and 4.5 to less than 5.0 mEq/L had an adjusted HR of incident diabetes of 1.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29 - 2.08), 1.64 (95% CI, 1.34 - 2.01), and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.14 - 1.71), respectively" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D Deficiency Associated With Diabetic Retinopathy - Medscape, 10/22/10 - "People with diabetes had significantly lower mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels than people without diabetes (22.9 vs 30.3 ng/mL; P < .001), according to the poster. People with no eye disease had the highest serum vitamin D levels (mean, 31.9 ng/mL), and those with proliferative retinopathy had the lowest levels (mean, 21.1 ng/mL) ... People who took a daily multivitamin that included vitamin D (n = 102) had a mean serum vitamin D level of 31.1 ng/mL; those who did not take a multivitamin (n = 119) had vitamin D levels averaging only 22.0 ng/mL (P < .001), according to the poster. Dr. Payne noted that even those who took daily multivitamins had a 44% incidence of vitamin D insufficiency" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Eating mostly whole grains, few refined grains linked to lower body fat - Science Daily, 10/20/10 - "People who consume several servings of whole grains per day while limiting daily intake of refined grains appear to have less of a type of fat tissue thought to play a key role in triggering cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes ... Visceral Adipose Tissue ... VAT volume was approximately 10 % lower in adults who reported eating three or more daily servings of whole grains and who limited their intake of refined grains to less than one serving per day ... Visceral fat surrounds the intra-abdominal organs while subcutaneous fat is found just beneath the skin ... visceral fat is more closely tied to the development of metabolic syndrome ... participants who consumed, on average, three daily servings of whole grains but continued to eat many refined grains did not demonstrate lower VAT volume"
• Garlic oil may reverse diabetes linked heart disease - Nutra USA, 9/30/10 - "garlic oil supplementation for diabetic rats leads to several alterations at multiple levels in hearts including cardiac contractile functions and structures, myosin chain gene expressions, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and related signaling activities" - [Abstract] - See garlic oil at Amazon.com.
• Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin d concentration and risk of incident type 2 diabetes in women - Diabetes Care. 2010 Sep;33(9):2021-3 - "After adjusting for matching factors and diabetes risk factors, including BMI, higher levels of plasma 25-OHD were associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes. The odds ratio for incident type 2 diabetes in the top (median 25-OHD, 33.4 ng/ml) versus the bottom (median 25-OHD, 14.4 ng/ml) quartile was 0.52 (95% CI 0.33-0.83). The associations were consistent across subgroups of baseline BMI, age, and calcium intake" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Magnesium Intake in Relation to Systemic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, and the Incidence of Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2010 Aug 31 - "During 20-year follow-up, 330 incident diabetic cases were identified. Magnesium intake was inversely associated with incidence of diabetes after adjustment for potential confounders. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of diabetes for participants in the highest quintile of magnesium intake was 0.53 (95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.86; P(trend)<0.01) compared with those in the lowest quintile. Consistently, magnesium intake was significantly inversely associated with hs-CRP, IL-6, fibrinogen, and HOMA-IR; and serum magnesium levels were inversely correlated with hs-CRP and HOMA-IR" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Why fish oils work swimmingly against inflammation and diabetes - Science Daily, 9/2/10 - "Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified the molecular mechanism that makes omega-3 fatty acids so effective in reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance ... omega-3 fatty acids activate this macrophage receptor, resulting in broad anti-inflammatory effects and improved systemic insulin sensitivity ... It's just an incredibly potent effect ... omega-3 fatty acids switch on the receptor, killing the inflammatory response" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Fruit and vegetable intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis - BMJ. 2010 Aug 18;341:c4229 - "greater intake of green leafy vegetables was associated with a 14% (hazard ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.77 to 0.97) reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes (P=0.01). The summary estimates showed no significant benefits of increasing the consumption of vegetables, fruit, or fruit and vegetables combined"
• Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis - Diabetes Care. 2010 Aug - "sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which include soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea, energy and vitamin water drinks ... Based on data from these studies, including 310,819 participants and 15,043 cases of T2DM, individuals in the highest quantile of SSB intake (most often 1-2 servings/day) had a 26% greater risk of developing T2DM than those in the lowest quantile (none or < 1 serving/month) (RR:1.26 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.41)). Among studies evaluating MetSyn, including 19,431 participants and 5,803 cases, the pooled RR was 1.20 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.42)"
• Interactions of dietary whole grain intake with fasting glucose- and insulin-related genetic loci in individuals of European descent: a meta-analysis of 14 cohort studies - Diabetes Care. 2010 Aug 6 - "Greater whole grain food intake was associated with lower fasting glucose and insulin concentrations independent of demographics, other dietary and lifestyle factors, and BMI (beta [95% CI] per 1-serving greater whole grain intake: -0.009 mmol/L glucose [-0.013, -0.005], p <0.0001 and -0.011 pmol/L (ln) insulin [-0.015, -0.007], p =0.0003) ... Our results support the favorable association of whole grain intake with fasting glucose and insulin and suggest potential interaction between variation in GCKR and whole grain intake in influencing fasting insulin concentrations"
• Carbohydrate quantity and quality and risk of type 2 diabetes in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (EPIC-NL) study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug 4 - "glycemic load (GL), glycemic index (GI) ... During a mean follow-up of 10 y, 915 incident diabetes cases were documented. Dietary GL was associated with an increased diabetes risk after adjustment for age, sex, established diabetes risk factors, and dietary factors [hazard ratio (HR) per SD increase: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.54; P lt 0.001]. GI tended to increase diabetes risk (HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.17; P equals 0.05). Dietary fiber was inversely associated with diabetes risk (HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.99; P lt 0.05), whereas carbohydrate intake was associated with increased diabetes risk (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.32; P lt 0.05). Of the carbohydrate subtypes, only starch was related to increased diabetes risk [HR: 1.25 (1.07, 1.46), P lt 0.05]. All associations became slightly stronger after exclusion of energy misreporters. CONCLUSIONS: Diets high in GL, GI, and starch and low in fiber were associated with an increased diabetes risk. Both carbohydrate quantity and quality seem to be important factors in diabetes prevention. Energy misreporting contributed to a slight attenuation of associations"
• Reduction of Postprandial Glycemia by the Novel Viscous Polysaccharide PGX, in a Dose-Dependent Manner, Independent of Food Form - J Am Coll Nutr. 2010 Apr;29(2):92-8 - "The objective of the study therefore was to determine palatability and effectiveness of escalating doses of PGX, a novel viscous polysaccharide (NVP), in reducing postprandial glycemia when added to a liquid and a solid meal ... Addition of NVP to the meal reduced blood glucose incremental areas under the curve irrespective of dose, reaching significance at the 7.5 g dose when added to glucose (p < 0.01), and at the 5 and 7.5 g doses when added to WB + Marg (p < 0.001). The GI values of glucose with 0, 2.5, 5, or 7.5 g of NVP were (mean +/- standard error of the mean [SEM]) 100.0 +/- 0.0, 83.7 +/- 9.0, 77.7 +/- 8.2, and 72.5 +/- 5.9, respectively; the GI of the WB alone, or of WB + Marg, with 0, 2.5, 5, or 7.5 g of NVP was 71.0 +/- 0.0, 66.8 +/- 3.0, 47.5 +/- 5.9, 37.3 +/- 5.9, and 33.9 +/- 3.6, respectively. CONCLUSION: Addition of NVP to different food matrices is highly effective in lowering the glycemic index of a food in a dose-responsive manner" - See PGX at Amazon.com.
• Magnesium Intake and Risk of Self-Reported Type 2 Diabetes among Japanese - J Am Coll Nutr. 2010 Apr;29(2):99-106 - "Dietary intake of magnesium was inversely associated with age- and body mass index (BMI)-adjusted diabetes incidence in both sexes. In multivariable analysis that adjusted further for cardiovascular risk factors, the association was weakened in both sexes, but the association in total participants remained statistically significant. The odds ratios of diabetes with reference to the lowest quartile of magnesium intake were 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69 to 1.09) for the second quartile, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.59 to 1.07) for the third quartile, and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.44 to 0.94) for the highest quartile of magnesium intake (p for trend = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intake of magnesium was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in Japanese populations" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• First human trial backs GS diabetes benefits - Nutra USA, 7/22/10 - "Their findings recorded an average reduction in fasting blood glucose from 162 +/- 23 to 119 +/- 17 mg/dL. After eating, blood glucose levels were found to have reduced from 291 +/-10 to 236 +/-30 mg/dL" - See gymnema sylvestre at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D levels and mortality in type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2010 Jul 6 - "All-cause mortality was increased in patients with severe vitamin D deficiency; HR [95% CI] 1.96 [1.29-2.98] ... Severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality; HR 1.95 [1.11-3.44]" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Hemoglobin A1c between 5.7 and 6.4% as a marker for identifying pre-diabetes, insulin sensitivity and secretion, and cardiovascular risk factors: The Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) - Diabetes Care. 2010 Jun 23 - "impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) ... impaired fasting glucose (IFG) ... A1C(5.7-6.4%) is less sensitive for detecting at-risk individuals than IFG and IGT, particularly among non-Hispanic whites. Single determinations of FPG and 2-h PG appear more precise correlates of insulin resistance and secretion than A1C and in general better for other metabolic disorders"
• Poor control of diabetes may be linked to low vitamin D - Science Daily, 6/21/10 - "Despite receiving regular primary care visits before referral to the endocrine clinic, 91 percent of patients had either vitamin D deficiency (defined as a level below 15 nanograms per deciliter, or ng/dL) or insufficiency (15 to 31 ng/dL) ... Additionally, the investigators found an inverse relationship between the patients' blood levels of vitamin D and their hemoglobin A1c value, a measure of blood sugar control over the past several months. Lower vitamin D levels were discovered in patients with higher average blood sugars as measured by HbA1c" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Replacing white rice with brown rice or other whole grains may reduce diabetes risk - Science Daily, 6/14/10 - "replacing 50 grams of white rice (just one third of a typical daily serving) with the same amount of brown rice would lower risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%. The same replacement with other whole grains, such as whole wheat and barley, was associated with a 36% reduced risk" - See brown rice pasta at Amazon.com.
• Do high ferritin levels confer lower cardiovascular risk in men with Type 2 diabetes? - Diabet Med. 2010 Apr;27(4):417-22 - "were divided according to ferritin quartiles (Q) as follows: QI-III, normal ferritin (NF; n = 318), mean +/- 1 sd ferritin 133 +/- 72 ng/ml; and QIV patients, high ferritin (HF; n = 106), ferritin 480 +/- 228 ng/ml ... the prevalence of macroangiopathy was unexpectedly much lower in patients with high ferritin, as follows: 25% vs. 43% for overall macroangiopathy; 7% vs. 16% for peripheral artery disease; and 16% vs. 31% for coronary artery disease (P = 0.0009, P = 0.0140 and P = 0.0035, respectively, vs. NF patients). Insulin resistance index and prevalence of liver steatosis were higher in HF compared with NF patients as follows: 2.17% vs. 1.89% and 78% vs. 64% (P = 0.0345 and P = 0.0059, respectively). Liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase) were significantly higher in HF, by 33%, 42% and 72%, respectively (all P < 0.0002), suggesting a higher prevalence of steatohepatitis ... Our results demonstrate that T2DM males with high ferritin levels exhibit a markedly decreased prevalence of macroangiopathy, despite more severe insulin resistance and higher markers of steatohepatitis. High ferritin levels and/or steatosis may thus paradoxically confer a lowered cardiovascular risk in diabetic males" - See Slow Fe Slow Release Iron Tablets 90-Count Box at Amazon.com.
• Treatment of gum disease may lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 5/12/10 - "Current belief is that, when bacteria infect the mouth and cause inflammation, the resulting chemical changes reduce the effectiveness of insulin produced in the body, thus making it more difficult for diabetics to control their blood sugar"
• New evidence that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of diabetes - Science Daily, 6/9/10 - "The scientists fed either water or coffee to a group of laboratory mice commonly used to study diabetes. Coffee consumption prevented the development of high-blood sugar and also improved insulin sensitivity in the mice, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes. Coffee also caused a cascade of other beneficial changes in the fatty liver and inflammatory adipocytokines related to a reduced diabetes risk. Additional lab studies showed that caffeine may be "one of the most effective anti-diabetic compounds in coffee,""
• Grapes reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, animal study shows - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "After three months, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and reduced indicators of inflammation in the heart and the blood than rats who received no grape powder. Rats also had lower triglycerides and improved glucose tolerance" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95, 100 mg, 100 Capsules.
• Whole Grains Take a Bite Out of Type 2 Diabetes Risk - US News and World Report, 3/25/10 - "people who ate five or more servings per week of white rice were 17 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving of white rice per month ... people who ate two or more servings of brown rice per week were 11 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving of brown rice per month ... We estimated that replacing 50 grams/day intake of white rice with the same amount of brown rice was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas the same replacement with whole grains as a group was associated with a 36 percent lower diabetes risk"
• Selenium protects men against diabetes, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/17/10 - "The role of selenium in diabetes has been controversial, with some studies suggesting that it raises diabetes risk and others finding that it is protective. Now, research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition and Metabolism, has shown that, for men, high plasma selenium concentrations are associated with a lower occurrence of dysglycemia ... for French elderly males, having plasma selenium concentrations in the top tertile of the population distribution (1.19-1.97 ��mol/L) was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing dysglycemia over the following nine years ... The reason we observed a protective effect of selenium in men but not in women is not completely clear, but might be attributed to women being healthier at baseline, having better antioxidant status in general and possible differences in how men and women process selenium" - [Nutra USA] - See selenium at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin improves insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of rats - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Mar 12 - "Curcumin improves muscular insulin resistance by increasing oxidation of fatty acid and glucose, which is, at least in part, mediated through LKB1-AMPK pathway" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.Curcumin improves insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of rats - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Mar 12 - "Curcumin improves muscular insulin resistance by increasing oxidation of fatty acid and glucose, which is, at least in part, mediated through LKB1-AMPK pathway" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Coffee consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in men and women with normal glucose tolerance: The Strong Heart Study - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Feb 17 - "Compared to those who did not drink coffee, participants who drank 12 or more cups of coffee daily had 67% less risk of developing diabetes during the follow-up (hazard ratio: 0.33, 95% confidence interval: 0.13, 0.81)"
• High levels of vitamin D in older people can reduce heart disease and diabetes - Science Daily, 2/16/10 - "Researchers looked at 28 studies including 99,745 participants across a variety of ethnic groups including men and women. The studies revealed a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33% compared to low levels of vitamin D), type 2 diabetes (55% reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51% reduction)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Anthocyanin-Rich Bilberry Extract Ameliorates Hyperglycemia and Insulin Sensitivity via Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in Diabetic Mice - J Nutr. 2010 Jan 20 - "Blueberries or bilberries contain large amounts of anthocyanins, making them one of the richest sources of dietary anthocyanin ... bilberry extract (BBE) ... Dietary BBE significantly reduced the blood glucose concentration and enhanced insulin sensitivity ... These findings provide a biochemical basis for the use of bilberry fruits and have important implications for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes via activation of AMPK" - See bilberry at Amazon.com.
• Examination of the Antiglycemic Properties of Vinegar in Healthy Adults - Ann Nutr Metab. 2010 Jan 4;56(1):74-79 - "Vinegar reduces postprandial glycemia (PPG) in healthy adults ... Two teaspoons of vinegar ( approximately 10 g) effectively reduced PPG, and this effect was most pronounced when vinegar was ingested during mealtime as compared to 5 h before the meal ... The antiglycemic properties of vinegar are evident when small amounts of vinegar are ingested with meals composed of complex carbohydrates. In these situations, vinegar attenuated PPG by approximately 20% compared to placebo" - See apple cider vinegar at Amazon.com - 1 Source Natural 500 mg tablet equals 2 tsb of vinegar.  4.5 tablets equals about 3 tablespoons by my calculations.
• Alpha-lipoic acid improves vascular endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes: a placebo-controlled randomized trial - Eur J Clin Invest. 2009 Dec 27 - "600 mg alpha-lipoic acid or placebo. Results FBF responses were comparable at baseline. After treatment, FBF reactivity to ACh and GTN was unchanged in subjects receiving placebo. By contrast, ALA treatment increased endothelium-dependent vasodilatation to ACh (P < 0.05) but not to GTN compared with baseline. Conclusions Intravenous ALA treatment improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in patients with type 2 diabetes, in the absence of effects on forearm vasomotor function. If this salutary action translates into vascular risk reduction remains to be established" - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Quality of HDL Differs in Diabetics But Improves With Niacin Therapy - Medscape, 12/22/09 - "HDL cholesterol in individuals with diabetes has impaired endothelial protective functions compared with the HDL from healthy subjects, although treatment with extended-release niacin can improve these endothelial protective effects" - See niacin at Amazon.com.
• Coffee, Tea May Stall Diabetes - WebMD, 12/14/09 - "researchers found each additional cup of coffee drunk per day was associated with a 7% lower risk of diabetes. People who drank three to four cups per day had about a 25% lower risk than those who drank two or fewer cups per day ... The study also showed that people who drank more than three to four cups of decaffeinated coffee per day had about a one-third lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t drink any ... Tea drinkers who drank more than three to four cups of tea per day had about a one-fifth lower risk of diabetes than those who didn’t drink tea" - [Science Daily] - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Pine bark extract may boost diabetic eye health - Nutra USA, 12/3/09 - "At the end of the study, 75 per cent of participants in the Pycnogenol group subjectively perceived improvements in their visual acuity. Tests showed a significant improvement in visual acuity from 14/20 to 17/20 after two months of Pycnogenol supplementations. No improvements were recorded in the placebo group" -  [Abstract] - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com or grape seed extract at Amazon.com (some say that the grapeseed extract is the same thing without the patent markup).
• Pycnogenol((R)) Improves Microcirculation, Retinal Edema and Visual Acuity in Early Diabetic Retinopathy - J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Nov 16 - "Results: The major positive observation of this study is the visual improvement, which was subjectively perceived by 18 out of 24 patients in the Pycnogenol group. Testing of visual acuity using the Snellen chart showed a significant improvement from baseline 14/20 to 17/20 already, after 2 months treatment, whereas no change was found in the control group. Conclusions: Pycnogenol taken at this early stage of retinopathy may enhance retinal blood circulation accompanied by regression of edema, which favorably improves vision of patients" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com or grape seed extract at Amazon.com (some say that the grapeseed extract is the same thing without the patent markup).
• Folic acid shows benefits for diabetic heart health - Nutra USA, 11/2/09 - "diabetic mice fed a daily folic acid supplement equivalent to 5 milligrams per day for a 70 kg human, led to a reversal in the dysfunction occurring in the lining of blood vessels (endothelial dysfunction), compared to a lower dose of the micronutrient" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D supplements show anti-diabetes potential - Nutra USA, 10/27/09 - "At the end of the test period, women in the vitamin D group experienced “significant improvements” in both insulin sensitivity and resistance, said the researchers, which was also accompanied a decrease in fasting insulin levels, compared to placebo" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D supplementation reduces insulin resistance in South Asian women living in New Zealand who are insulin resistant and vitamin D deficient - a randomised, placebo-controlled trial - Br J Nutr. 2009 Sep 28:1-7 - "In conclusion, improving vitamin D status in insulin resistant women resulted in improved IR and sensitivity, but no change in insulin secretion. Optimal vitamin D concentrations for reducing IR were shown to be 80-119 nmol/l, providing further evidence for an increase in the recommended adequate levels" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• 'Red Wine' Chemical May One Day Treat Diabetes - WebMD, 10/9/09 - "Resveratrol, found in red wine, was found to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin levels when injected directly into the brains of mice fed very high-calorie diets in a study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) ... resveratrol does not cross the blood-brain barrier very efficiently" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Future Diabetes Treatment May Use Resveratrol To Target The Brain - Science Daily, 10/6/09 - "the brain plays a key role in mediating resveratrol's anti-diabetic actions, potentially paving the way for future orally-delivered diabetes medications that target the brain ... Resveratrol activates sirtuins, a class of proteins that are thought to underlie many of the beneficial effects of calorie restriction" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• How Soy Reduces Diabetes Risk - Science Daily, 10/6/09 - "They found that daidzein and equol enhanced adipocyte differentiation, or the formation of fat cells, through activation of a key transcription regulator, the same receptor that mediates the insulin-sensitizing effects of anti-diabetes drugs. Thus, daidzein and equol daidzein and equol seem to work in a similar manner as anti-diabetic drugs currently in the market"
• Coffee and tea consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes - Diabetologia. 2009 Sep 1 - "After adjustment for potential confounders, coffee and tea consumption were both inversely associated with type 2 diabetes, with hazard ratios of 0.77 (95% CI 0.63-0.95) for 4.1-6.0 cups of coffee per day (p for trend = 0.033) and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.47-0.86) for >5.0 cups of tea per day (p for trend = 0.002). Total daily consumption of at least three cups of coffee and/or tea reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by approximately 42%"
• Why Low Vitamin D Raises Heart Disease Risks In Diabetics - Science Daily, 8/21/09 - "Low levels of vitamin D are known to nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes ... When people are deficient in vitamin D, the macrophage cells eat more cholesterol, and they can't get rid of it. The macrophages get clogged with cholesterol and become what scientists call foam cells, which are one of the earliest markers of atherosclerosis" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Carnitine Supplements Reverse Glucose Intolerance In Animals - Science Daily, 8/17/09 - "After just eight weeks of supplementation with carnitine, the obese rats restored their cells' fuel- burning capacity (which was shut down by a lack of natural carnitine) and improved their glucose tolerance, a health outcome that indicates a lower risk of diabetes ... These results offer hope for a new therapeutic option for people with glucose intolerance, older people, people with kidney disease, and those with type 2 diabetes (what used to be called adult-onset diabetes) ... Carnitine is a natural compound known for helping fatty acids enter the mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, where fatty acids are "burned" to give cells energy for their various tasks. Carnitine also helps move excess fuel from cells into the circulating blood, which then redistributes this energy source to needier organs or to the kidneys for removal" - See l-carnitine at Amazon.com.
• Resveratrol prevents hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction via activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Aug 7 - "Endothelial dysfunction secondary to persistent hyperglycemia plays a key role in the development of type 2 diabetic vascular disease ... These results provide new insight into the protective properties of resveratrol against endothelial dysfunction caused by high glucose, which is attributed to the AMPK mediated reduction of superoxide level" - Click here for a definition of endothelial dysfunction.  See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Effects of grape seed extract in Type 2 diabetic subjects at high cardiovascular risk: a double blind randomized placebo controlled trial examining metabolic markers, vascular tone, inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin sensitivity - Diabet Med. 2009 May;26(5):526-31 - "GSE significantly improved markers of inflammation and glycaemia and a sole marker of oxidative stress in obese Type 2 diabetic subjects at high risk of cardiovascular events over a 4-week period, which suggests it may have a therapeutic role in decreasing cardiovascular risk" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• Stopping Diabetes Damage With Vitamin C - Science Daily, 6/10/09 - "While neither therapy produced desired results when used alone, the combination of insulin to control blood sugar together with the use of Vitamin C, stopped blood vessel damage caused by the disease in patients with poor glucose control" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Long And Short Sleep Durations Are Associated With Increased Risk For Diabetes - Science Daily, 6/8/09 - "the adjusted odds ratio was 1.24 for diabetes associated with short sleep (five hours per night or less) and 1.48 for diabetes associated with long sleep (nine or more hours per night)"
• CoQ10 Improves Endothelial Dysfunction in Statin-Treated Type 2 Diabetics - Medscape, 5/29/09 - "Study subjects were randomized to receive either 200 mg/day of oral CoQ10 or placebo for 12 weeks ... Our absolute improvement in FMD of 1% with CoQ10 supplementation may potentially translate to a 10-25% reduction in residual cardiovascular risk in these patients" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.
• Omega Fatty Acid Balance Can Alter Immunity And Gene Expression - Science Daily, 5/29/09 - "Anthropological evidence suggests that human ancestors maintained a 2:1 w6/w3 ratio for much of history, but in Western countries today the ratio has spiked to as high as 10:1. Since these omega fatty acids can be converted into inflammatory molecules, this dietary change is believed to also disrupt the proper balance of pro- and anti- inflammatory agents, resulting in increased systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of problems including asthma, allergies, diabetes, and arthritis ... many key signaling genes that promote inflammation were markedly reduced compared to a normal diet, including a signaling gene for a protein called PI3K, a critical early step in autoimmune and allergic inflammation responses" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Tea For The Treatment Of Type-2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 5/5/09 - "The research subjects drank 750ml of tea each day. The cure appears to differentiate itself from other current type-2 diabetes treatments because the tea does not initially affect the sugar content of the blood. But after four months of treatment with tea we can, however, see a significant increase in glucose tolerance ... 'n the patient group who drank the tea, the number of polyunsaturated fatty acids increased. That is good for the body's cells because the polyunsaturated fat causes the cell membranes to be more permeable, which results in the cells absorbing glucose better from the blood" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Recipe for Diabetes: Too Much Protein, Fat - WebMD, 4/7/09 - "A high-fat diet may lead to insulin resistance, a major step on the path to type 2 diabetes. But cutting back on fat may not help those who continue to eat too much protein"
• Diabetics On High-fiber Diets Might Need Extra Calcium - Science Daily, 3/24/09 - "Our new findings suggest that dietary fiber reduces the body's capacity to absorb calcium"
• Consuming A Little Less Salt Could Mean Fewer Deaths - Science Daily, 3/11/09 - "Participants who slept on average less than six hours a night during the work week, when followed over six years, were 4.56 times more likely than those getting six to eight hours of sleep to convert from normal blood sugar levels to impaired fasting glucose"
• Low Vitamin D Hurts Teenagers’ Hearts - WebMD, 3/11/09 - "Compared to the 25% of teens with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood (more than 26 nanograms per milliliter), the 25% of teens with the lowest vitamin D levels (less than 15 ng/mL) had: ... Fourfold greater risk of metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors for diabetes ... 2.54 times greater risk of high blood sugar ... 2.36 times greater risk of high blood pressure" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Brief, Rigorous Exercise Cuts Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 1/27/09 - "doing a few intense muscle exercises, each lasting only about 30 seconds, dramatically improves your metabolism in just two weeks"
• Low Glycemic Diets Help Diabetics Control Blood Sugar, Review Suggests - Science Daily, 1/2/0/09 - "Clinicians measured hemoglobin A1c levels, which give a picture of a person's blood glucose control over several weeks or months. The reviewers found that levels decreased by 0.5 percent with a low GI diet, noting that the findings were significant, both statistically and clinically"
• Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Is Associated with Markers of the Insulin Resistant Phenotype in Nondiabetic Adults - J Nutr. 2008 Dec 23 - "Among adults without diabetes, vitamin D status was inversely associated with surrogate fasting measures of insulin resistance. These results suggest that vitamin D status may be an important determinant for type 2 diabetes mellitus" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Treating Gum Disease Linked To Lower Medical Costs For Patients With Diabetes - Science Daily, 12/23/08 - "treating gum disease in patients who have diabetes with procedures such as cleanings and periodontal scaling is linked to 10 to 12 percent lower medical costs per month"
• Low-glycemic Diet Shows Greater Improvement In Glycemic Control Than High-fiber Diet - Science Daily, 12/16/08
• Low-Glycemic Index Diet for Diabetes - WebMD, 12/16/08
• Nearly Three-quarters Of Youths With Diabetes Insufficient In Vitamin D - Science Daily, 12/15/08 - "Three-quarters of youths with type 1 diabetes were found to have insufficient levels of vitamin D, according to a study by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center – findings that suggest children with the disease may need vitamin D supplementation to prevent bone fragility later in life" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Ferritin Levels Linked With Risk of Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 12/22/08 - "Elevated circulating ferritin concentrations are independently associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly Chinese subjects ... Men and women had median ferritin concentrations of 155.7 ng/mL and 111.9 ng/mL, respectively (p < 0.001). Compared to patients in the lowest ferritin quartile, those in the highest quartile had substantially higher odds ratios for metabolic syndrome (2.80) and diabetes (3.26)" - Iron supplements has been controversial for years.  I started taking it again because my ferritin was 11.9.
• Vitamin B1 Could Reverse Early-stage Kidney Disease In Diabetes Patients - Science Daily, 12/8/08 - "the team show 300 mg of thiamine taken orally each day for three months reduced the rate of albumin excretion in type 2 diabetes patients. The albumin excretion rate was decreased by 41% from the value at the start of the study. The results also showed 35% of patients with microalbuminuria saw a return to normal urinary albumin excretion after being treated with thiamine .... were randomly assigned a placebo or 3 x 100mg tablets of thiamine a day for three months"
• Vitamin E Shows Possible Promise In Easing Chronic Inflammation - Science Daily, 12/4/08 - "the larger take-home message of the study, published in the December issue of the journal Experimental Physiology, is that Vitamin E “may be beneficial in individuals with chronic inflammation, such as the elderly or patients with type II diabetes or chronic heart failure" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.
• Potassium Loss From Blood Pressure Drugs May Explain Higher Risk Of Adult Diabetes - Science Daily, 11/24/08 - "a drop in blood potassium levels caused by diuretics commonly prescribed for high blood pressure could be the reason why people on those drugs are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Green Tea May Delay Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes - Science Daily, 10/23/08 - "EGCG modulates several important genes, so it suppresses the abnormality at the molecular level in the salivary gland. It also significantly lowered the serum autoantibodies, reducing the severity of Sjogren's syndrome-like symptoms ... Autoantibodies are antibodies the body makes against itself ... Both type 1 diabetes and Sjogren's syndrome are autoimmune diseases, which cause the body to attack itself" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Coffee Drinking May Help Protect Against Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 10/9/08 - "Compared with participants who reported not drinking coffee daily, those who reported drinking 4 or more cups of coffee daily had a 30% reduction in the risk for diabetes ... Compared with participants who reported not drinking black tea daily, those who reported drinking 1 or more cups of black tea daily had a suggestive 14% reduction in the risk for diabetes ... There was no apparent association with green tea"
• Adiponectin May Be a Marker for Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 9/3/08 - "Adiponectin levels were associated with a significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes in multivariate models that adjusted for body mass index (BMI). For the highest quintiles vs the lowest quintiles, odds ratio (OR) was 0.17 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12 - 0.25) for total adiponectin and 0.10 (95% CI, 0.06 - 0.15) for high-molecular-weight adiponectin. Even after adjustment for total adiponectin, a higher ratio of high-molecular-weight adiponectin to total adiponectin was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.31 - 0.65) "
• Broccoli Could Reverse The Heart Damaging Effects Of Diabetes - Science Daily, 8/26/08 - "Our study suggests that compounds such as Sulforaphane from broccoli may help counter processes linked to the development of vascular disease in diabetes"
• Effect of vitamin K supplementation on insulin resistance in older men and women - Diabetes Care. 2008 Aug 12 - "The effect of 36-month vitamin K supplementation on HOMA-IR differed by sex (sex-by-treatment interaction: P = 0.02). HOMA-IR was statistically significantly lower at the 36-month visit among men in the supplement group vs. the men in the control group (P = 0.01) after adjustment for baseline HOMA-IR, BMI, and body weight change. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome measures between intervention groups in women ... Vitamin K supplementation for 36 months at doses attainable in the diet may reduce progression of insulin resistance in older men" - See vitamin K at Amazon.com.
• Broccoli can reverse diabetic heart damage, say researchers - Nutra USA, 8/8/08 - "Our study suggests that compounds such as Sulforaphane from broccoli may help counter processes linked to the development of vascular disease in diabetes ... Published in the journal Diabetes Care, the epidemiological study of 71,346 female nurses found for every additional serving of green leafy vegetables, the risk of developing diabetes may be reduced by almost 10 per cent" - [Abstract]
• Activation of NF-E2-related factor-2 reverses biochemical dysfunction of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia linked to vascular disease - Diabetes. 2008 Aug 4 - "Sulforaphane (SFN) is an activator of transcription factor NF-E2-related factor-2 (nrf2) that regulates gene expression through the promoter antioxidant response element (ARE). Nrf2 regulates the transcription of a battery of protective and metabolic enzymes ... We conclude that activation of nrf2 may prevent biochemical dysfunction and related functional responses of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia in which increased expression of transketolase has a pivotal role" - [Nutra USA]
• Vitamin C may help lower diabetes risk - MSNBC, 8/7/08 - "the likelihood of developing diabetes was 62 percent lower in men and women with the highest circulating vitamin C levels, relative to men and women with the lowest vitamin C levels" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin C-rich diet may slash diabetes risk - Nutra USA, 7/29/08 - "Increased blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 62 per cent ... Correlating blood levels of vitamin C and diabetes, the researchers found that men and women with the highest blood levels (at least 1.10 and 1.29 mg/dL, respectively) had a 62 per cent reduction in their risk of developing type-2 diabetes, compared to men and women with the lowest blood levels (less than 0.56 and 0.77 mg/dL, respectively)" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Green Vegetables, Fruit Intake Linked to Lower Risk for Diabetes in Women - Medscape, 7/8/09 - "Women who have a higher intake of green leafy vegetables and fruit have a lower risk for type 2 diabetes, whereas those who have a higher intake of fruit juices may have an increased risk for the disease ... An increase of 3 servings of total fruit and vegetable consumption per day was not linked to the development of diabetes (multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94 -1.05), However, an increase in whole fruit consumption of 3 servings per day was associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes (HR, 0.82 ... An increase of 1 serving per day of green leafy vegetables was linked to a slightly lower hazard of diabetes (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84 - 0.98). In contrast, an increase of 1 serving per day of fruit juice consumption was associated with an increased risk for diabetes (HR, 1.18"
• Advanced glycation end products and diabetic foot disease - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2008 May-Jun;24 Suppl 1:S19-24 - "recent clinical studies have shown that the AGE-breakers may be able to decrease adverse vascular effects of glycation with few side effects"
• Cure Diabetes Surgically? - Dr. Weil, 6/12/08
• Common Cooking Spice Found In Curry Shows Promise In Combating Diabetes And Obesity - Science Daily, 6/20/08 - "turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin, the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Chromium ingredient may have diabetes benefits: study - Nutra USA, 6/11/08 - "This suggests that [niacin-bound chromium] is more effective form of [chromium (III) ion] in preventing vascular inflammation in diabetic rats, and thereby, can potentially reduce risk of CVD in diabetes ... ChromeMate is also highly effective in helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels and body weight, which is important for people with diabetes. Given the close link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, ChromeMate represents a triple benefit in promoting good health" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Sun Exposure And Vitamin D Levels May Play Strong Role In Risk Of Type 1 Diabetes In Children - Science Daily, 6/5/08 - "This research suggests that childhood type 1 diabetes may be preventable with a modest intake of vitamin D3 (1000 IU/day) for children, ideally with 5 to 10 minutes of sunlight around noontime, when good weather allows"
• The Traditional Mediterranean Diet Protects Against Diabetes, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 5/30/08 - "A high adherence to the diet was associated with an 83% relative reduction in the risk of developing diabetes"
• Red Wine Could Benefit Patients With Diabetes - Medscape, 5/16/08 - "New research suggests that resveratrol, a chemical commonly found in red wine, has the ability to lower blood-sugar levels, but it might also produce certain unpleasant adverse effects ... The concern is that you could lower glucose in diabetics but at the same time. . . [lower] glucose levels in the brain or in other important tissues" - Does that last part make sense?  Is there anything that selectively lowers blood-sugar, i. e., lowers the blood without the brain?  And isn't it the high blood sugar in the brain that they believe is the reason the Alzheimer's rate is so high in diabetics?  And isn't it the advance glycation end products that are partly responsible for damage to important tissues?  Sounds like a biased article to me.  See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Pine bark extract may boost diabetics' heart health - Nutra USA, 5/12/08 - "recruited diabetic subjects with an average age of 60 and randomly assigned them to receive daily supplements of Pycnogenol (125 mg) or placebo for 12 weeks ... All subjects were receiving pharmaceutical anti-hypertension treatment (angiotensin- converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors) ... 58.3 per cent of subjects in the Pycnogenol group experienced blood pressure control, defined as attaining a stable systolic blood pressure, compared to 20.8 per cent in the placebo group ... use of ACE inhibitors was reduced by 50 per cent in the group receiving the pine bark extract ... a 23.7 mg/dL reduction in fasting blood glucose levels in the Pycnogenol group, compared to only 5.7 mg/dL in the placebo group" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.
• Effects of niacin on glucose control in patients with dyslipidemia - Mayo Clin Proc. 2008 Apr;83(4):470-8 - "the effects of niacin (</=2.5 g/d), alone or in combination with statins, on fasting glucose (an increase of 4%-5%) and hemoglobin A1c levels (an increase of </=0.3%) are modest, transient or reversible, and typically amenable to adjustments in oral hypoglycemic regimens without discontinuing niacin. Niacin therapy was infrequently associated with incident diabetes or the need for new insulin prescriptions. Studies showed important clinical benefits of niacin or niacin-statin regimens despite modest effects on glucose control. On a population basis, significant reductions in incidences of cardiovascular events and the degree of atherosclerotic progression associated with long-term niacin (or niacin-statin) therapy in patients with diabetic dyslipidemia outweigh the typically mild effects of this therapy on glycemic regulation"
• Red Wine, Tea, May Help Regulate Blood Sugar In Type 2 Diabetics, Research Suggests - Science Daily, 4/2/08 - "Both red and white wines were tested in the laboratory using in vitro enzyme studies to determine how well they could inhibit the activity of a target enzyme called alpha-glucosidase, responsible for triggering the absorption of glucose by the small intestine. Red wine was the winner, able to inhibit the enzyme by nearly 100 percent. Values for white wine hovered around 20 percent ... red wine contains roughly ten times more polyphenolics than white wine"
• Grape Skin Compound Fights The Complications Of Diabetes - Science Daily, 3/20/08 - "resveratrol, a compound present naturally in grape skin, can protect against the cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high production of glucose in diabetes" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D May Cut Child Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 3/12/08 - "giving infants vitamin D supplements cuts their risk of type 1 diabetes by 29% ... infants in wintry Finland are 400 times more likely than a child in sunny Venezuela to have childhood diabetes" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D improves endothelial function in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and low vitamin D levels - Diabet Med. 2008 Feb 13 - "Vitamin D supplementation significantly decreased systolic blood pressure by 14 mmHg compared with placebo ... Vitamin D insufficiency is common in patients with Type 2 diabetes during winter in Scotland. A single large dose of oral vitamin D2 improves endothelial function in patients with Type 2 diabetes and vitamin D insufficiency" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• R-alpha-Lipoic acid and acetyl-L: -carnitine complementarily promote mitochondrial biogenesis in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes - Diabetologia. 2008 Jan;51(1):165-74 - "Treatments with the combination of LA and ALC at concentrations of 0.1, 1 and 10 mumol/l for 24 h significantly increased mitochondrial mass, expression of mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial complexes, oxygen consumption and fatty acid oxidation in 3T3L1 adipocytes. These changes were accompanied by an increase in expression of Pparg, Ppara and Cpt1a mRNA, as well as increased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma coactivator 1 alpha (Ppargc1a), mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) and nuclear respiratory factors 1 and 2 (Nrf1 and Nrf2). However, the treatments with LA or ALC alone at the same concentrations showed little effect on mitochondrial function and biogenesis" - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com and acetyl l-carnitine at Amazon.com.
• Lipoic acid and carnitine combo show diabetes potential - Nutra USA, 2/18/08 - [Abstract] - "the combination of LA and LCAR increased the mass, oxygen consumption, mitochondrial DNA expression, and fatty acid oxidation in the fat cells ... However, the treatments with LA or ALC alone at the same concentrations showed little effect on mitochondrial function and biogenesis ... Lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine have become very hot after our reports on the complementary effects on improving memory and ambulatory activity in old rats" - See acetyl l-carnitine products at Amazon.com and alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Caffeine Bad for Diabetes - WebMD, 1/28/08 - "On the days the patients took caffeine, their blood-sugar levels were 8% higher ... Caffeine increases blood glucose by as much as oral diabetes medications decrease it ... Lane warns against reading too much into this small, 10-patient study ... Several studies have found that coffee drinkers -- especially those who drink a lot of coffee -- have a lower risk of diabetes than do other people. So how can coffee both protect against diabetes and worsen diabetes? ... it is becoming increasingly clear it is not the caffeine that is beneficial. The picture is now evolving where we see that some other components of coffee besides caffeine may be beneficial in long-term in reduction of diabetes risk"
• How Antioxidant Therapy May Play A Role In The Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 1/11/08 - "Mice fed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) developed insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes ... mitochondrial defects were present in diabetic, but not pre-diabetic glucose intolerant, mice ... ROS production coincided with mitochondrial dysfunction, and antioxidant treatment blocked the mitochondrial alterations in muscle cells"
• The Canadian Trial of Carbohydrates in Diabetes (CCD), a 1-y controlled trial of low-glycemic-index dietary carbohydrate in type 2 diabetes: no effect on glycated hemoglobin but reduction in C-reactive protein - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):114-25 - "In subjects with T2DM managed by diet alone with optimal glycemic control, long-term HbA(1c) was not affected by altering the GI or the amount of dietary carbohydrate. Differences in total:HDL cholesterol among diets had disappeared by 6 mo. However, because of sustained reductions in postprandial glucose and CRP, a low-GI diet may be preferred for the dietary management of T2DM"
• Legume and soy food intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Shanghai Women's Health Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):162-7 - "The multivariate-adjusted relative risk of type 2 DM for the upper quintile compared with the lower quintile was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.74) for total legumes and 0.53 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.62) for soybeans"
• Fish Oil Supplements Cut Adiposity in Type 2 Diabetics - Medscape, 1/3/08 - "Two months of daily fish oil supplements reduces adiposity and atherogenic markers in women with type 2 diabetes" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 shows benefits for fat loss in diabetics - Nutra USA, 12/13/07 - "either daily supplements of fish oil (three grams, providing 1.8 grams of omega-3) or placebo (paraffin oil) for two months ... At the end of the study, Kabir and co-workers report significant reductions in total fat mass and the diameter of fat cells beneath the surface of the skin (subcutaneous adipocytes) in the omega-3, but not the placebo, group ... risk factors for plaque formation in the arteries (atherogenic markers), such as triacylglycerol levels and the ration of triacylglycerol to HDL ('good') cholesterol, were significantly lower as a result of omega-3 supplementation" - [Abstract] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Treatment for 2 mo with n 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces adiposity and some atherogenic factors but does not improve insulin sensitivity in women with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1670-9 - "A moderate dose of n-3 PUFAs for 2 mo reduced adiposity and atherogenic markers without deterioration of insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Some adipose tissue inflammation-related genes were also reduced. These beneficial effects could be linked to morphologic and inflammatory changes in adipose tissue" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Vinegar at Bedtime Moderates Waking Glucose Level in Type 2 Diabetics - Medscape, 12/4/07 - "The investigators report that the vinegar treatment was especially effective for subjects with a typical fasting glucose greater than 7.2 mmol/L (n = 6). Fasting glucose in these participants was reduced 6% compared with a reduction of 0.7% in those with a typical fasting glucose less than 7.2 mmol/L" - See apple cider vinegar at Amazon.com.  1 Source Natural 500 mg tablet equals 2 tsb of vinegar.  4.5 tablets equals about 3 tablespoons by my calculations.
• Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Cereal Fiber Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Black Women - Arch Intern Med. 2007 Nov 26;167(21):2304-9 - "Increasing cereal fiber in the diet may be an effective means of reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, a disease that has reached epidemic proportions in black women"
• Prospective Study of Dietary Carbohydrates, Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Middle-aged Chinese Women - Arch Intern Med. 2007 Nov 26;167(21):2310-6 - "High intake of foods with a high glycemic index and glycemic load, especially rice, the main carbohydrate-contributing food in this population, may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese women"
• High-glycemic Index Carbohydrates Associated With Risk For Developing Type 2 Diabetes In Women - Science Daily, 11/26/07 - "Our results indicate that black women can reduce their risk of diabetes by eating a diet that is high in cereal fiber ... In another study ... Women who consumed more carbohydrates overall were more likely to develop diabetes--when they were split into five groups based on carbohydrate intake, those in the group consuming the most (about 337.6 grams per day) had a 28 percent higher risk than those in the group consuming the least (about 263.5 grams per day). Women who ate diets with a higher glycemic index and who ate more staples such as bread, noodles and rice specifically also had an increased risk. Women who ate 300 grams or more of rice per day were 78 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those who ate less than 200 grams per day"
• Vitamin E Could Help 40% Of Diabetics Ward Off Heart Attacks - Science Daily, 11/23/07 - "After 18 months of treatment, people with the haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene who took 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin E daily had more than 50 percent fewer heart attacks, strokes, and related deaths than Hp 2-2 patients who took a placebo pill. 40% of individuals with diabetes carry the Hp 2-2 gene" - Note:  Only the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E is measured in IUs and I'm leery of only taking that form.  See my vitamin E page for more information.  See:
  • Effect of oral supplementation with D-alpha-tocopherol on the vitamin E content of human low density lipoproteins and resistance to oxidation - J Lipid Res. 1991 Aug;32(8):1325-32 - "gamma-Tocopherol significantly decreased in plasma and LDL during vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) supplementation" - See See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at Amazon.com.
• Higher Vitamin D Levels May Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 11/19/07 - "During a 17-year follow-up of a Finnish cohort of approximately 4,000 men and women, researchers demonstrated that individuals with a higher serum vitamin D level had a 40% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with lower values" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Can Calcium & Vitamin D Reduce Diabetes Risk? - Physician's Weekly, 11/19/07 - "found a relatively consistent association between low vitamin D status, calcium or dairy intake, and prevalent type 2 diabetes based on the utilization of vitamin D and/or calcium supplementation ... a combination of vitamin D and calcium supplements may play a role in type 2 diabetes prevention particularly in high-risk populations"
• Phenotype of subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus may determine clinical response to chromium supplementation - Metabolism. 2007 Dec;56(12):1652-5 - "Sixty-three percent of the subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus responded to the Cr treatment as compared with 30% with placebo ... Subject phenotype appears to be very important when assessing the clinical response to Cr because baseline insulin sensitivity was found to account for nearly 40% of the variance in the clinical response to Cr"
• Genistein and daidzein prevent diabetes onset by elevating insulin level and altering hepatic gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzyme activities in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 Oct 11 - "Blood glucose levels of genistein and daidzein groups were 40 and 36% of control value at the end of study (9th week). The genistein and daidzein supplements increased insulin/glucagon ratio and C-peptide level with preservation of insulin staining beta-cell of pancreas in the NOD mice ... The supplementation of genistein and daidzein are seemingly helpful for preventing IDDM onset"
• Red Wine Compound May Curb Diabetes - WebMD, 10/2/07 - "Resveratrol curbs insulin resistance in mice ... According to our findings, people might need to drink about three liters of red wine each day to get sufficient resveratrol -- about 15 milligrams -- for its biological effects" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 May Lower Type 1 Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 9/25/07 - "Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fats may help keep high-risk children from developing type 1 diabetes" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Glucose Benefits of Wine in Diabetics - Medscape, 9/21/07 - "At the end of three months, 91 subjects remained in the study; those in the alcohol-intervention group experienced a statistically significant drop in fasting plasma glucose, from a mean of 139.6 mg/dL to 118 mg/dL"
• Study: The Best Exercise for Diabetes - Time, 9/18/07 - "Compared with controls, patients in the aerobic group had a reduction of .51% in their hemoglobin A1C values — a test that measures blood-sugar control over the previous two to three months (lower is better). The weight-training group had a .38% reduction compared with controls. But the combined exercise group showed further improvements: in those patients, the A1C values went down an additional .46% over the aerobic group, and .59% over the weight-training group. Compared to controls, the combo exercisers had a nearly 1% lower A1C reading"
• Vitamin B1 Deficiency Key To Vascular Problems For Diabetic Patients, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 8/7/07 - "thiamine concentration in blood plasma was decreased 76% in type 1 diabetic patients and 75% in type 2 diabetic patients ... the decreased availability of thiamine in vascular cells in diabetes was linked to a marker of microvascular and macrovascular complications"
• Magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis - J Intern Med. 2007 Aug;262(2):208-14 - "The overall relative risk for a 100 mg day(-1) increase in magnesium intake was 0.85"
• Flavonoids in Orange Juice Make It a Healthy Drink, Despite the Sugar - Doctor's Guide, 7/17/07 - "the two types of flavonoids in orange juice -- hesperetin and naringenin -- inhibited ROS generation by 52% and 77%, respectively ... Our data are relevant to patients with diabetes ... because stress from ROS and inflammation are increased significantly in this population and may contribute to development of atherosclerosis"
• Vitamin C 'benefits diabetics' - BBC News, 6/28/07 - "Vitamin C neutralises free radicals, while Telmisarten stimulates the natural removal of the molecules by cells"
• Can Blindness Be Prevented Through Diet? - Science Daily, 6/24/07 - "Increasing intake of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, found in popular fish-oil supplements, may protect against blindness resulting from abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye ... Mice on the omega-3 diet, rich in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and its precursor EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), had less initial vessel loss in the retina than the omega-6-fed mice: the area with vessel loss was 40 to 50 percent smaller" - See Mega Twinlab Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com or Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Effect of Chromium Supplementation on Glucose Metabolism and Lipids: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials - Diabetes Care. 2007 May 22 - "There was no benefit in individuals without diabetes ... Chromium supplementation significantly improved glycemia among patients with diabetes" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Fiber May Fight Diabetes - WebMD, 5/15/07
• Grain Fiber And Magnesium Intake Associated With Lower Risk For Diabetes - Science Daily, 5/14/07 - "those who consumed the most cereal fiber had a 33 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who took in the least, while those who consumed the most magnesium had a 23 percent lower risk than those who consumed the least. There was no association between fruit or vegetable fiber and diabetes risk"
• Muesli with 4 g oat beta-glucans lowers glucose and insulin responses after a bread meal in healthy subjects - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Apr 4 - "Muesli enriched with 4 g of beta-glucans reduces postprandial glucose and insulin levels to a breakfast based on high glycaemic index products. A total of 4 g of beta-glucans from oats seems to be a critical level for a significant decrease in glucose and insulin responses in healthy people"
• Exercise Pivotal In Preventing And Fighting Type II Diabetes - Science Daily, 2/9/07 - "A new study at the University of Missouri-Columbia says that acute exercise - as little as 15 minutes a day - can have a profound influence on preventing and fighting the disease"
• The Effects of Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Glucose and Markers of Inflammation in Non-diabetic Adults - Diabetes Care. 2007 Feb 2 - "Among participants with IFG at baseline those who took combined calcium-vitamin D supplements had a lower rise in FPG at 3 years compared to those on placebo"
• More support for beta-glucan’s anti-diabetes benefits - Nutra USA, 1/3/07
• Research Affirms the Benefits of Combination of Chromium Picolinate and Biotin for Improving Blood Sugar in People with Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/06 - "The 30-day study examined 36 overweight or obese poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes taking Diachrome who were already receiving oral anti-diabetic drug(s). The results also showed a significantly greater reduction in the total area under the curve for glucose (AUCg) during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the treatment group (mean change -9.7%) compared with the placebo group (mean change +5.1%)"
• The Effect of Chromium Picolinate and Biotin Supplementation on Glycemic Control in Poorly Controlled Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blinded, Randomized Trial - Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec;8(6):636-643 - "randomized to receive 600 microg of chromium as chromium picolinate and biotin (2 mg/day) ... supplementation with a combination of chromium picolinate and biotin in poorly controlled patients with diabetes receiving antidiabetic therapy improved glucose management and several lipid measurements. Chromium picolinate/ biotin supplementation may represent an effective adjunctive nutritional therapy to people with poorly controlled diabetes with the potential for improving lipid metabolism" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com and biotin at Amazon.com.
• Chromium Picolinate Supplements Improve Glycemic Control - Physician's Weekly, 11/13/06 - "Patients who received 1,000 µg CrPic demonstrated significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and glucose control when compared with placebo. Patients in the CrPic arm also gained less weight (0.9 kg vs 2.2 kg) than those in the placebo arm and had a smaller increase in body fat (0.12% vs 1.17%)" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Milk Thistle May Help Treat Diabetes - WebMD, 10/31/06 - "At the study's start, the patients had similar blood sugar levels and blood sugar control ... But after taking the tablets for four months, the milk thistle group showed better blood sugar control and cholesterol and triglyceride levels" - See silymarin at Amazon.com.
• Milk thistle extract could help diabetes control - Nutra USA, 10/30/06 - "fasting glucose levels of the supplementation group decreased from 156 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL) of blood to 133 mg/dL, while the placebo group's fasting glucose levels increased from 167 to 188 mg/dL" - See silymarin at Amazon.com.
• Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations and carotid artery intima-media thickness among type 2 diabetic patients - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2006 Nov;65(5):593-597 - "The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D (i.e. 25(OH)D </= 37.5 nmol/l) was higher in diabetic patients (34.0 vs 16.4%, P < 0.001) than in controls. Among diabetic patients, those with hypovitaminosis D (n = 130) had a marked increase in common carotid IMT (1.10 +/- 0.15 vs 0.87 +/- 0.14 mm, P < 0.001) when compared with their vitamin d-sufficient counterparts (n = 260). These patients also had significantly higher haemoglobin A1c, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations. In multivariate regression analysis, low 25(OH)D concentrations independently predicted carotid IMT (P < 0.001) in people with type 2 diabetes after adjustment for classical risk factors, diabetes duration, HbA1c, calcium, renal function tests, inflammatory markers, use of medications, and presence of the metabolic syndrome" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Coffee May Protect Against Diabetes - WebMD, 10/25/06 - "After adjusting for other known diabetes risk factors, the researchers concluded that both past and current drinkers of caffeinated coffee had about a 60% reduction in diabetes risk, compared with study participants who never drank coffee ... A similar reduction in risk was seen among the roughly one-third of study participants with impaired glucose tolerance"
• Chromium for Diabetes: Evidence of Benefits Grows - New Hope Natural Media Online, 10/23/06 - "Compared with those who took glipizide and placebo, people taking glipizide plus chromium (500 mcg twice a day as chromium picolinate) experienced multiple benefits, including significantly improved insulin sensitivity, less weight gain, less abdominal fat, lower percent body fat, and lower glycohemoglobin (an indicator of sugar-induced damage to tissues caused by diabetes)"
• Silymarin, Might Help in Insulin Resistance, Cancer - thenutritionreporter.com
• Dietary Magnesium May Reduce Risk for Diabetes in Black Women - Medscape, 10/9/06 - "41,186 women enrolled in the Black Women's Health Study ... Higher magnesium intakes in the highest vs the lowest quintile were associated with lower incidence of diabetes mellitus with an adjusted HR of 0.69" - See magnesium at Amazon.com.
• Folic acid improves endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes--an effect independent of homocysteine-lowering - Vasc Med. 2006 May;11(2):101-9 - "2 weeks of folic acid supplementation can improve endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetics independent of homocysteine-lowering" - See folic acid at Amazon.com.
• Compound In Dairy Products Targets Diabetes - Science Daily, 8/4/06 - "Researchers first became interested in CLA when it was shown to inhibit a variety of cancers such as breast, skin and colon in mice, and further research showed effects on circulating cholesterol and inflammation ... he used CLA on mice prone to adult onset (Type-2) diabetes. Results indicated that the mice had an improvement in insulin action, and a decrease in circulating glucose" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.
• Chromium Improves Glycemic Control When Sulfonylurea Is Insufficient - Medscape, 8/3/06 - "By the end of the randomized treatment period, mean fasting glucose had decreased by 31.0 mg/dL in the CrPic group, which was significantly superior to the mean 11.3 mg/dL decrease in the placebo group ... Participants receiving placebo gained weight and percent body fat during the randomized treatment period, whereas subjects receiving CrPic experienced an increase in fat-free mass vs baseline. Only subjects receiving placebo had increases in total abdominal, visceral, and abdominal subcutaneous fat" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2006 Aug;29(8):1826-32 - "1,000 mug Cr as CrPic ... CrPic supplementation in subjects with type 2 diabetes who are taking sulfonylurea agents significantly improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control. Further, CrPic supplementation significantly attenuated body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation compared with the placebo group" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Low-Fat Vegan Diet May Treat Diabetes - WebMD, 7/26/06 - "43% of people with type 2 diabetes who followed a low-fat vegan diet for 22 weeks reduced their need to take medications to manage their disease compared with 26% of those who followed the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association"
• Exercise in Itself Improves Blood Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/24/06 - "exercise helps regulate blood glucose (sugar) levels, increases the body's sensitivity to insulin, and decreases blood lipids (fats) while also helping to burn body fat ... Participants who exercised had an overall decrease of 0.6% of A1c levels. While that may not sound like much, it represents a 30% improvement towards the goal of attaining an A1c of 7%, and a 20% improvement towards a normal A1c of 6%"
• Effects of weight loss on insulin sensitivity and arterial stiffness in overweight adults - Metabolism. 2006 Jul;55(7):907-11 - "In overweight adults, 6 months of weight loss resulted in improvements in body composition, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, and brachial artery compliance and distensibility"
• The influence of chromium chloride-containing milk to glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Metabolism. 2006 Jul;55(7):923-7 - "one group to receive chromium-containing milk powder (chromium 200 mug/20 g milk powder) and the other to receive placebo twice a day for 16 weeks ... The chromium group demonstrated a lower FPG and fasting insulin (-38.1 +/- 9.2 vs 63 +/- 8. 5 mg/dL and -1.7 +/- 0.2 vs 1.9 +/- 0.3 muU/mL, respectively"
• Vitamin D and calcium intake in relation to type 2 diabetes in women - Diabetes Care. 2006 Mar;29(3):650-6 - "A combined daily intake of >1,200 mg calcium and >800 IU vitamin D was associated with a 33% lower risk of type 2 diabetes with RR of 0.67 (0.49-0.90) compared with an intake of <600 mg and 400 IU calcium and vitamin D, respectively"
• Effect of chromium on the insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus - Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2005;47(3-4):59-62 - "We found a significant decrease of the immune-reactive insulin and the insulin resistance index after a two-month application of chromium 30 microg daily (1 tablet of chrome picolinate) ... Chromium included early in the complex therapy of diabetes is beneficial in the reduction of the degree of insulin resistance"
• Effect of nicotinamide on newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic children - Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2006 Jun;27(6):724-7 - "even low doses of oral NA given to children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes may reduce insulin requirements and prolong the honeymoon period"
• Dairy Products May Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men - Medscape, 5/10/06 - "An increase of 1 serving of dairy product per day was associated with a 9% reduced risk of developing DM"
• Fiber Good, and Not Just for Your Gut - WebMD, 4/13/06 - "the women who ate the oat fiber over the short three-day time period became significantly more sensitive to insulin"
• Insoluble fibre could protect against diabetes, more evidence - Nutra USA, 4/12/06 - "eating a fibre-enriched bread for only three days improved insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese women by eight per cent"
• Calcium, vitamin D may lower diabetes risk - Nutra USA, 4/3/06 - "A combined daily intake of more than 1,200 milligrams of calcium and more than 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D was associated with a 33 per cent lower risk of type-2 diabetes"
• Cereal fiber improves whole-body insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese women - Diabetes Care. 2006 Apr;29(4):775-80 - "Increased insoluble dietary fiber intake for 3 days significantly improved whole-body insulin sensitivity"
• Magnesium Lowers Heart, Diabetes Risks - WebMD, 3/27/06 - "people in the study who consumed the most magnesium had a 31% lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared with people who ate the least"
• Chromium supplement offers diabetes hope – animal study - Nutra USA, 2/7/06 - "Obese rats treated with chromium picolinate had significantly improved glucose disposal rates" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Coffee May Decrease Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes in Women - Medscape, 2/6/06 - "The RR of type 2 diabetes was 0.87 for 1 cup per day, 0.58 for 2 to 3 cups per day, and 0.53 for 4 or more cups per day vs no coffee consumption"
• Catalytic amounts of fructose may improve glucose tolerance in subjects with uncontrolled non-insulin-dependent diabetes - Clin Nutr. 2006 Jan 3 - "were assigned to either fructose or maltodextrin supplementation (7.5g) tri-daily after each main meal ... After 1 month fructosamin levels decreased in the fructose-supplemented group but not in the maltodextrin-supplemented group (P<0.052). Hgb(A1C) levels decreased with time in both groups but were significantly lower at 2 months in the fructose group as compared to the maltodextrin group" - See fructose at Amazon.com.
• Three-week Diet-Exercise Study Shows 50 Percent Reversal In Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 1/16/06 - "The study shows, contrary to common belief, that Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome can be reversed solely through lifestyle changes ... Participants did lose two to three pounds per week, but they were still obese after the 3-week study ... The daily diet was low fat (12-15% of calories), moderate protein (15-20% of calories), and high in unrefined carbohydrates (65-70% of calories) and fiber (more than 40 grams) ... Natural foods -- whole grains (five or more servings daily), vegetables (four or more servings), and fruits (three or more servings) -- were the main source of daily carbohydrates ... Aside from meat and dairy, the study participants could eat as much as they wanted"
• Controlling Blood Sugar with Cinnamon and Coffee Berry - Life Extension Magazine, 12/05
• Low Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes - Horm Metab Res. 2005 Nov;37(11):680-683 - "Mean levels of both 25OHD (3) and 1,25-(OH) (2)D (3) were significantly lower in patients compared to controls ... These findings suggest that vitamin D (3) may be an important pathogenic factor in type 1 diabetes"
• Study Results Show Diachrome(R) Improves Poorly-Controlled Blood Sugar Levels for People on Antidiabetic Prescription Medications - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/05 - "Study participants taking Diachrome with one or more antidiabetic medications saw an average range of 0.7 - 1.9% point reduction in HbA1c levels. The study also showed that insulin resistance was significantly reduced (P<0.05) in those taking thiazolidinediones and Diachrome ... Diachrome is a nutritional supplement specifically formulated for people with diabetes. It contains 600 mcg of chromium as Chromax(R) chromium picolinate and 2 mg of biotin" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com and biotin at Amazon.com.
• Vinegar may help dieters eat less - Nutra USA, 9/7/05 - "Both glucose and insulin responses were about 25 per cent lower at 90 minutes when the volunteers had consumed the highest level of vinegar compared to the reference meal ... This level of vinegar is equivalent to about two to three tablespoons"
• Adult Lifestyle Biggest Risk Factor For Diabetes, Study Finds - Science Daily, 7/5/05 - "Type 2 diabetes is strongly related to overweight and lack of physical activity, and accounts for 90% of all diabetes"
• High Blood Sugar - Life Extension Magazine, 7/05 - "Long-term consumption of foods with high glycemic loads is associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes and coronary heart disease.34  ... Why trade one insulin-raising nutrient for another? It is far safer, and just as nutritious, to decrease carbohydrates and maintain protein at a reasonable level, while increasing your intake of ‘good’ unsaturated fats.”35 If fewer carbohydrates are available, the body will convert protein to glucose. This is a much slower process, so shifting the balance between carbohydrates and proteins will reduce the risk of hyperglycemia"
• Coffee May Cut Type 2 Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 7/5/05 - "Those who drank four to six cups per day had a 28% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared with people who drank the least coffee"
• Aerobic Exercise Helps Find Genetic Regions Linked To Prediabetes - Science Daily, 7/5/05 - "At the end of the exercise program, the insulin sensitivity of the participants had improved overall--they needed to produce less insulin to handle the same amount of glucose intake"
• Supplemental Chromium Picolinate and Biotin Appear to Decrease Blood Glucose and Lipid Levels in Type 2 Diabetics: Presented at ADA - Doctor's Guide, 6/17/05 - "Our most important finding is that chromium picolinate and biotin help to decrease hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] values in poorly controlled diabetics ... 600 mcg chromium picolinate and biotin 2 mg/per day" - See biotin at Amazon.com.
• New Trial Shows Chromium Picolinate Reduces Weight Gain Associated with Diabetes Medication - Doctor's Guide, 6/16/05 - "The study participants who took 1,000 mcg of Chromax(R) chromium picolinate in combination with the antidiabetic medication experienced significantly lower body fat accumulation (0.12%) than the group taking medication and placebo (1.1%), particularly in the abdomen area. The study also found those taking chromium gained less weight" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D Supplementation Appears to Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Development in Women: Presented at ADA - Doctor's Guide, 6/13/05 - "When they compared the highest and lowest quintile cohorts of vitamin D intake from all sources, the researchers found the relative risk (RR) of type 2 diabetes was 0.72" - I read that as a 28% reduced risk.  See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Does Replacing DHEA Improve Insulin Sensitivity? - Physician's Weekly, 5/16/05 - "DHEA replacement “significantly increased [sulfated ester of DHEA], bioavailable testosterone, and androstenedione and reduced sex hormone–binding globulin levels.” The DHEA group also had lower fasting plasma insulin and glucagon levels. “DHEA also [significantly] reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol,”" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.
• Black Tea, Green Tea Good for Diabetes - WebMD, 4/20/05 - "Black and green tea represent a potentially inexpensive, nontoxic, and, in fact, pleasurable [blood-sugar-lowering] agent"
• Tea May Help Prevent Diabetes And Cataracts - Science Daily, 4/19/05 - "At levels that would be equivalent to less than five cups of tea per day for a human, both teas significantly inhibited cataract formation relative to a control group which did not get tea, they say. The researchers found that both teas decreased glucose levels, which in turn affects other biochemical pathways that accelerate diabetic complications such as cataracts" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Caffeine Tied to Blood Sugar Problems - WebMD, 3/9/05 - "caffeine reduced the men's ability to process blood sugar. It also interfered with insulin, the body's hormone that handles blood sugar ... But what about the studies that show that coffee may protect against type 2 diabetes ... Here's the catch. In the new study, caffeine came from a pill ... Coffee contains many other substances besides caffeine, such as potassium, antioxidants, and magnesium"
• Effect of L-carnitine on plasma glycemic and lipidemic profile in patients with type II diabetes mellitus - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Mar 02 - "fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ... FPG in the L-carnitine group decreased significantly from 143+/-35 to 130+/-33 mg/dl (P=0.03) ... after 12 weeks of treatment" - See l-carnitine at Amazon.com.
• Vinegar as a Sweet Solution? - Science News, 12/18/04 - "2 tablespoons of vinegar before a meal—perhaps, as part of a vinaigrette salad dressing—will dramatically reduce the spike in blood concentrations of insulin and glucose that come after a meal ... vinegar cut their blood-glucose rise in the first hour after a meal by about half ... a 2-pound weight loss, on average, over the 4 weeks in the vinegar group"
• What to take to keep diabetes at bay - Delicious Living, 12/04 - "Recent research suggests that magnesium keeps blood sugars from rising too high, thus staving off diabetes"
• Regular or Decaf, Coffee May Ward Off Diabetes - WebMD, 11/9/04 - "women who drank more than four cups of regular or decaffeinated coffee per day have significantly lower levels of a component of insulin than non-coffee drinkers ... This insulin component is called C-peptide"
• White Bread, Starchy Foods Linked to Diabetes - WebMD, 11/5/04 - "Participants who ate the most white bread -- more than 17 slices per week -- had the highest risk of diabetes ... A high-GI diet could also lead to insulin resistance (decreased ability for the body to respond to the hormone insulin), which can lead to diabetes ... participants who ate a lot of sugar, magnesium, and total carbohydrates had a lower risk of diabetes"
• Do Sweetened Sodas Lead to Diabetes? - Dr. Weil, 11/2/04
• Novel Fiber Limits Sugar Absorption - Life Extension Magazine, 9/04 - "With the introduction of a new highly viscous fiber blend trademarked under the name PGX™, it may now be possible to achieve the multiple documented benefits of fiber by swallowing only a few capsules before each meal. The longevity potential associated with reducing after-meal glucose and insulin blood levels, lowering total cholesterol and LDL, and losing some weight is enormous" - See PGX at Amazon.com PGX products.
• Effect of chromium supplementation on blood glucose and lipid levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus elderly patients - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2004 May;74(3):178-82 - "study group received 200 microg of chromium twice a day for a three-week period ... Significant differences in the fasting blood level of glucose compared to the baseline (190 mg/dL vs 150 mg/dL, p < 0.001) were found at the end of the study. HbA1c also improved from 8.2% to 7.6% (p < 0.01). Total cholesterol was also reduced from 235 mg/dL to 213 mg/dL (p < 0.02). A trend towards lowered triglyceride levels was also observed (152 mg/dL vs 136 mg/dL)" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Soy Benefits Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 8/3/04 - "Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure.  The earliest sign of this complication is small amounts of protein in urine ... Those who added the soy protein powder to their diets had a 10% reduction in protein found in urine ... the soy protein supplement boosted "good" HDL cholesterol by 4%" - [Abstract]
• Antioxidant Enzyme Containing Selenium, A Major Dietary Supplement, Could Promote Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 6/11/04
• Moderate Alcohol May Improve Diabetes - WebMD, 6/1/04 - "alcohol improves the body's resistance to insulin -- the hallmark of type 2 diabetes ... the evidence from large-population studies is fairly consistent and shows a reduction in risk of 30% to 40% associated with moderate drinking"
• Diabetes - Understanding And Preventing The Next Health Care Epidemic - Life Extension Magazine, 6/04
• Supplement May Lower Diabetes Heart Risks - WebMD, 5/10/04 - "Diachrome contains chromium, in the form of chromium picolinate, and biotin, which is thought to improve insulin's action to improve blood sugars ... After 30 days ... Average fasting blood glucose dropped by 26.2 mg/dL"
• Magnesium may reduce risk of diabetes - MSNBC, 5/7/04 - "The conclusions of these three studies are generally supported by earlier large population studies. Laboratory studies suggest that magnesium influences the action of insulin in the body. A lack of magnesium may worsen insulin resistance, triggering the onset of diabetes" - See magnesium at Amazon.com.
• What makes people fat, why diets don't work, and what triggers appetite? - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 3/17/04 - "PGX™ lowers after meal blood sugar levels by approximately 20 to 40% and also lowers insulin secretion by approximately 40% producing a whole body insulin sensitivity index improvement of nearly 50% - a phenomenal accomplishment that is unequalled by any drug or natural health product.10 PGX™ is particularly well-suited for syndrome X" - See PGX at Amazon.com.
• Antioxidant-Rich Diet May Prevent Diabetes - WebMD, 2/20/04 - "people whose diets had the highest levels vitamin E were 30% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least amounts of the antioxidant ... people who ate a lot of carotenoids, a type of antioxidant found in colorful fruits and vegetables, also had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes"
• OTC Cream Improves Blood Flow in Feet - WebMD, 1/8/04 - "arginine does increase blood flow, but it is not yet clear if this translates into fewer foot ulcers or better healing of ulcers" - See l-arginine at Amazon.com.
• Low Magnesium Intake May be Associated with Increased Risk for Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 1/6/04 - "Statistical analyses revealed a significant inverse association between magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes" - See magnesium at Amazon.com.
• Coffee May Cut Type 2 Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 1/5/04 - "Those who drank six or more cups per day had the lowest risk of having type 2 diabetes compared with those who drank less coffee ... Caffeine may stimulate muscles to burn fat and sugar more efficiently and could trigger the breakdown of fat in other tissue as well"
• What You Don’t Know About Blood Sugar - Life Extension Magazine, 1/04 - "it now appears that optimal fasting blood glucose levels should probably be under 86 mg/dL ... Chromium supplements have been shown to reduce blood glucose significantly.70-74 The dose used in human studies ranges from 200 to 1000 mcg of elemental chromium a day, with best results occurring when 400 mcg or more of chromium is taken daily ... Nondiabetics using metformin may start off at 500 mg a day and gradually build up to 1000-1500 mg a day. The objective is not to take so much metformin as to induce a hypoglycemic state" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Magnesium Lowers Type 2 Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 12/23/03
• Magnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men and Women - Diabetes Care. 2004 Jan;27(1):134-140 - "Our findings suggest a significant inverse association between magnesium intake and diabetes risk. This study supports the dietary recommendation to increase consumption of major food sources of magnesium, such as whole grains, nuts, and green leafy vegetables" - See magnesium at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Magnesium May Help Prevent Development of Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 12/23/03 - "Magnesium-containing foods can prevent development of type 2 diabetes in both men and women ... Comparing the highest with the lowest quintile of total magnesium intake ... was 0.66 ... in women and 0.67 in men" - See magnesium at Amazon.com.
• Cinnamon Helps Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 12/5/03
• Buckwheat May Be Beneficial For Managing Diabetes - Intelihealth, 11/18/03 - "extracts of the seed lowered blood glucose levels by 12 percent to 19 percent when fed to diabetic rats ... incorporation of buckwheat into the diet could help provide a safe, easy and inexpensive way to lower glucose levels and reduce the risk of complications associated with the disease, including heart, nerve and kidney problems"
• Supplements for Diabetes? - Dr. Weil, 10/7/03 - "... In addition, I recommend supplementing with 1,000 mcg a day of GTF (glucose tolerance factor) chromium ..."
• High-Protein Diet Helpful in Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 10/6/03 - "The ratio of protein to carbohydrate to fat was 30:40:30 in the high-protein diet and 15:55:30 in the control diet ... there was a 40% decrease in the mean 24-hour integrated glucose area response after the high-protein diet. Patients on the high-protein diet also fared better in terms of decrease in glycated hemoglobin ... longer-term studies are necessary to determine the total magnitude of response, possible adverse effects, and the long-term acceptability of the diet"
• Regardless of Weight, Physical Activity Lowers Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 9/25/03 - "A new study shows a brisk 30-minute walk every day can substantially lower a person's risk of diabetes, no matter how much they weigh"
• Metformin: drug of choice for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications in high-risk subjects - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):121-2 - "Metformin is unique in being not only as effective as any other oral antidiabetic therapy in controlling blood glucose, but also having an unparalleled clinical database relating to improved clinical outcomes in pre-diabetic subjects, and patients with established type 2 diabetes"
• The Chromium Connection - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 9/03 - "The body requires certain nutrients to control glucose metabolism, especially chromium, zinc and vitamins B and C ... Diabetes is devastating because of its consequences. The condition often leads to hypertension, lipid disorders, cardiovascular disease, blindness, skin problems, nerve damage, kidney disorders and loss of limbs. Although it appears chromium picolinate may benefit your customers with type 2 diabetes, supplementation represents just one facet of treatment" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Uses of Metformin May Extend Beyond Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 9/4/03 - "In type 2 diabetics, metformin appears to decrease plasma fasting glucose and HbA1c levels without causing weight gain. Metformin may also have a positive influence on a variety of cardiovascular risk factors and may be useful in preventing diabetes in overweight individuals with mild hyperglycaemia ... while further study is necessary before more widespread use is encouraged, the role of metformin may be expanded for glucose control in children and teenagers with type 2 diabetes, in non-diabetic women with PCOS, and to prevent progression to diabetes"
• Chromium Supplements Appear to Improve Glucose Sensitivity in Diabetics - Medscape, 8/29/03 - "We think that chromium picolinate can influence a person's diabetic treatment so that levels of insulin required may be reduced ... HbA1c levels decreased from 9.5% to 9% during a six-month period in patients receiving a higher dose of the supplement, a difference that was statistically significant ... The study also showed a significant reduction in cholesterol levels and trends for improvement in triglycerides in both chromium picolinate groups as well as a reduction in blood pressure in all groups" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Minor Weight Loss Through Exercise Provides Control Over Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/26/03 - "A relatively small decrease in body mass can have major effects in controlling type 2 diabetes"
• People Over 40 Need Frequent Exercise To Prevent Or Treat Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/18/03 - "middle-aged and older people don't sustain the increased insulin sensitivity that aerobic exercise produces ... Younger people, on the other hand, were found to maintain higher insulin sensitivity even four days after their last workout ... With a decrease in insulin sensitivity, blood glucose levels increase. High blood glucose levels, typical in diabetes, can damage virtually every organ in the body"
• Lifestyle Modification, Metformin Effective Prevention for Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/31/03 - "1,073 patients were prescribed 850 mg metformin twice daily, 1,082 had placebo twice daily, and 1,079 were prescribed an intensive program of lifestyle modification ... Incidence of diabetes was 58% lower ... in the lifestyle intervention group and 31% lower ... in the metformin group than in the placebo group"
• DHEA May Fight Heart Disease, But How? - WebMD, 7/23/03 - "taking small doses of DHEA improved insulin sensitivity and endothelial function -- two factors that contribute to the development of heart disease -- in 24 middle-aged men with high cholesterol" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.
• Randomised Trial Demonstrates Benefits of Lifestyle Modification in Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/21/03
• The Effect of Glucosamine-Chondroitin Supplementation on Glycosylated Hemoglobin Levels in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:1587-1590 - "oral glucosamine supplementation does not result in clinically significant alterations in glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus"
• Coffee May Cut Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 6/18/03 - "Men who drink six or more cups of coffee a day were less than half as likely to develop diabetes compared with nondrinkers. Drinking four to six cups helps too: Those men saw their risk cut by 29% ... Women who consume four cups or more a day also reduced their risk of developing the disease by about 30%. But in their case, six cups did not seem to be any more protective than four cups ... Decaf was associated with a "modest reduction" in risk for those who drank four cups or more a day"
• Ginseng May Help Treat Diabetes - WebMD, 6/16/03 - "There are two reasons blood sugar can be out of control in [people with diabetes] ... Your body's tissues are not responsive enough to insulin so they don't process it properly and/or you don't make enough insulin to begin with ... Ginseng, he said, appears to help the patients both to secrete more insulin and to process better the insulin they have" - See ginseng at Amazon.com.
• Magnesium Deficiency Associated with Insulin-Resistance Syndrome - New Hope Natural Media, 6/12/03
• Light Drinking May Cut Diabetes Risk - Intelihealth, 6/10/03 - "women who had about half a drink to two drinks a day were 58 percent less likely than nondrinkers to develop type 2 diabetes ... those who had more than two drinks of hard liquor a day faced more than double the risk of nondrinkers ... Small amounts of alcohol are believed to help the body make better use of insulin"
• Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on platelet activation markers and cell adhesion molecules in hyperlipidemic patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus - J Diabetes Complications 2003 May;17(3):153-159 - "After treatment with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the levels of CD62P, CD63, annexin V, PDMPs, and MDMPs, sE-selectin, and oxidized LDL antibody were reduced significantly. Triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol levels were also decreased. Anti-Ox LDL antibodies and MDMPs were correlated positively with platelet CD62P (plt-CD62P) levels. These findings suggest that in hyperlipidemic patients with Type 2 diabetes, EPA may prevent complications caused by oxidized LDL, E-selectin, and activated platelets or monocytes" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• A Derivative Of The Green Tea Leaf May Help With Metabolic Syndrome X, A Potentially Deadly Disorder - Intelihealth, 4/10/03 - "A new weapon might eventually be added to the arsenal: consumption of Tegreen, a tea polyphenols product containing in excess of 65 percent tea catechins, derived from the green tea leaf ... oral administration of Tegreen is capable of improving glucose and lipid metabolisms in an obese rat model induced by a high-calorie diet ... Tegreen intervention can significantly decrease visceral fat depot and increase the insulin's sensitivity, presumably touching one of the pathological root causes of this potentially deadly syndrome" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Oral Magnesium Supplementation Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Metabolic Control in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects: A randomized double-blind controlled trial - Diabetes Care 2003 Apr;26(4):1147-52 - "At the end of the study, subjects who received magnesium supplementation showed ... fasting glucose levels (8.0 +/- 2.4 vs. 10.3 +/- 2.1 mmol/l ... Oral supplementation with MgCl(2) solution restores serum magnesium levels, improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in type 2 diabetic patients with decreased serum magnesium levels" - See magnesium at Amazon.com.
• Eating Fish Lowers Heart Disease Risk in Women With Diabetes - WebMD, 3/31/03 - "It is believed that omega-3 fatty acids abundant in the fat of many fish reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering triglyceride levels, improving blood vessel function, and reducing blood-clot formation"
• Breakfast Reduces Diabetes, Heart Disease - WebMD, 3/6/03 - "A daily breakfast may reduce the risk of becoming obese or developing signs that can lead to diabetes -- called insulin resistance syndrome -- by 35% to 50% compared with skipping the morning meal ... Their recommendation: A bowl of whole-grain cereal ... eating whole-grain cereal each day was associated with a 15% reduction in risk for the insulin resistance syndrome ... soluble fiber forms a gel-like material that prevents cholesterol and saturated fats from entering the bloodstream, where they can collect and form plaques on artery walls. The insoluble fiber in these cereals, meanwhile, helps keep bowel movement regular and may help reduce risk of colon problems"
• Vitamins Reduce Rates of Colds and Other Infections for Those With Diabetes - WebMD, 3/3/03 - "Among all participants, 43% of those taking daily supplements reported getting sick during the study, compared with 73% of those getting a placebo. In those with diabetes, 93% taking a placebo got sick, compared with only 17% on the active supplements. However, in those without diabetes, there was no measurable difference between supplement- and placebo-takers ... the diabetics were recruited from an inner-city diabetes clinic, while those without the disease came from a middle-class health clinic and generally ate more nutritiously and were less likely to be obese"
• Whole-grain and fiber intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes - AJCN, 3/1/03 - "Whole-grain consumption was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The relative risk (adjusted for age, sex, geographic area, smoking status, body mass index, energy intake, and intakes of vegetables, fruit, and berries) between the highest and lowest quartiles of whole-grain consumption was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.36, 1.18; P for trend = 0.02). Cereal fiber intake was also associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The relative risk between the extreme quartiles of cereal fiber intake was 0.39" - [WebMD]
• Shining a Light on the Health Benefits of Vitamin D - New York Times, 1/28/03 - "vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk for Type 1 diabetes. The converse is also true. Adequate vitamin D equals less risk for diabetes"
• Vitamins C and E may enhance effectiveness of insulin for diabetes - University of California at Irvine, 1/29/03 - "Boosting insulin with vitamins C and E may improve the drug's effectiveness for treating diabetes ... the popular antioxidant supplements not only enhance insulin's ability to reduce blood sugar, but also lower the risks of organ damage that can occur despite insulin treatments"
• Whole Grain Intake Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men - New Hope Natural Media, 12/26/02 - "People who consumed the highest amount of whole grains (3.2 servings per day) had a 30% to 40% reduction in risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who ate less than 1 serving a day ... The benefits of whole grains may be due to their increased content of fiber, which is mostly removed in process of refining whole grains to white flour. However, some studies suggest that the higher amount of magnesium in whole grains also contributes to the lower risk of diabetes"
• Peanut Butter, Nuts Lower Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 11/26/02 - "Women who reported eating a tablespoon of peanut butter at least five times a week had a 21% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely or never ate it ... A 27% decrease was noted in women who consumed five ounces of nuts each week compared to women who never or almost never consumed nuts ... That handful of nuts also contains about 170 calories ... urge that regular peanut butter and nut consumption be used as its original intention -- as a replacement for meat and other foods, not in addition to them"
• Java Reduces Type 2 Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 11/7/02 - "Caffeine is known to decrease the body's response to insulin. However, other ingredients found in coffee -- magnesium and chlorogenic acid -- may have beneficial effects ... researchers followed more than 17,000 Dutch adults. After several years of follow-up, those who drank seven or more cups a day were half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared with those who drank less than two cups a day ... The long-term effects of drinking too much caffeine are not known and other health issues could develop" - Note:  Chlorogenic acid is in artichoke extract.  If magnesium and chlorogenic acid are the reason for the 50% diabetes reduction, it would seem to be a better choice than drinking seven cups of coffee per day.  See artichoke extract at Amazon.com. - Ben
• Soy Helps Hearts for Some Diabetics - WebMD, 10/4/02
• Fish Oil May Augment Atorvastatin As Treatment For Dyslipidemia In Obese, Insulin-Resistant Men - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/02 - "fish oils significantly decreased plasma levels of triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein-apoB, decreased the very low density lipoprotein-apoB secretion rate ... combined treatment with atorvastatin and fish oils decreased very low density lipoprotein-apoB secretion and increased the fractional catabolic rate of apoB in each lipoprotein fraction , as well as the percent conversion of very low density lipoprotein to low density lipoprotein" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Ginseng May Help Regulate Blood Glucose - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 8/02 - "Three new studies, performed jointly by researchers at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and the University of Ottawa, show that American ginseng can lower blood-sugar levels in diabetic and nondiabetic patients" - See ginseng at Amazon.com.
• Novel Method of Enhancing Anti-Fat Effects of CLA - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "CLA improves insulin sensitivity" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.
• The Benefits of Carnitine and DHEA for Fat Metabolism - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "Carnitine is an amino acid that's critical for converting fatty acids into fuel. Because of this, it has the potential to help people lose weight ... A lack of DHEA may be one of the primary causes of insulin resistance"
• Folate Supplements May Help Restore Endothelial Function In Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 8/1/02
• Want to Reduce Your Diabetes Risk? - WebMD, 7/25/02 - "those who reported eating the most servings of whole grain foods tended to have lower insulin levels, lower body weights, and lower cholesterol levels ... The study is just the latest to find that foods such as slow-cooking oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice, and certain processed whole grain breads and cereals are protective against type 2 diabetes. Eating whole grain foods has also been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease ... the wildly popular weight-loss programs that restrict or eliminate carbohydrates from the diet are delivering the false message that all carbohydrates are bad"
• Niacin May Be Effective Therapy For Broad Range Of Diabetes-Associated Dyslipidaemias - Doctor's Guide, 7/25/02 - "After niacin treatment, the patients' LDL peak particle diameter increased from 252 +/- 7 Å to 263 +/- 7, the researchers reported. Their small, dense LDLc particle mass decreased from 27 +/- 11 mg/dL to 15 +/- 4 mg/dL. Total HDLc increased from 39 +/- 7 mg/dL to 51 +/- 11 mg/dL. Their HDL2, as the percentage of total HDLc mass, increased from 29 +/- 8 percent to 45 +/- 10 percent, and their Lp(a) decreased from 43 +/- 17 mg/dL to 25 +/- 10 mg/dL ... Twenty-one percent of the patients were unable to tolerate niacin because of reversible adverse effects. Another 14 percent were unable to adhere to the niacin dosing regimen of three times daily"
• Higher Folate Levels May Help Protect Against Vascular Disease in Children with Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/18/02 - "High folate levels may protect children with type I diabetes from vascular damage"
• Soy Comparable to Some Diabetes Drugs - WebMD, 6/20/02 - "Soy may help people with diabetes control their blood sugar as well as some prescription drugs ... One group sprinkled their food daily with a white powder containing 30 grams of soy protein and 132 milligrams of soy isoflavones for 12 weeks ... The soy products lowered the women's blood sugar as much as some prescription diabetes drugs"
• Nuts May Lower Risk of Diabetes - Medscape, 6/19/02 - "New data presented June 16-17 at the 62nd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association suggest that eating nuts helps prevent the development of diabetes and that zinc supplementation in obese, insulin-resistant women improves insulin sensitivity, even in the absence of zinc deficiency ... In this prospective, double-blind, clinical interventional study, 56 obese women with normal glucose tolerance were randomized to treatment with zinc, 30 mg daily, or placebo for four weeks ... Insulin resistance as measured by a homeostasis model assessment did not change in the placebo group, but it decreased from 5.8 +/- 2.6 to 4.3 +/- 1.7 (P<.05) in the zinc-supplemented group. Insulin decreased from 28.8 +/- 14.1 to 21.2 +/- 8.1 mU/mL (P<.05) in the zinc group but was unchanged in the placebo group"
• Soy Supplements May Help Control Blood Sugar - Intelihealth, 6/17/02 - "After 12 weeks, the women taking the soy supplement showed significantly better control over their blood sugar, according to several standard tests, and their levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (so-called "bad cholesterol") dropped"
• Moderate Drinking Increases Insulin Sensitivity In Non-Diabetic, Older Women - Doctor's Guide, 5/16/02 - "Moderate alcohol consumption reduces insulin and triglyceride concentrations and increases insulin sensitivity in nondiabetic, postmenopausal women ... the changes they observed may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in this population of women ... Researchers warn, however, that the alcohol intake significantly increased serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and estrone sulphate, steroid hormones known to be risk factors for breast cancer"
• Putting Antioxidants To Use In Functional Formulas - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 5/02 - "Clinical studies have found that it can improve insulin function, helping to improve glucose tolerance in people with diabetes.15,16 Some researchers have suggested that long-term use of alpha-lipoic acid may help prevent adult-onset diabetes"
• Dairy Foods Linked to Less Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 4/23/02
• New Evidence That Dietary Soy And Flaxseed Have Positive Effect On Obesity And Diabetes - Intelihealth, 4/22/02 - "These data suggest that diets rich in soy protein and flaxseed have beneficial effects on many aspects of obesity and diabetes"
• Rice Bran Lowers Diabetic Blood Sugar - WebMD, 4/10/02 - "Rice bran was able to lower blood glucose by up to 30% in a small group of patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes ... also found that patients with elevated cholesterol who consumed 20 grams per day of stabilized rice bran lowered their total serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels between 5% and 15%"
• Ginseng Helps Regulate Blood Glucose - Nutrition Science News, Spring '02 - "Three new studies, performed jointly by researchers at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and the University of Ottawa, show that American ginseng can lower blood-sugar levels in diabetic and nondiabetic patients ... They found no significant differences between the three doses—each lowered postprandial glucose levels an average of 11.4 percent"
• How to Stop Diabetes In Its Tracks - WebMD, 2/6/02 - "the study found that the diet/exercise program cut diabetes risk by 58%. Glucophage was significantly less effective, but still decreased risk by 31% ... The diet was centered around lowering fat intake to less than 25% of overall calories ... the 30-minute daily exercise regime "should be easily achievable" by most nondiabetic overweight Americans with high blood sugar levels"
• Vitamin D Supplementation During Infancy Reduces Risk Of Type 1 Diabetes - Intelihealth, 11/8/01 - "Those who regularly took at least the recommended dose of vitamin D (2000 IU daily) during their first year of life had an 80% reduced risk of type 1 diabetes compared to those who received less than the recommended amount"
• Vitamin D Supplements May Protect Against Diabetes in Kids - WebMD, 11/1/01 - "giving vitamin D supplements to children may help protect them from high blood sugar ... Children who had the recommended supplements of vitamin D (usually in the form of cod-liver oil) were found to have an 80% reduction in diabetes risk, compared to those receiving less than the recommended dose"
• Diets Rich in Vegetable Fat May Prevent Diabetes - WebMD, 8/24/01 - "those women who consumed the highest amounts of vegetable fat -- 41.7 grams per day -- had a 22% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than their counterparts who consumed the least amount of such fats ... women who traded animal fat or saturated fat for the type found mainly in vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, flaxseed, canola oils, and fish lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by about 16%"
• Diet And Exercise Cut Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In Half - Intelihealth, 8/16/01 - "Americans who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can reduce their risk of developing the condition by more than half with a daily regimen of diet and exercise"
• Diet High in Veggies Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 7/12/01 - "After six months, levels of hemoglobin A1C -- which reveal how high the blood sugar has been over a period of several weeks -- were an average of 30% lower in the 31 patients who stuck with the diet. Also, their total cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol dropped nearly one-third, while their "good" HDL cholesterol increased 10%"
• Could Nicotinamide And Vitamin E Have Synergistic Effect And Reduce Insulin Usage? - Doctor's Guide, 7/11/01 - "The combination of nicotinamide and vitamin E might have a synergistic effect in lowering daily insulin usage among newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetics"
• Sleep on This: Lack of Shut-Eye Ups Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 6/25/01 - "People who don't get adequate rest may increase their risk for type 2 diabetes ... "short-sleepers," or those who slept less than 6.5 hours per night, were about 40% less insulin-sensitive than normal sleepers, those who logged about 7.5 to 8.5 hours a night"
• News - Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Reduce Women's Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 5/31/01 - "Trans fatty acids increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women, while polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce that risk"
• Stress: The Hidden Factor For Weight Gain - Nutrition Science News, 4/01 - "Under stress, the body excretes corticotrophin-releasing hormone and adrenalin. This reaction stimulates the release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex. In turn, cortisol, a glucocorticoid, stimulates glucose release into the bloodstream, which, during periods of chronic stress, creates an excessive release of insulin. Insulin, which is part of the endocrine system, is a fat-storage hormone that overrides the stress signal from adrenalin to burn fat. The excess release of insulin gives the body the message to store fat in the abdomen"
• The Prediabetic Epidemic - Nutrition Science News, 3/01 - "Supplements to Regulate Glucose and Insulin ... Alpha-Lipoic Acid ... Vitamin E ... Vitamin C ... Chromium ... Silymarin"
• Soy Story: Can Supplements Help Diabetics Avoid Heart Disease? - WebMD, 2/21/01 - "patients' cholesterol levels were significantly lower after the six weeks of soy supplements than it was when measured after taking the inactive placebo drug. Among their findings: LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels decreased significantly with the soy"
• Vitamins C and E May Reduce Risk, Complications of Diabetes - WebMD, 11/15/00 - "Anderson's extensive research with vitamin E has led him to believe that the benefits of taking antioxidants is so favorable, that all adults should take 800 IU of vitamin E as a preventive measure ... it not only functions as an antioxidant, but anti-inflammatory [as well] ... Most evidence suggests a higher fiber diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and lower fat"
• Niaspan (Niacin Extended Release Tablets) Safe And Effective For Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/00 - "Niaspan [extended release niacin] therapy increased HDL up to 24 percent and decreased triglycerides as much as 30 percent"
• Some Diabetics Buck Tradition and Turn to Herbs - WebMD, 10/9/00 - "Researchers have submitted study results to the journal Diabetes Care for another natural product -- alpha lipoic acid, known by the brand name Glucotize. The product "lowers blood sugar levels, which is excellent," ... "Because that's what causes a lot of diabetic complications.""
• Lipoic Acid: The Universal Antioxidant - Nutrition Science News, 10/00 - "Like other antioxidants, lipoic acid has the ability to scavenge the body for disease-causing free radicals; however, that appears to only scratch the surface of this supplement's benefits ... Free radical scavenging ... Metal chelation ... Antioxidant regeneration ... Damaged molecule repair ... Atherosclerosis protection ... Cataract protection ... Protection against irradiation ... HIV treatment ... Diabetes therapy"
• Diabetic Kids May Benefit From Daily Vitamin E - WebMD, 9/26/00 - "when children were given vitamin E supplements each day, in a relatively small dose of 100 IU per day for three months, levels of glutathione increased. This is good news because glutathione provides natural protection against the toxic effects of free radicals, the body's natural but harmful byproducts of daily living that damage cells. Glutathione levels can be low in diabetics, and diabetics are also more susceptible to damage from these substances. Free radicals have also been implicated in other diseases including hardening of the arteries, cataracts, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease"
• Vitamin E Works As Anti-Inflammatory Agent In Type II Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/10/00 - "A high intake of vitamin E can help reduce heart disease and stroke risk in type II diabetics"

Other News:

• THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIABETES MELLITUS AND PANCREATIC CANCER - DIABETES MELLITUS AS A RED FLAG FOR PANCREATIC CANCER - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023 Jan 3 - "The relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and pancreatic cancer is complex- DM is both a risk factor and early sign of pancreatic cancer. DM is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer because it increases insulin resistance, intrapancreatic concentrations of insulin, and the bioavailability of IGF, subsequently promoting ductal cell proliferation. Accordingly, treatment targeting the insulin/IGF pathway is the focus of many researchers. Antidiabetic drugs modify the risk for pancreatic cancer- metformin's antineoplastic effect being most notable and indicating potential clinical use in pancreatic cancer. New-onset DM can also be the first manifestation of pancreatic cancer. There are several theories for the pathogenesis of DM in pancreatic cancer, the most important being that DM is a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by diabetogenic factors. As a consequence of this intricate relationship, new-onset DM after the age of 50 is considered a red flag for pancreatic cancer, prompting the need for screening in this patient population. Multiple clinical studies are currently underway exploring this matter. A better understanding of the relationship between DM and pancreatic cancer could aid in developing novel screening and treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer. This could ultimately improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients with pancreatic cancer"
• Type 2 diabetes accelerates brain aging and cognitive decline - Science Daily, 5/25/22 - "UK Biobank data from 20,000 people aged 50 to 80 years old. This dataset includes brain scans and brain function measurements and holds data for both healthy individuals and those with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. They used this to determine which brain and cognitive changes are specific to diabetes, rather than just aging, and then confirmed these results by comparing them with a meta-analysis of nearly 100 other studies ... Their analysis showed that both aging and type 2 diabetes cause changes in executive functions such as working memory, learning and flexible thinking, and changes in brain processing speed. However, people with diabetes had a further 13.1% decrease in executive function beyond age-related effects, and their processing speed decreased by a further 6.7% compared to people of the same age without diabetes"
• Longer Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied to Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 5/4/22 - "The risk of diabetes increased from 19% to 56% as treatment duration increased from 8 weeks to more than 2 years, and prolonged treatment was associated with an even higher risk of diabetes in the youngest patients (age 40-65) and those with the most comorbidities"
• Mechanism linking type 2 diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease - Science Daily, 3/15/22 - "amyloid-β (Aβ) detected in blood is secreted from peripheral tissues (pancreas, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, liver, etc.) that are sensitive to glucose and insulin ...First, as AD is caused by the accumulation of Aβ in the brain, it is thought that Aβ levels in the blood reflect the pathology in the brain and are currently used as a diagnostic marker. However, Aβ is generated from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) through the function of two enzymes, β- and γ-secretases, and this mechanism is expressed in many of the body's peripheral tissues, not only in the brain, causing the origin of blood Aβ to remain unknown. Second, epidemiological studies have shown type 2 diabetes to be a strong risk factor for the development of AD, yet the mechanism linking these two diseases has eluded researchers as well"
• Brain oxidative stress and cognitive function in older adults with diabetes and pre-diabetes who are at risk for dementia - Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2021 Dec 24 - "This study demonstrates that in older adults at risk for dementia, having pre-diabetes or diabetes is associated with impaired memory and executive dysfunction"
• Glucose control is a key factor for reduced cancer risk in obesity and type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 12/6/21 - "the results show a 60% reduction in cancer risk in the group where normal glucose control was maintained over 10 years"
• Diabetes Drugs Tied to Less Amyloid, Slowed Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's - Medscape, 8/11/21 - "Compared to the group not taking a DPP-4 inhibitor, those taking these agents had significantly lower global SUVRs (1.33 vs 1.41; P = .001). These patients also had significantly lower regional Aβ SUVRs (frontal:1.33 vs 1.41; lateral parietal: 1.34 vs 1.42; lateral temporal: 1.33 vs 1.41; and anterior cingulate/posterior cingulate cortices: 1.43 vs 1.53 ... In addition, those taking DPP-4 inhibitors had lower Aβ burden globally and in two regional cortices ― the lateral parietal and lateral temporal ― compared to the nondiabetes group"
• Testosterone Therapy for Hypogonadism With Diabetes? - Medscape, 8/2/21 - "among men with hypogonadism and type 2 diabetes, from baseline to 12 years, mean A1c decreased from 9.4% to 5.6% in the group that received testosterone undecanoate injections (T-group) and increased from 7.8% to 10.4% in the control group ... But in the T4DM trial, a safety trigger for a hematocrit >54% was met by 22% of patients receiving testosterone, vs 1% of patients in the control group, "and it is known that an elevated hematocrit is a risk factor for thromboembolic events," he pointed out ... during follow-up, fewer patients in the T-group than in the control group died (15 patients [8.2%] vs 61 patients [34%]) ... None of the patients in the T-group had an MI or stroke, compared to 56 cases of MI (31.5%) and 56 cases of stroke (31.5%) in the control group" - Note:  I'm always having a pissing contest with endocrinologists.  One question they should be asking themselves is whether the cutoff for free testosterone being low is black and while or whether there is a gray area when you approach that point.
• After Metformin, Which Drug Makes the GRADE? - Medscape, 7/9/21 - "Patients treated with liraglutide and sitagliptin had more weight loss than those treated with glimepiride. All participants treated with glargine had stable weight over time ... GRADE didn't include an SGLT2 inhibitor. One of the reasons for that is that GRADE was started before SGLT2 inhibitors were even approved in the United States. This is a very long-term trial that looked at outcomes in a low-risk population over time, and we unfortunately don't have the comparison between SGLT2 inhibitors and the medications included in GRADE"
• IL-6 Levels Tied to Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease - Medscape, 6/14/21 - "those patients with the highest IL-6 levels in the upper tertile had a faster and worse progression [of diabetic kidney disease] ... Indeed, compared to patients in the lowest IL-6 baseline tertile, those in the highest IL-6 tertile had a more than 3.5-fold greater risk of progressing to the primary endpoint on multivariate analysis ... we encourage the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors [in this patient population] as they appear to have a promising future in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease"
• More Years With Type 2 Diabetes, Higher Dementia Risk - Science Daily, 4/29/21 - "Overall, dementia risk at age 70 rose 24% for every five years people had been living with diabetes"
• Handgrip strength shown to identify people at high risk of type 2 diabetes - Science Daily, 9/2/20 - "the risk of type 2 diabetes was reduced by around 50 per cent for every unit increase in handgrip strength value ... Reduced muscular strength, which can be measured by handgrip strength, has consistently been linked to early death, cardiovascular disease, and disability ... people with higher values of handgrip strength had a 27 per cent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes"
• Common Diabetes Meds Tied to Complication Risk - WebMD, 7/28/20 - "People taking a class of diabetes medications called SGLT2s have up to three times the risk for a serious complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) compared to people taking another drug"
• Optimal fasting glucose levels with regard to cardiovascular and mortality outcomes in people treated with or without antidiabetic medication - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2019 Oct 10 - "fasting blood glucose (FBG) ... For untreated FBG, the CVD risk and mortality increased linearly from an FBG threshold of 5.6 mmol/L; however, for FBG treated with antidiabetic drugs there were J-shaped associations with the outcome risks. For treated FBG levels of 4.4 to 5.5 mmol/L, 7.8 to 8.8 mmol/L, 8.9 to 9.9 mmol/L and ≥ 10.0 mmol/L, vs 6.1 to 6.9 mmol/L, the hazard ratios for major CVD events were 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.32), 1.06 (95% CI 0.96-1.18), 1.37 (95% CI 1.22-1.53) and 1.61 (95% CI 1.46-1.78), respectively, and those for all-cause mortality were 1.20 (95% CI 1.11-1.29), 1.05 (95% CI 0.99-1.12), 1.29 (95% CI 1.10-1.50) and 1.69 (95% CI 1.59-1.81), respectively ... These findings indicate that pharmacological therapy achieving FBG levels of <7.8 to 8.9 mmol/L and a non-pharmacological approach to maintaining normal glucose levels help reduce the risk of adverse outcomes, while lowering FBG to normal levels through antidiabetic drugs is not beneficial or may even be harmful" - See the conversion.  7.8 mmol/L is 140 mg/dl.  5.0 mmol/L is 90 mg/dl.  I find it hard to believe that a FBG of 140 is good for you heart.  Maybe I'm reading it wrong.
• Diabetes Meds May Reduce Alzheimer's Pathology - Medscape, 11/8/18 - "People with diabetes appear, from an epidemiological population point of view, to be more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease and to be more susceptible to dementia as a whole ... Researchers assumed this meant individuals with dementia and diabetes would have more hallmark AD lesions, such as amyloid plaques and tau tangles, than those with dementia but not diabetes ... We wanted to know what it is that these antidiabetic drugs are doing ... These new results reinforce the idea that antidiabetes drugs "have the potential to reduce AD lesions,""
• HbA1c Levels in Diabetes Linked to Cognitive Decline - Medscape, 1/30/18 - "HbA1c has gained ground in the diagnosis and management of diabetes, showing greater reliability in predicting diabetes and indicating average circulating glucose levels over the prior 2 to 3 months ... each 1 mmol/mol increment in HbA1c was associated with an increased rate of decline in global cognitive z scores (–0.0009 SD/year), memory z scores (–0.0005 SD/year), and executive function z scores (–0.0008 SD/year). ... In terms of possible underlying mechanisms of the link between diabetes and cognitive decline, some evidence points to glycemic fluctuation as having a stronger effect on cognitive decline compared with sustained hyperglycemia, possibly through effects on endothelial function and induction of oxidative stress ... In addition, diabetes has been linked to subsequent cognitive impairment through direct mechanisms, such as inducing amyloid accumulation, and indirect mechanisms, including increasing microvascular disease of the central nervous system, thereby potentially playing a key role in vascular dementia, the authors note"
• The Startling Link Between Sugar and Alzheimer's - The Atlantic, 1/26/18 - "A longitudinal study, published Thursday in the journal Diabetologia, followed 5,189 people over 10 years and found that people with high blood sugar had a faster rate of cognitive decline than those with normal blood sugar—whether or not their blood-sugar level technically made them diabetic. In other words, the higher the blood sugar, the faster the cognitive decline ... People who have type 2 diabetes are about twice as likely to get Alzheimer’s, and people who have diabetes and are treated with insulin are also more likely to get Alzheimer’s, suggesting elevated insulin plays a role in Alzheimer’s. In fact, many studies have found that elevated insulin, or “hyperinsulinemia,” significantly increases your risk of Alzheimer’s ... The group that ate the most carbs had an 80 percent higher chance of developing mild cognitive impairment—a pit stop on the way to dementia—than those who ate the smallest amount of carbs" -  See my Insulin and Aging page.
• Sugar's 'tipping point' link to Alzheimer's disease revealed - Science Daily, 2/23/17 - "Excess sugar is well known to be bad for us when it comes to diabetes and obesity, but this potential link with Alzheimer's disease is yet another reason that we should be controlling our sugar intake in our diets"
• New link found between diabetes, Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 6/21/16 - "Alzheimer's Disease and type 2 diabetes are so closely related that drugs currently used to control glucose levels in diabetes may also alleviate the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer's disease ... around 80% of people with Alzheimer's disease also have some form of diabetes or disturbed glucose metabolism. This is hugely relevant as Alzheimer's is in the vast majority of cases not inherited, and lifestyle factors and comorbidities must therefore be to blame"
• Memory and executive functions in persons with type-2 diabetes, a meta-analysis - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2015 May 10 - "The meta-analysis revealed a detrimental effect of T2DM on cognitive sub domains namely episodic memory and cognitive flexibility. There was a trend for the logical memory, phonemic fluency and processing speed to be affected. The analysis indicates that T2DM is a detrimental factor on certain cognitive sub-domains, rendering the person vulnerable to subsequent dementia"
• New link between diabetes, Alzheimer's found - Science Daily, 5/4/15 - "elevated glucose in the blood can rapidly increase levels of amyloid beta, a key component of brain plaques in Alzheimer's patients. The buildup of plaques is thought to be an early driver of the complex set of changes that Alzheimer's causes in the brain" - See my Insulin and Aging page.
• Diabetes in midlife linked to significant cognitive decline 20 years later - Science Daily, 12/1/14 - "diabetes appears to age the mind roughly five years faster beyond the normal effects of aging. For example, on average, a 60-year-old with diabetes experiences cognitive decline on par with a healthy 65-year-old aging normally ... to have a healthy brain when you're 70, you need to eat right and exercise when you're 50 ... There is a substantial cognitive decline associated with diabetes, pre-diabetes and poor glucose control in people with diabetes" - Note:  It raises the question whether the lower the better for HBA1C or whether there's a U-curve.
• Statins May Help Prevent Diabetes-Related Nerve Damage, Study Finds - WebMD, 9/9/14 - "The researchers compared the outcomes of more than 15,500 patients who used statins to more than 47,000 patients who were not taking the drugs ... After a median follow-up of 2.7 years, the study showed that people who used statins were 34 percent less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes-related nerve damage and 40 percent less likely to develop diabetes-related damage to the retina. These patients also had a 12 percent lower risk of gangrene than those who did not take statins"
• Diabetes duration, severity associated with brain atrophy - Science Daily, 4/29/14 - "used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the association between severity and duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus and brain structure in 614 patients (mean age 62 years) at four participating centers ... longer duration of diabetes was associated with brain volume loss, particularly in the gray matter ... Diabetes duration correlated primarily with brain atrophy ... for every 10 years of diabetes duration, the brain of a patient with diabetes looks approximately two years older than that of a non-diabetic person, in terms of gray matter volume" - See my Insulin and Aging page.
• High blood sugar levels linked to increased wound complications after surgery - Science Daily, 10/2/13 - "The risk of serious wound complications is more than three times higher for patients who have high blood glucose before and after surgery, and in those with poor long-term diabetes control ... For example, wound dehiscence occurred in about 44 percent of patients who had high glucose levels before surgery, compared to 19 percent of those without preoperative hyperglycemia ... Patients with wide swings in blood glucose levels -- variation of more than 200 points -- were about four times more likely to undergo repeat surgery" - See my insulin and aging page.
• Diabetes increases risk of developing and dying from breast and colon cancer - Science Daily, 9/27/13 - "analyzed results from 20 trials that had taken place between 2007 and 2012, involving more than 1.9 million patients with breast or colon cancer, with or without diabetes ... patients with diabetes had a 23% increased risk of developing breast cancer and a 38% increased risk of dying from the disease compared to non-diabetic patients. Diabetic patients had a 26% increased risk of developing colon cancer and a 30% increased risk of dying from it compared to non-diabetic patients"
• Can Diabetes Lead to Liver Cancer? - Medscape, 7/26/13 - "We found that the prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher in the population with HCC (39%) compared with the chronic liver disease group (10.3%). Definitively, patients with diabetes had an increased risk for developing HCC, independent of any other liver disease. Even if they had hepatitis C infection, hepatitis B infection, or alcohol excess, diabetes still increased the risk for developing HCC"
• Two Blood Pressure Drugs Linked to Lower Risk of Heart Disease in Diabetics - Science Daily, 7/8/13 - "there is some evidence from small trials that telmisartan has slightly different properties than other angiotensin-receptor blockers and may improve cardiovascular health ... telmisartan and valsartan were associated with a significantly lower risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke or heart failure compared with other angiotensin-receptor blockers ... at clinically attainable serum concentrations, telmisartan is unique among these drugs in its ability to structurally interact with and activate the PPARg receptor, a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity"
• Thin Asians at Risk for Diabetes Due to Hidden Body Fat - Medscape, 2/11/13 - "Japanese American women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as whites, despite having lower body-mass indexes (BMIs) ... Indians are often diagnosed with diabetes 10 years earlier and 5- to 10-units BMI thinner than whites ... Both believe the explanation lies in "hidden" visceral fat found inside the body, between organs, in Asians and probably other ethnic groups too, but not in whites. This in turn affects the levels of adipokines secreted, such as leptin and adiponectin, which can have adverse metabolic effects ... Overall, Japanese women had significantly lower BMIs (23.7 vs 25.3 kg/m2), leptin (15.0 vs 25.9 ng/mL), and adiponectin (11.7 vs 16.0 µg/mL) than whites ... one factor he believes may be playing an important role in India is vegetarianism. People there consume high amounts of folate but are deficient in vitamin B12, creating a low-B12/high-folate intrauterine environment that "produces babies who are mostly insulin resistant.""
• Effects of Type 2 Diabetes on 12-Year Cognitive Change: Results from the Maastricht Aging Study - Diabetes Care. 2012 Dec 28 - "Individuals with baseline type 2 diabetes show accelerated cognitive decline, particularly in information-processing speed and executive function, compared with individuals without diabetes. In incident diabetes, decline in speed becomes detectable first, and cognitive decline seems to increase with increasing exposure time"
• Blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases in type 2 diabetes: further findings from the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR-BP II) - J Hypertens. 2012 Aug 4 - "In treated patients, nonlinear splines for 6-year risk of fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD by BP as a continuous variable showed a progressive increase with higher SBP from 140 mmHg and higher, and with DBP from 80 mmHg, with a J-shaped risk curve at lowest SBP levels, but not obviously at lowest DBP levels. Analysing intervals of SBP with 130-134 mmHg as reference at Cox regression, adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with at least 140 mmHg were 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.39], 1.43 (1.18-1.72), 1.26 (1.13-1.41), all P < 0.001. HR with 115-129 and 135-139 mmHg were nonsignificant, whereas increased with 100-114 mmHg, 1.96 (P < 0.001), 1.75 (P = 0.02), 2.08 (P < 0.001), respectively. With DBP 75-79 mmHg as reference, adjusted HR for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with DBP 80-84 mmHg were 1.42 (1.26-1.59), 1.46 (1.24-1.72), 1.39 (1.26-1.53), all P < 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP at least 85 mmHg were 1.70 (1.50-1.92), 2.35 (1.99-2.77), 1.87 (1.69-2.07), all P < 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP 60-69 and 70-74 mmHg were nonsignificant. The picture was similar in 7059 patients with previous CVD and in untreated patients ... CONCLUSION: BP around 130-135/75-79 mmHg showed lower risks of cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes"
• Diabetes, metformin use, and colon cancer: A population-based cohort study in Taiwan - Eur J Endocrinol. 2012 Jul 9 - "Even though diabetes patients had a significantly higher probability of receiving examinations that could lead to the detection of colon cancer, they had a significantly higher risk (24%) of this cancer after adjustment. Metformin users had a significantly lower risk (27%) of colon cancer. While comparing patients with diabetes for <1, 1-3, and ≥3 years to non-diabetes individuals, the adjusted relative risk (95% confidence interval) was 1.308 (1.020-1.679), 1.087 (0.900-1.313), and 1.185 (1.055-1.330), respectively. The higher risk among those with diabetes for <1 year suggested a possible reverse causality or a link with prediabetes. However, diabetes still might play some role in colon cancer development among those with diabetes for ≥3 years. The duration of metformin use showed an inverse trend, with a significant relative risk of 0.643 (0.490-0.845) in users for ≥3 years, when compared to non-users. In addition, metformin may reduce colon cancer risk associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (a surrogate for smoking)" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.
• Western-Style Fast Food Increasing Diabetes, CHD Deaths in Southeast Asia - Medscape, 7/4/12 - "Westernized fast-food restaurants are proliferating throughout Asia leading to a substantial increase in the risk of developing diabetes and coronary heart disease, research shows. In an analysis of more than 50 000 Chinese Singaporeans, those who ate fast food twice a week or more had a 27% increased risk of developing diabetes and a 56% increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease ... Overall, individuals who ate at fast-food restaurants twice per week or more had a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 1.27, 95% CI 1.03–1.54) and dying of coronary heart disease (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.18–2.06) ... Although the researchers state that trans-fatty acids might be one reason for the increased risk of coronary heart disease death, it is just a hypothesis at this stage. Increased consumption of fast food might simply be a prominent marker of a poor diet and lifestyle, and not causal itself, they state. Sensitivity analyses performed by the group, however, which attempted to account for the overall dietary patterns, showed the associations remained statistically significant and were not altered after adjusting for overall dietary patterns, energy intake, and body mass index"
• Child diabetes levels almost four times higher in China than in US - Science Daily, 7/5/12 - "Comparing the Chinese data with data from the United States based on National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) results, the authors found that diabetes and inflammation rates were higher in the Chinese pediatric population than in the U.S. pediatric population or in other Asian countries. Researchers found 1.9 percent of Chinese children age 12-18 had diabetes, compared to 0.5 percent of children in the U.S. The study also found great disparity with respect to inflammation, a key cardiovascular risk factor; 12.1 percent of Chinese adolescents showed a high inflammation risk, compared to 8.5 percent of adolescents in the U.S. ... The number of individuals with high levels of at least one cardiovascular risk factor increased to 85 percent in individuals age 40 and older ... These results reinforce earlier research by the authors that found higher levels of obesity emerging in the past decade among the poor and those living in rural areas of China"
• Link between metabolic disorders and Alzheimer's disease examined - Science Daily, 6/14/12 - "individuals with T2D have a nearly twofold higher risk of AD than nondiabetic individuals"
• Type 2 diabetes linked to increased blood cancer risk - Science Daily, 6/5/12 - "Patients with type 2 diabetes have a 20 percent increased risk of developing blood cancers, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma ... the study did not identify a cause for any of these associations"
• Diabetes shrinks elderly brain - Science Daily, 5/7/12 - "While some brain volume loss is a normal part of aging, the researchers found that elderly people with blood sugar levels in flux, as well as type 2 diabetes, lost almost two and a half times more brain volume than their peers over two years. The reduction in size of the frontal lobe -- associated with higher mental functions like decision-making, emotional control, and long term memory -- has a significant impact on cognitive function and quality of life"
• Kids With Type 2 Diabetes: Combo Treatment Best? - WebMD, 4/29/12 - "Combined treatment with the diabetes drugs metformin and Avandia proved more effective than metformin alone or metformin plus lifestyle changes for keeping blood sugar at normal levels ... 38% of patients who took metformin and Avandia failed treatment ... 46% of patients in the metformin and lifestyle part of the study failed treatment" - Note:  That was the combo I picked years ago for diabetes prevention even though I don't have diabetes.  See Avandia (rosiglitazone) at OffshoreRx1.com.
• High levels of phthalates can lead to greater risk for type-2 diabetes - Science Daily, 4/12/12 - "There is a connection between phthalates found in cosmetics and plastics and the risk of developing diabetes among seniors. Even at a modest increase in circulating phthalate levels, the risk of diabetes is doubled ... Most people come into daily contact with phthalates as they are used a softening agents in plastics and as carriers of perfumes in cosmetics and self-care products"
• Periodontal Treatment Cost Effective for Diabetics - Medscape, 3/27/12 - "Patients with diabetes who are treated for periodontal disease are less likely to see a physician and less likely to be hospitalized. Furthermore, they cost the healthcare system $1800 less per patient per year ... There was a 33% reduction in the number of hospitalizations with treatment; the mean number of hospitalizations was 5.9 in the treatment group and 9.0 in the control group ... There was a savings of $1814 (or 25%) with treatment; mean medical cost was $5522 in the treatment group and $7336 per year in the control group"
• Statins linked to higher diabetes risk  - USATODAY.com, 1/9/12 - "Study authors advise patients not to stop taking their medications without talking to a doctor, because statins' proven power to prevent heart attacks and strokes outweighs any potential increase in type 2 diabetes risk. But the results — a nearly 50% increase in diabetes among longtime statin users — should throw cold water on the idea of prescribing these drugs to healthy people, which some have recommended as a way to prevent disease ... In the study, 6.4% of women who didn't use statins developed diabetes during the eight to nine years of follow-up ... That rate rose to 9.9% among statin users"
• Diabetes linked to cognitive impairment in older adults, study suggests - Science Daily, 11/8/11 - "in older patients with diabetes, two adhesion molecules -- sVCAM and sICAM -- cause inflammation in the brain, triggering a series of events that affect blood vessels and, eventually, cause brain tissue to atrophy. Importantly, they found that the gray matter in the brain's frontal and temporal regions -- responsible for such critical functions as decision-making, language, verbal memory and complex tasks -- is the area most affected by these events ... at the age of 65, the average person's brain shrinks about one percent a year, but in a diabetic patient, brain volume can be lowered by as much as 15 percent ... Diabetes develops when glucose builds up in the blood instead of entering the body's cells to be used as energy. Known as hyperglycemia, this condition often goes hand-in-hand with inflammation ... Once chronic inflammation sets in, blood vessels constrict, blood flow is reduced, and brain tissue is damaged"
• Diabetes may significantly increase the risk of dementia - Science Daily, 9/19/11 - "people with diabetes were twice as likely to develop dementia as people with normal blood sugar levels ... the risk of developing dementia significantly increased when blood sugar was still high two hours after a meal"
• Insomnia linked to high insulin resistance in diabetics - Science Daily, 5/2/11 - "Among the diabetics, poor sleepers had 23% higher blood glucose levels in the morning, and 48% higher blood insulin levels. Using these numbers to estimate a person's insulin resistance, the researchers found that poor sleepers with diabetes had 82% higher insulin resistance than normal sleepers with diabetes"
• Increase in deaths in men with type 2 diabetes and testosterone deficiency may be prevented by testosterone replacement, study suggests - Science Daily, 4/12/11 - "conducted a six year study of 587 men with type 2 diabetes, splitting them into three groups: those with normal total testosterone levels (above 10.4nmol/L, n=338), those with low testosterone levels (below 10.4nmol/L) that weren't treated with testosterone replacement therapy (n=182), and those with low testosterone levels treated with testosterone replacement therapy for two years or more during the follow up period (n=58) ... The findings show for the first time that low testosterone puts diabetic men at a significantly increased risk of death (p=0.001 log rank): 36 of the 182 diabetic men with untreated low testosterone died during the six year study, compared to 31 of the 338 men with normal testosterone levels (20% vs 9%). Furthermore, only 5 of the 58 diabetic men that were given testosterone replacement therapy died during the study (8.6%), meaning they showed significantly better survival compared to the non-treated group (p=0.049 log rank) ... In the 356 men with type 2 diabetes tested, health related quality of life decreased as testosterone levels decreased (r=0.353 p=0.044)"
• Treating high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 4/13/11 - "After five years, 298 people developed Alzheimer's disease. The others still had mild cognitive impairment. People with risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease and high cholesterol were two times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those without vascular risk factors. A total of 52 percent of those with risk factors developed Alzheimer's disease, compared to 36 percent of those with no risk factors ... Of those with vascular risk factors, people who were receiving full treatment were 39 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those receiving no treatment. Those receiving some treatments were 26 percent less likely to develop the disease compared to people who did not receive any treatment ... Although this was not a controlled trial, patients who were treated for their high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes had less progression of their memory or thinking impairment and were less likely to develop dementia"
• Avoiding or controlling diabetes may reduce cancer risk and mortality - Science Daily, 4/3/11 - "Previous epidemiologic studies have shown an association between diabetes and an increased risk for cancers including colorectal, liver and pancreas ... As for mortality, diabetes was associated with an 11 percent increased risk in women and a 17 percent increased risk in men ... diabetes was associated with a significant increase in risk for colon, rectal and liver cancers among men and women. In men, diabetes was associated with an increased risk for pancreatic and bladder cancers; in women, it was associated with an increased risk for stomach, anal and endometrial cancers. No association was found between diabetes and lung, skin or other cancers"
• The Association Between Dietary Sodium Intake, ESRD, and All-Cause Mortality In Patients With Type 1 Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2011 Feb 9 - "Many guidelines recommend reduced consumption of salt in patients with type 1 diabetes, but it is unclear whether dietary sodium intake is associated with mortality and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) ... The median follow-up for survival analyses was 10 years, during which 217 deaths were recorded (7.7%). Urinary sodium excretion was nonlinearly associated with all-cause mortality, such that individuals with the highest daily urinary sodium excretion, as well as the lowest excretion, had reduced survival. This association was independent age, sex, duration of diabetes, the presence and severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] and log AER), the presence of established cardiovascular disease, and systolic blood pressure. During follow-up 126 patients developed ESRD (4.5%). Urinary sodium excretion was inversely associated with the cumulative incidence of ESRD, such that individuals with the lowest sodium excretion had the highest cumulative incidence of ESRD. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 1 diabetes, sodium was independently associated all-cause mortality and ESRD. Although we have not demonstrated causality, these findings support the calls for caution before applying salt restriction universally. Clinical trials must be performed in diabetic patients to formally test the utility/risk of sodium restriction in this setting"
• Association Between Periodontitis and Impaired Fasting Glucose and Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2011 Jan 7 - "clinical attachment loss (CAL) ... Participants in the top quintile category of CAL had higher prevalence odds of IFG (odds ratio [OR] 1.55 [95% CI 1.16-2.07]) and diabetes (4.77 [2.69-8.46]) after adjustment for related confounders, compared with those in the bottom quintile. The highest quintile of pocket depth was positively associated with IFG (1.39 [1.00-1.92]) and diabetes (1.63 [1.10-2.42]) compared with the lowest quintile. ORs for CAL increased from the lowest to the highest quintile (P value test for trend <0.01) for all outcomes. The ORs for pocket depth also tended to rise across quintiles. CONCLUSIONS Chronic periodontitis measured by CAL and pocket depth was positively associated in a linear relation with IFG and diabetes in U.S. adults"
• Inhibition of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) protects pancreatic β-cells - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Nov 24 - "Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) have been linked to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications, such as retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy. AGEs may induce β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis, another complication of diabetes ... Inhibition of RAGE prevented AGE-induced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis, but could not restore the function of glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in rat islets. In summary, the results of the present study demonstrate that AGEs are integrally involved in RAGE-mediated apoptosis and impaired GSIS dysfunction in pancreatic β-cells. Inhibition of RAGE can effectively protect β-cells against AGE-induced apoptosis, but can not reverse islet dysfunction in GSIS"
• Diabetes may affect as many as 1 in 3 Americans by 2050 - USA Today, 10/21/10 - "one in 10 U.S. adults have diabetes now. The prevalence is expected to rise sharply over the next 40 years with as many as one in three having the disease, primarily type 2 diabetes, according to the report" - Note:  I believe that's the main reason life expectancy in the U.S. isn't that impressive.  Americans do not get enough exercise and they overeat. The portion size at restaurants is three times that of some countries I've been to.  Exercise also slows the rate of loss of telomere shortening.  Longer telomeres is associated with longevity.
• Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes linked to plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 8/25/10 - "People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes appear to be at an increased risk of developing plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease ... people who had abnormal results on three tests of blood sugar control had an increased risk of developing plaques. Plaques were found in 72 percent of people with insulin resistance and 62 percent of people with no indication of insulin resistance" - [Abstract]
• Experts explore emerging evidence linking diabetes and cancer - Science Daily, 6/16/10 - "Possible mechanisms for a direct link between diabetes and cancer include hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and inflammation"
• Eating processed meats, but not unprocessed red meats, may raise risk of heart disease and diabetes, study finds - Science Daily, 5/17/10 - "eating processed meat, such as bacon, sausage or processed deli meats, was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, the researchers did not find any higher risk of heart disease or diabetes among individuals eating unprocessed red meat, such as from beef, pork, or lamb"
• Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages daily linked to diabetes - Science Daily, 3/6/10 - "Using the Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Policy Model, a well-established computer simulation model of the national population age 35 and older, researchers estimate that the increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages between 1990 and 2000 contributed to 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease (CHD), and 50,000 additional life-years burdened by coronary heart disease over the past decade"
• Hemoglobin A1c outperforms fasting glucose for risk prediction - Science Daily, 3/3/10 - "Measurements of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) more accurately identify persons at risk for clinical outcomes than the commonly used measurement of fasting glucose ... people with HbA1c levels between 5.0 to 5.5 percent were identified as being within "normal" range ... With each incremental HbA1c increase, the study found, the incidence of diabetes increased as well; those at a level of 6.5 percent or greater are considered diabetic, and those between 6.0 and 6.5 percent are considered at a "very high risk" (9 times greater than those at the "normal" range) for developing diabetes"
• Insulin used to treat diabetes may be linked to increased cancer risk, review suggests - Science Daily, 3/2/10 - "Research suggests that metformin, which is used to treat some patients with diabetes, may provide a protective effect, while insulin and/or certain insulin analogues may promote tumour growth ... Diabetic patients were 30 per cent more likely to develop colorectal cancer ... Women with diabetes had a 20 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer ... People with diabetes had an 82 per cent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer" -  Note:  See my Insulin and Aging page.  I think it's like what came first the chicken or the egg.  I don't believe they know whether it's the insulin or the high blood sugar.  This seems to support that it's the high insulin.
• Diabetes Accelerates Conversion of Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia - Medscape, 1/11/10 - "Our study demonstrates that individuals with mild cognitive impairment and diabetes are at increased risk of developing dementia"
• Low testosterone levels and SHBG levels and high estradiol levels are independent predictors of type 2 diabetes in men - Eur J Endocrinol. 2010 Jan 8 - "There was a significantly lowered multi-adjusted risk for later diabetes with higher normal total testosterone levels, both linearly per SD increase (HR 0.71, CI 0.54-0.92) and in the higher quartiles of total testosterone compared to the lowest (HR 0.53, CI 0.33-0.84). A reduced multi-adjusted risk for incident diabetes was also found for men with higher SHBG levels, both linearly per SD increase (HR 0.55, CI 0.39-0.79) and when comparing the third (HR 0.38, CI 0.18-0.81) and the fourth quartile (HR 0.37, 0.17-0.82) to the lowest. The associations with total testosterone and SHBG were no longer significant after inclusion of waist circumference to the multivariate models. Estradiol was positively associated with incident diabetes after multivariate adjustments including waist circumference, when comparing the second (HR 0.49, CI 0.26-0.93) and the third (HR 0.51, CI 0.27-0.96) quartile to the highest Conclusion. Men with higher estradiol levels had an increased risk of later diabetes independent of obesity, while men with lower total testosterone and SHBG had an increased risk of diabetes that appeared dependent of obesity"
• Statins May Soon Be Given to Those With Excess Inflammation - U.S. News, 12/17/09 - "The Food and Drug Administration is considering expanding the use of cholesterol-lowering statin Crestor to those who have increased levels of inflammation—but not high cholesterol ... 2.8 percent of folks in the Crestor group developed diabetes compared with 2.3 percent of those who took placebos ... Experts still can't explain why Crestor would increase the likelihood of diabetes, but other research suggests that the entire class of statin drugs appears to have this downside ... found a 13 percent increased risk in diabetes in the statin users ... 1.5 percent of the placebo takers had a heart attack or stroke compared with 0.72 percent of the statin takers"
• More than 90 percent of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes, study finds - Science Daily, 12/15/09 - "An overwhelming majority of people who have periodontal (gum) disease are also at high risk for diabetes and should be screened for diabetes ... 93 percent of subjects who had periodontal disease, compared to 63 percent of those without the disease, were considered to be at high risk for diabetes and should be screened for diabetes"
• Metformin associated with lower cancer mortality in type 2 diabetes (ZODIAC-16) - Diabetes Care. 2009 Nov 16 - "Median follow-up time was 9.6 years, average age at baseline was 68 years, and average HbA1c was 7.5%. Five hundred seventy patients died, of which 122 from malignancies. SMR for cancer mortality was 1.47 (95%CI 1.22-1.76). In patients taking metformin compared to patients not taking metformin at baseline, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for cancer mortality was 0.43 (95%CI 0.23-0.80), and the HR with every increase of 1 gram of metformin was 0.58 (95%CI 0.36-0.93) ... In general, patients with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for cancer mortality. In our group, metformin use was associated with lower cancer mortality when compared to non-metformin use. Although the design cannot be conclusive about causality, our results suggest a protective effect of metformin on cancer mortality"
• Serum Uric Acid Linked With Development of Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 10/2/09 - "The pooled crude relative risk (RR) of a 1 mg/dL increase in serum uric acid was 1.17"
• Low-Cost Drugs Prevent Heart Attack, Stroke - WebMD, 10/1/09 - "Besides being encouraged to take a daily aspirin, patients were prescribed a medication bundle, typically lovastatin (40 milligrams a day) to lower cholesterol and lisinopril (20 milligrams a day) to lower blood pressure ... Compared with the no-exposure group, the low-exposure group (whose members picked up medicines less than half the time) had a 60% reduction in hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke"
• Diabetes Weakens Your Bones - Science Daily, 9/28/09 - "They observed increased levels of inflammatory molecules, including TNF-α during fracture healing. The diabetic animals had rapid loss of cartilage in the healing bones, which was due to increased numbers of osteoclasts, cells that remove bone and cartilage. Factors that stimulate osteoclast formation were regulated by both TNF-α and a downstream mediator, FOXO1. These results suggest that diabetes-mediated increases in TNF-α and FOXO1 may underlie the impaired healing of diabetic fractures"
• New Sign of Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 9/16/09 - "People with the lowest SHBG levels have a tenfold higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those with the highest SHBG levels"
• Higher Levels of Adiponectin Associated With Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/7/09 - "Although these epidemiologic studies cannot establish causality, the consistency of the association across diverse populations, the dose-response relationship, and the supportive findings in mechanistic studies indicate that adiponectin is a promising target for the reduction of risk of type 2 diabetes"
• Pioglitazone Improves Endothelial Function with Increased Adiponectin and High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels in Type 2 Diabetes - Endocr J. 2009 Jun 9 - "After treatment, HbA1c levels equally decreased in both groups, but PIO-treated group had significantly increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and decreased triglyceride, fasting insulin levels and HOMA-R. After treatment, increases in %FMD, plasma HDL-C and adiponectin (APN) levels were significantly greater in PIO-treated group than those in control group. Changes of %FMD showed significant positive correlations with those of plasma APN and HDL-C levels. In conclusion, the present study showed that treatment of T2DM improved endothelial function with greater increases in %FMD, APN and HDL-C levels in PIO-treated group than those in control group, suggesting the beneficial effect of PIO on endothelial function in T2DM" - See pioglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Pioglitazone Slows Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis - Medscape, 6/9/09 - "A substudy of ACTOS Now, a diabetes prevention trial comparing pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals) with placebo on risk and incidence of diabetes development, showed that active treatment with the thiazolidinedione slowed the rate of progression of carotid artery intima media thickness (CIMT) by 38% during a 3-year study period" - See Pioglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Insulin Changes Occur Years Before Diabetes - WebMD, 6/9/09 - "A steady trend in fasting glucose as early as 13 years prior to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, with fasting glucose levels rising rapidly three years before diagnosis"
• Depression Raises Risk for Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 6/8/09 - "Depressed participants who were not being treated had significantly greater insulin resistance than study participants who were not depressed. But treatment for depression appeared to improve insulin sensitivity ... There are several theories about how depression may contribute to type 2 diabetes, but the most widely cited theory involves the stress hormone cortisol ... Cortisol is a key player in blood sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity ... High cortisol levels are also associated with increased fat deposits around the abdomen, or belly fat, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes"
• Gestational Diabetes: Link to Sugary Drinks? - WebMD, 6/8/09 - "Compared to women who reported drinking less than one sugar-sweetened beverage per month, women who reported drinking five or more sugar-sweetened beverages per month were 22% more likely to report gestational diabetes. Colas were the only sugar-sweetened beverages linked to gestational diabetes"
• Too Much Or Too Little Sleep Increases Risk Of Diabetes - Science Daily, 4/21/09 - "The risk is 2½ times higher for people who sleep less than 7 hours or more than 8 hours a night"
• Long-Term Use of Antidepressants for Depressive Disorders and the Risk of Diabetes Mellitus - Am J Psychiatry. 2009 Apr 1 - "Compared with no use of antidepressants during the past 2 years, recent long-term use (>24 months) of antidepressants in moderate to high daily doses was associated with an increased risk of diabetes (incidence rate ratio=1.84, 95% CI=1.35-2.52). The magnitude of the risk was similar for long-term use of moderate to high daily doses of tricyclic antidepressants (incidence rate ratio=1.77, 95% CI=1.21-2.59) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (incidence rate ratio=2.06, 95% CI=1.20-3.52)"
• Low Creatinine Levels Linked to Diabetes - Medscape, 3/13/09 - "The multiple-adjusted odds ratio for those who had serum creatinine between 0.40 and 0.60 mg/dL was 1.91 compared with those who had levels between 0.71 and 0.80 mg/dL"
• Diabetes Linked To Cognitive Deterioration - Science Daily, 3/5/09 - "people with diabetes were 1.5 more likely to experience cognitive decline, and 1.6 more likely to suffer from dementia than people without diabetes ... suggests that higher-than-average levels of blood glucose (blood sugar) may have a role in this relationship ... in people with type 2 diabetes, higher levels of haemoglobin A1C (a measure of average blood glucose) are significantly associated with poorer performance on three cognitive tasks which require memory, speed and ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time. A higher A1C level was also associated with a lower score on a test of global cognitive function ... lowering A1C levels could slow the accelerated rate of cognitive decline experienced by people with diabetes"
• Work the Night Shift? Beware Diabetes - WebMD, 3/2/09 - "The 8.6 million Americans who work the night shift are at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Why? ... much of the body's biological clock -- its circadian rhythm -- keeps day-shift time even when a person goes on the night shift ... Cortisol -- the so-called stress hormone that affects blood pressure and blood sugar -- rose and dropped at the wrong time"
• Daily Diet Soda Consumption Linked to Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 2/11/09 - "Compared with participants who did not drink diet soda, those who drank diet soda at least daily had a 36% greater relative risk for incident MetSyn (HR, 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 - 1.66) and a 67% greater relative risk for incident type 2 diabetes"
• Doctors use diabetes test A1C as diagnostic tool- USA Today, 2/1/09 - "Within the next six months, a consensus by several leading diabetes organizations will lead to the publication of guidelines recommending the A1C test as a diagnostic tool for type 2 diabetes ... The benefit of the A1C test is that it can be taken at any time of day and is not thrown off by events of the day ... People who don't have diabetes typically have about a 6 or less reading"
• Getting Diabetes Before 65 More Than Doubles Risk For Alzheimer's Disease - WebMD, 1/28/09 - "getting diabetes before the age of 65 corresponds to a 125 percent increased risk for Alzheimer's disease"
• Diabetes Slows Brain Function - WebMD, 1/5/09 - "Mild diabetes slows mental function, even when kept under tight control ... Diabetes patients had normal reaction times and normal perceptual speed. But they were slower on tasks requiring rapid and precise processing of new verbal information. The defects involved speed and not verbal fluency"
• Most People Who Have Prediabetes Don’t Know It - WebMD, 11/6/08 - "Though only 4% of participants reported having prediabetes, researchers believe that 26% of adults have it, a figure based on laboratory test results in the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey"
• Diabetes Up 90% in U.S. - WebMD, 10/30/08 - "Scary Halloween news from the CDC: Type 2 diabetes is up 90% since 1997"
• Investigation on the relationship between diabetes mellitus type 2 and cognitive impairment - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2008 Oct 8 - "Subjects with diabetes (n=60) had lower MMSE score than those without diabetes (P<.01). Diabetes was also associated with increased odds of cognitive decline as determined by MMSE scores (odds ratio=1.9; CI=95%, 1.01-3.6). A significant correlation between duration of disease and cognitive dysfunction was observed, P=0.001 ... Diabetes mellitus is associated with lower levels of cognitive function"
• Type 2 Diabetes: Control Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure - WebMD, 9/10/08 - "If you've got type 2 diabetes, the sooner you get intense about reining in your blood sugar, the better. It also pays to buckle down on your blood pressure and stay that way"
• Association of WBC count and glucose metabolism among Chinese population aged 40 years and over - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2008 Aug 6 - "We concluded that an increase in WBC count was associated with the deterioration of glucose tolerance"
• The angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan improves insulin resistance and has beneficial effects in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2008 Aug 8 - "The telmisartan significantly improved HOMA-IR in hypertensive patients and also significantly decreased HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients especially in the patients with poor glycemic control (HbA1c>==8.0%). These results indicate that telmisartan improves insulin resistance and gives beneficial effects in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes and a poor glycemic control" - Just another reason I feel that telmisartan should be the first line treatment for hypertension.  Click here for other reasons.  See telmisartan at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Periodontal Disease May Independently Predict New-Onset Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/08 - "Individuals with elevated levels of periodontal disease were nearly twice as likely to become diabetic in that 20-year timeframe"
• Telmisartan but not candesartan affects adiponectin expression in vivo and in vitro - Hypertens Res. 2008 Apr;31(4):601-6 - "the changes in serum adiponectin and plasma glucose over 3 months were significantly greater in the telmisartan group than in the candesartan group. In vitro, although the protein level of adiponectin was not significantly elevated, the mRNA expression of adiponectin was elevated 1.5-fold by telmisartan in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our findings suggest that telmisartan may have beneficial effects in type 2 diabetes beyond its antihypertensive effect" - I've been saying that telmisartan should be the first line treatment for hypertension for some time now if natural methods such as coenzyme Q10 don't work.
• Testosterone Gel Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Sexual Function in Hypogonadal Men With Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 6/20/08 - "Among patients with type 2 diabetes with or without metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance as measured by HOMA-IR improved from baseline in the testosterone-treated group compared with placebo at 6 months (testosterone: -0.62, placebo: +0.16; P = .049) and at 12 months (testosterone: -.58 ... Patients receiving testosterone also achieved more than a 5-point improvement over placebo-treated patients on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) at 6 months (P < .05) and more than 6 points over placebo-treated patients at 12 months"
• Depression can trigger diabetes, study suggests - MSNBC, 6/17/08 - "Depressed people were 42 percent more likely to develop diabetes ... depression also pushes up the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol ... Elevated cortisol levels can impair insulin sensitivity in the body and encourage belly fat, a risk factor for diabetes"
• Pioglitazone Reduces Conversion From Impaired Glucose Tolerance to Diabetes - Medscape, 6/8/08 - "There was a weight gain of 3.9 kg in the pioglitazone group vs about 0.8 kg in the placebo group ... Over a mean follow-up of 2.6 years, pioglitazone markedly decreased, by 81%, the conversion rate of IGT to type 2 diabetes. IGT individuals who had the worst level of beta cell function and who were the most insulin resistant were the individuals who were most likely to develop type 2 diabetes, whether they were in the pioglitazone group...or the placebo group. Pioglitazone was quite safe and quite efficacious"
• Gum Disease May Make Diabetes Worse - WebMD, 6/6/08 - "The suggestion from the study is that treating gum disease could actually slow down the progression to diabetes in those at high risk of developing the disease"
• Long-term Pesticide Exposure May Increase Risk Of Diabetes - Science Daily, 6/4/08 - "Licensed pesticide applicators who used chlorinated pesticides on more than 100 days in their lifetime were at greater risk of diabetes, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The associations between specific pesticides and incident diabetes ranged from a 20 percent to a 200 percent increase in risk"
• Fatty Liver Linked To Increased Risk Of Diabetic Kidney Disease - Science Daily, 5/29/08 - "For patients with type 2 diabetes, a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may be an important risk factor for diabetes-related chronic kidney disease (CKD)" - See my liver disease page for way to reduce the risk of NAFLD.
• CDC: 52% With Diabetes Have Arthritis - WebMD, 5/8/08 - "Diabetes patients aged 18 to 44 have a 27.6% chance of having arthritis -- 2.5 times the 11% rate seen in the general population"
• Insulin Trouble Tied to Alzheimer's - WebMD, 4/9/08 - "the men took fasting glucose tests to show how well their body used insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar ... Men who had a weaker insulin response to that test were 31% more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease later in life" - See my Insulin and Aging page.
• Type 2 Diabetes Is Linked to Increased Risk for Parkinson's Disease - Science Daily, 3/28/08 - "individuals who developed type 2 diabetes had an 83% increased risk for PD compared with the general population ... insulin may play a role in regulation of brain dopanergic activity"
• Previously Unrecognized Testosterone Deficiency Common In Men With Type 1 Diabetes - Science Daily, 3/26/08 - "Testosterone deficiency, previously recognized as common in men with type 2 diabetes, is also common in men with type 1 diabetes"
• Antidepressants Linked To Type 2 Diabetes, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 3/25/08 - "the risk of diabetes almost doubled for the patients who were using two types of therapies at the same time, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)"
• Diabetes Linked to Risk of Endometrial Cancer - Medscape, 3/13/08 - "An association was observed between type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer (odds ratio = 1.7)"
• How Diabetes Drives Atherosclerosis - WebMD, 3/13/08 - "Abe's team showed that molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), produced in greater levels by patients with diabetes, interfere with ERK5 cardioprotection. Glycation reactions cause the release of oxidizing side products like hydrogen peroxide (H202) that drive free radical production, inflammation and cell damage in many diseases" - I was always under the impression that it was advanced glycation end products in the first place.  I guess I was right before they discovered it.
• Weight Loss More Effective Than Intensive Insulin Therapy For Type 2 Diabetics - Science Daily, 3/11/08 - "Weight-loss and major lifestyle changes may be more effective than intensive insulin therapy for overweight patients with poorly controlled, insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes"
• Low Testosterone Levels are Common and Associated with Insulin Resistance in Men with Diabetes - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Mar 4 - "Testosterone deficiency is common in men with diabetes, regardless of the type. Testosterone levels are partly influenced by insulin resistance, which may represent an important avenue for intervention"
• Diabetes May Be Disorder Of Upper Intestine: Surgery May Correct It - Science Daily, 3/5/08
• Study Questions Diabetes Threshold - WebMD, 2/29/08 - "More than 60% of the people with retinopathy didn't have fasting glucose levels in the range that is used to help diagnose type 2 diabetes"
• Adiponectin, Change in Adiponectin, and Progression to Diabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Program - Diabetes. 2008 Jan 11 - "Adiponectin is a powerful marker of diabetes risk in subjects at high risk of diabetes, even after adjustment for weight. An increase in adiponectin in lifestyle and placebo was associated with a reduction in diabetes risk. However, these changes in adiponectin were comparatively small and less strongly related to diabetes outcome than baseline adiponectin levels"
• Diabetes costs USA more than wars, disasters, study says - USATODAY.com, 1/23/08
• Androgen-Deprivation Therapy Linked to Diabetes - Medscape, 1/22/08 - "After controlling for other factors, the estimated relative risk of incident diabetes associated with ADT was a significant 1.36"
• Statins for All Adults with Diabetes? - WebMD, 1/10/08 - "One-third fewer people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes would suffer heart attacks or strokes if they took cholesterol-lowering statin drugs"
• Lack Of Deep Sleep May Increase Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 1/1/08 - "They found that when slow-wave sleep was suppressed for only three nights, young healthy subjects became about 25 percent less sensitive to insulin"
• Predictors of cognitive impairment and dementia in older people with diabetes - Diabetologia. 2007 Dec 5 - "Peripheral arterial disease is a strong independent risk factor for dementia in diabetes"
• Pioglitazone Lowers Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetic Patients with Kidney Disease - Doctor's Guide, 12/12/07
• Diabetes May Increase Woman's Risk of Colorectal Cancer - oncologystat.com, 12/7/07 - "There was about a 50% increased risk of colorectal cancer in women with diabetes ... The researchers hypothesized that the elevated levels of insulin typically seen in people with type 2 diabetes may play a central role. Insulin stimulates the growth of normal colonic and carcinoma cells"
• Testosterone, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome - Curr Urol Rep. 2007 Nov;8(6):467-71 - "One third of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus are now recognized as testosterone deficient. Emerging evidence suggests that testosterone therapy may be able to reverse some aspects of metabolic syndrome"
• Mental Health Treatment Extends Lives Of Older Patients With Diabetes And Depression - Science Daily, 12/5/07 - "Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report that older adults with diabetes and depression are half as likely to die over a 5-year period when they receive depression care management than depressed patients with diabetes who do not receive depression care management"
• Insufficient Sleep Raises Risk Of Diabetes, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 12/1/07 - "subjects who reported sleeping five or fewer hours and subjects who reported sleeping nine or more hours were significantly more likely to have incident diabetes over the follow-up period than were subjects who reported sleeping seven hours"
• Prevention of Type 2 diabetes: fact or fiction? - Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Dec;8(18):3147-58 - "Both studies have shown that intensive lifestyle intervention could reduce the progression of IGT to diabetes by 58%. Furthermore, four currently-available drugs have been established as being effective in preventing diabetes in subjects with prediabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program revealed that metformin 850 mg b.i.d. reduced the risk of diabetes by 31%. The STOP-NIDDM (Study To Prevent Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus) trial (n = 1429) showed that acarbose 100 mg t.i.d. with meals decreased the incidence of diabetes by 36% when the diagnosis was based on 2 oral glucose tolerance tests. The XENDOS (Xenical in the Prevention of Diabetes in Obese Subjects) study examined the use of orlistat, an antiobesity drug, as an adjunct to an intensive lifestyle modification program in obese non-diabetic subjects. Orlistat treatment resulted in a 37% decline in the development of diabetes. More recently, the DREAM (Diabetes Reduction Assessment with Ramipril and Rosiglitazone Medication) study (n = 5269) demonstrated that rosiglitazone at 8 mg once/day in subjects with prediabetes (IGT and/or impaired fasting glucose) was effective in reducing the risk of diabetes by 60%. It can be concluded that Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed through lifestyle modifications and/or pharmacologic interventions. This is a fact"
• Low Serum Testosterone Concentration in Middle-aged Men with Type 2 Diabetes - Endocr J. 2007 Nov 12 - "serum free testosterone concentration is certainly lower in a relatively large number of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes compared with healthy men with each decade of life between 40 and 69 years old"
• Candesartan Improves Outcomes in Diabetes, Kidney Patients - Doctor's Guide, 11/8/07 - "new onset diabetes occurred in just 1.1% of the 1,024 patents on candesartan compared with 2.9% of the patients treated with other blood pressure lowering medications that did not include angiotensin receptor blockers ... "We observed that treatment with candesartan reduced that risk by 63% (P =.027)," he said during a press briefing. He also noted that patients on candesartan had fewer adverse events than the 1,025 patients who received standard therapy" - I would have liked to see telmisartan (also an ARB) in this study.
• UCSD Researchers Discover Inflammation, Not Obesity, Cause of Insulin Resistance - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07 - "The research also proved that obesity without inflammation does not result in insulin resistance ... when an animal or a human being becomes obese, they develop steatosis, or increased fat in the liver. The steatosis leads to liver inflammation and hepatic insulin resistance"
• 13% of Americans Have Kidney Disease - WebMD, 11/6/07 - "Thirteen percent of Americans now have chronic kidney disease, up 3% over the last decade, mostly due to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure ... A recent CDC report on the same NHANES data suggested that 17% of Americans have chronic kidney disease. Coresh and colleagues came up with a lower number because the CDC analysis included people with earlier signs of kidney disease, while the Coresh team counted only those with persistent kidney disease"
• Type 2 Diabetes: Inflammation, Not Obesity, Cause Of Insulin Resistance - Science Daily, 11/6/07 - "If we can block or disarm this macrophage inflammatory pathway in humans, we could interrupt the cascade that leads to insulin resistance and diabetes"
• Women With High Or Increasing Blood Pressure Are Up To Three Times More Likely To Develop Diabetes - Science Daily, 10/9/07 - "women who have high blood pressure levels are three times more likely to develop diabetes than women with low blood pressure levels ... The authors suggest a possible mechanism for the relation between BP and diabetes may be endothelial dysfunction -- a dysfunction of the normal biochemical processes carried out by the layer of cells that line the inner surfaces of blood vessels. "It may be a precursor of both hypertension and diabetes," ... the progression of endothelial dysfunction may cause worsening of both BP and blood glucose. This is in line with the fact that both BP and blood glucose occur together as part of the metabolic syndrome"
• Homocysteine and diabetic retinopathy - Diabetes Care. 2007 Sep 26 - "Plasma total homocysteine concentration may be a useful biomarker and/or a novel risk factor for increased risk of diabetic retinopathy in people with type 2 diabetes"
• Diabetes Linked to Alzheimer's Disease - WebMD, 6/26/07 - "the relatively high levels of insulin in people with type 2 diabetes may spur development of the amyloid protein that is present in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. High insulin levels may also trigger a cascade of potentially harmful chemical signals in the brain"
• Omega-3s May Help Prevent Blindness - WebMD, 6/25/07
• Can Blindness Be Prevented Through Diet? - Science Daily, 6/24/07 - "Increasing intake of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, found in popular fish-oil supplements, may protect against blindness resulting from abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye ... Mice on the omega-3 diet, rich in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and its precursor EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), had less initial vessel loss in the retina than the omega-6-fed mice: the area with vessel loss was 40 to 50 percent smaller" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com or Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• (How) Can We Prevent Type 2 Diabetes? - Medscape, 6/18/07 - "Thiazolidinediones have produced relative risk reductions in the range of 55–62%"
• Screening of Cushing's syndrome in adult patients with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Jun 4 - "unknown CS is not rare among patients with diabetes mellitus ... early diagnosis and treatment of CS may provide the opportunity to improve the prognosis of diabetes"
• Thiazide and Beta-Blocker Use Linked With Increased Risk for Incident Diabetes - Medscape, 5/8/07 - "the relative risk of incident diabetes for those taking a thiazide diuretic compared with those not taking a thiazide was 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 - 1.33) in older women; 1.45 (95% CI, 1.17 - 1.79) in younger women; and 1.36 (95% CI, 1.17 - 1.58) in men ... the risk for incident diabetes was also increased in patients taking beta-blockers relative to those who were not: 1.32 (95% CI, 1.20 - 1.46) in older women and 1.20 (95% CI, 1.05 -1.38) in men. In younger women, a category of "other antihypertensives" was used that included beta-blockers, and their use was associated with an increased risk for 1.46"
• Hyperglycemia Linked to Cancer Risk - Physician's Weekly, 5/7/07 - "Risk of cancer of the pancreas, endometrium, urinary tract, and of malignant melanoma was statistically significantly associated with high fasting glucose with [relative risk ratios] of 2.49, 1.86, 1.69, and 2.16, respectively"
• Drugs to Prevent Diabetes Questioned - WebMD, 4/26/07 - "the long-term benefits of such treatments are not known ... Avandia was found to lower type 2 diabetes risk by 62% among people at high risk for developing the disease in a large, international trial reported last fall"
• Stem Cells May Stop Type 1 Diabetes - WebMD, 4/10/07
• Effect of inhibition of the Renin-Angiotensin system on development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (meta-analysis of randomized trials) - Am J Cardiol. 2007 Apr 1;99(7):1006-12. Epub 2007 Feb 16 - "In ACE inhibitor trials, the odds of developing DM were reduced by 28% (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.84, p <0.001), and in the 5 ARB studies, there was a 27% reduction (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.84, p <0.001) in the odds. In conclusion, evidence accumulated to date indicates that inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system may contribute to the prevention of DM"
• Erectile Dysfunction In Diabetes Is Due To Selective Defect In The Brain - Science Daily, 3/15/07
• Telmisartan and irbesartan therapy in type 2 diabetic patients treated with rosiglitazone: effects on insulin-resistance, leptin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha - Hypertens Res. 2006 Nov;29(11):849-56 - "The decrease in HbA1c and FPG at 12 months was statistically significant only in the telmisartan group"
• Which Drug for Initial Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes? - Medscape, 1/17/07 - "rosiglitazone was moderately more effective than the other two drugs in controlling fasting glucose levels during the first several years after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes"
• The effect of telmisartan on glucose and lipid metabolism in nondiabetic, insulin-resistant subjects - Metabolism. 2006 Sep;55(9):1149-54 - "in insulin-resistant persons 12 weeks of telmisartan result in a significant improvement in glucose metabolism with a predominant improvement in beta-cell function"
• ACE Inhibitors Reduce Kidney Disease Risk in Diabetics with High Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 11/2/06 - "Taking an ACE inhibitor, alone or as part of the combination treatment, provided further protection against diabetic kidney disease"
• Effect of rosiglitazone on the frequency of diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose: a randomised controlled trial - Lancet. 2006 Sep 23;368(9541):1096-105 - "306 (11.6%) individuals given rosiglitazone and 686 (26.0%) given placebo developed the composite primary outcome (hazard ratio 0.40, 95% CI 0.35-0.46; p<0.0001); 1330 (50.5%) individuals in the rosiglitazone group and 798 (30.3%) in the placebo group became normoglycaemic ... Rosiglitazone at 8 mg daily for 3 years substantially reduces incident type 2 diabetes and increases the likelihood of regression to normoglycaemia in adults with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance, or both"
• Diabetes pill works — but at what cost? - MSNBC, 9/26/06 - "Half got a drug called Avandia, already on the market to treat diabetes. The other half took a placebo, a dummy pill. After three years, 62 percent fewer people on the medication developed diabetes ... modest weight loss (5 to 7 percent of body weight) and light exercise (a 30 minute walk each day) brought a 58 percent reduction in progression to diabetes in the same at-risk people ... A month’s supply of Avandia in the dose needed for reducing diabetes risk costs about $120"  - See rosiglitazone at SuperSaverMeds.com or XlPharmacy.
• Diabetes, Not Obesity, Increases Risk Of Developing Critical Illness And Early Death - Science Daily, 9/25/06 - "in the absence of diabetes, obese individuals do not have an increased risk of suffering from acute organ failure, and of dying from acute organ failure, than non-obese individuals. By contrast, patients with diabetes are three times more likely to become critically ill with acute organ failure and they are three times more likely to die from acute organ failure, or from any cause, than patients who do not have diabetes, regardless of their BMI"
• Diabetes May Raise Cancer Risk - WebMD, 9/25/06 - "Total cancer risk was found to be 27% higher for men with diabetes than for men without the disease ... It has been suggested that excess insulin in people with type 2 diabetes may promote the growth of pancreatic and liver cancers ... Preventing diabetes can certainly lower your cardiovascular risk, and it appears that the same is true for certain cancers"
• Study Adds to Links Between Sleep Loss and Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 9/19/06 - "short or poor sleep is associated with decreased blood-sugar control in patients who already have diabetes"
• Drug 'Avandia' May Prevent Diabetes - WebMD, 9/15/06 - "People at high risk for diabetes who took the drug Avandia reduced their risk of developing the disease by 60% in the three-year trial" -  See rosiglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com or SuperSaverMeds.com.
• Researchers Find Added Benefit of Statins in Those at High Risk for Heart Disease, Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/06 - "found marked reductions in two pivotal biomarkers of inflammation: C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6. While these markers are typically elevated in insulin resistance, a condition that precedes the development of diabetes, statin therapy reduced these levels by 36% and 44%, respectively"
• Influences of statins on glucose tolerance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - J Atheroscler Thromb. 2006 Apr;13(2):95-100 - "atorvastatin-treated group (Group A ... arbitrary blood glucose levels increased from 147 +/- 50 (mean +/- SD) mg/dL to 177 +/- 70 mg/dL in Group A"
• Better Blood Sugar = Less Alzheimer's - WebMD, 7/17/06 - "there were almost 20% fewer new cases of Alzheimer's among people taking thiazolidinediones compared with people who took insulin. Similar results were found in a separate comparison between thiazolidinediones users and people starting Glucophage, another drug used to treat diabetes"
• Type 2 Diabetes Increases The Risk Of Glaucoma In Women - Science Daily, 7/12/06
• ACE Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists and the Incidence of New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus : An Emerging Theme - Drugs. 2006;66(9):1169-1177 - "These trials have demonstrated an approximately 15-30% reduction in the new onset of diabetes in those receiving ACE inhibitors and ARBs when compared with placebo or other active therapy"
• Important Drugs Underutilized in Older Diabetics - Physician's Weekly, 7/3/06 - "The authors recommended ACE/ARB therapy for all older patients with diabetes to improve quality of national diabetes care"
• Diabetes Confers Earlier Heart Risk - WebMD, 6/29/06 - "in general, people with diabetes have a risk for heart disease (such as heart attack), stroke, and death from any cause similar to someone more than a decade older but without the disease"
• Do Low-Carb Diets Help Diabetes? - WebMD, 6/16/06 - "16 obese patients with type 2 diabetes followed a calorie- and carbohydrate-restricted diet for 22 months. Most showed continuing improvements in blood sugar that were independent of weight loss; the average daily dosage of insulin among the 11 insulin-dependent patients was cut in half"
• High Blood Sugar Linked to More ICU Deaths - Intelihealth, 6/13/06 - "Even modest hyperglycemia - starting at just one point above normal glucose levels -- was associated with mortality"
• Study: A daily pill could narrow the scope of diabetes - USA Today, 6/11/06 - "If everyone who had the most common form of diabetes were given a daily "polypill" that combined low-dose aspirin with commonly used drugs to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, it would prevent 7.2 million deaths and disabilities that result from the disease"
• Obesity and Diabetes Increase Risk for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia - Doctor's Guide, 5/29/06 - "men with elevated fasting plasma glucose levels (>110 mg/dL) were 3 times more likely to have prostate enlargement"
• One-Third of Adults With Diabetes Still Don't Know They Have It - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/06 - "About 2.8% of U.S. adult -- one-third of those with diabetes -- still don't know they have it ... about 26% of adults age 20 and older continued to have impaired fasting glucose (IFG), a form of pre-diabetes ... nearly 40% of people age 65 and older had IFG, which becomes more common with age ... A major study of people with IGT has shown that lifestyle changes leading to a 5 to 7% weight loss lowered diabetes onset by 58%"
• Women With Type 2 Diabetes at Increased Risk of Colorectal Adenomas - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/06 - "type 2 diabetics had up to a 2- to 3-fold increased risk of having any adenoma or advanced adenomas, which are precancerous polyps"
• Lower Testosterone Levels Among Some Diabetic Patients May Lead to Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - Doctor's Guide, 4/27/06 - "Men with type 2 diabetes should have their testosterone monitored, because one third of them may have low testosterone that could be related to a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease"
• Periodontal Therapy May Help Diabetic Patients Improve Sugar Control - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/06 - "periodontal therapy may reduce a diabetic patient's HbA1c count by as much as 20% at three and six months following treatment"
• Sleep Length May Sway Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 3/15/06
• Eating Potatoes May Increase Risk for Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 3/2/06 - "After adjustment for age and dietary and nondietary factors, potato and french fry consumption were both positively associated with risk for type 2 diabetes. Comparing the highest and the lowest quintile of potato intake, the multivariate relative risk (RR) for diabetes was 1.14 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 - 1.26; P for trend, .009). Comparing the highest and the lowest quintile of french fry intake, the multivariate RR was 1.21"
• FDA Approves New Indication for Invanz (Ertapenem) for Treatment of Moderate to Severe Complicated Foot Infection in Diabetic Patients without Osteomyelitis - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/05
• Lifestyle Changes Reverse Type 2 Diabetes in Study Participants - Doctor's Guide, 11/3/05 - "Those who have or are at-risk of developing type 2 diabetes may be able to reverse the illness by improving their diet and engaging in regular exercise"
• Diabetics Face Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 11/2/05 - "hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia promote the growth of colorectal cancer"
• Combination therapy using metformin or thiazolidinediones and insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2005 Nov;7(6):633-41 - "The biguanide, metformin, sensitizes the liver to the effect of insulin, suppressing hepatic glucose output. Thiazolidinediones such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone enhance insulin-mediated glucose disposal, leading to reduced plasma insulin concentrations. These classes of drugs may also have varying beneficial effects on features of insulin resistance such as lipid levels, blood pressure and body weight. Metformin in combination with insulin has been shown to significantly improve blood glucose levels while lowering total daily insulin dose and body weight"
• More Aggressive Diabetes Treatment Needed - Doctor's Guide, 10/11/05 - "Primary care physicians treat about 90% of all patients with diabetes in the United States, but receive relatively little training in medical school on the subject ... Target fasting blood glucose levels should be 80 to 100 mg/dL and dinner glucose levels should be <140 mg/dL"
• Cause Of Diabetes-related Erectile Dysfunction Is Clarified By Johns Hopkins Researchers - Science Daily, 8/11/05 - "one particular simple sugar, present in increased levels in diabetics, interferes with the chain of events needed to achieve and maintain erection and can lead to permanent penile impairment over time"
• Strategies to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 8/8/05 - "Low glycemic load, high fiber diet which contains adequate amounts of mono-unsaturated and omega-3 fats and lean protein can improve satiety and dietary thermo-genesis (basal metabolic rate) and decrease insulin resistance ... Nutrients that have also been associated with worsening insulin sensitivity include trans-fats and saturated fats ... Exercise improves insulin sensitivity and lowers glucose levels both acutely and for up to 48 h after physical activity ... metformin reduced the risk of diabetes by 31% ... Valsartan reduced the incidence of new-onset diabetes by 23% ... Traditional beta-blockers worsen insulin sensitivity and increase the risk of developing new diabetes"
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus and the risk of colorectal cancer - Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005 Jun;3(6):587-94 - "Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer"
• Diabetics control glucose, lower cardiac risk - USATODAY.com, 6/12/05 - "Early, intensive treatment to keep blood sugar levels close to normal in people with diabetes can cut their risk of cardiovascular disease by about 50% and the risk of heart attack and stroke by 57%, much better results than those achieved by any cholesterol or blood pressure drug"
• Byetta (Exenatide), Newly Approved First-in-Class Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes, Now Available in US - Doctor's Guide, 6/9/05 - "Byetta is the first in a new class of diabetes treatment called incretin mimetics. By mimicking the mechanisms of a naturally occurring human hormone, Byetta is a diabetes self regulating drug that stays in the blood system, working actively only when blood sugar levels are too high"
• Men With Diabetes, Hypertension, or Hyperlipidemia More Likely to Be Hypogonadal - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/05 - "In men with a history of diabetes, 50% were hypogonadal"
• Insulin Resistance Correlates With Rises in C-Reactive Protein - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/05 - "As C-reactive protein rises, so does insulin resistance ... Increased C-reactive protein levels may also predispose to accelerated or premature atherosclerotic disease ... Maybe someday we'll have therapy to lower C-reactive protein levels"
• Valsartan Reduces Chance of Diabetes in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/05 - "patients taking valsartan had a 23% lower risk of developing diabetes during the four or more years of the study. The two drugs had previously been shown to be roughly equivalent in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke" - See valsartan at OffshoreRx1.com.
• U.S. Diabetes Control Dangerously Poor - WebMD, 5/18/05 - "Two-thirds of patients with type 2 diabetes do not adequately control their blood sugar"
• Metabolic Effect of Telmisartan [Micardis] and Losartan [Cozaar] in Hypertensive Patients with Metabolic Syndrome - Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2005 May 15;4(1):6 - "Telmisartan, but not losartan, significantly (p < 0.05) reduced free plasma glucose, free plasma insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and HbAic. Following treatment, plasma glucose and insulin were reduced during the oral glucose tolerance test by telmisartan, but not by losartan. Telmisartan also significantly reduced 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) compared with losartan"
• Type 2 Diabetes May Begin With Grandma's Diet - Science Daily, 5/12/05 - "the insulin resistance typical of type 2 diabetes can be "programmed" across two generations by poor nutrition during a grandmother's pregnancy and lactation"
• Study Suggests Antibiotic May Limit or Prevent Vision Problems Caused by Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 5/10/05
• Combination Therapy The Next Wave For Diabetic Dyslipidemia - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/05 - "Ezetimibe and prolonged-release nicotinic acid show the most promise so far when combined with a statin ... extended-release form of nicotinic acid (Niaspan) ... taking 1000 mg or 1500 mg per day experienced increases in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels of 19% and 24%"
• Statins Urged for Diabetic Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/05 - "diabetics who are older than 40 years of age whose total cholesterol exceeds 3.5 mmol/L (135 mg/dL) should be placed on statin therapy to achieve a 30% to 40% reduction in LDL level, regardless of their baseline LDL level and even if they do not have overt cardiovascular disease"
• FDA Approves New Diabetes Treatment - CBS 2 Chicago, 4/29/05
• FDA Approves of Byetta (Exenatide) Injection, Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 4/29/05
• Long or Short Sleep Time May Be Associated With Diabetes - Medscape, 4/26/05 - "Sleep duration of six hours or less or nine hours or more is associated with increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)"
• ACE Inhibitors or ARBs for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials - Medscape, 4/18/05 - "the use of valsartan reduced the incidence of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 23%"
• Waistline better indicator of diabetes than BMI - MSNBC, 3/21/05 - "Compared to those in the group with the smallest waists, 29-34 inches, men with larger waist sizes were at least twice as likely to have diabetes. Those with the largest waist size — 40 inches and above — were up to 12 times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes"
• Moderate Drinking May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 3/21/05
• Waist Size Predicts Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 3/10/05 - "a man's waist size is a better indicator of type 2 diabetes risk than other currently used measures, such as waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight in relation to height)."
• Elevated Glucose Levels And Diabetes Are Associated With Increased Risk For Cancer - Science Daily, 1/19/05 - "the group with the highest fasting serum glucose (140 mg/dL or greater [7.8 mmol/L or greater]) had a higher death rates from all cancers combined (29 percent higher for men; 23 percent higher for women) compared with the group with the lowest level (less than 90 mg/dL [less than 5.0 mmol/L])"
• High Blood Sugar Raises Cancer Risk - WebMD, 1/11/05 - "the men in the study with the highest fasting blood sugar levels (those greater than 140 mg/dl) were 29% more likely to die of cancer than men with the lowest levels (those less than 90 mg/dl). The difference among women with the highest and lowest blood sugar levels was 23%"
• Study links diabetes to cancer risk - MSNBC, 1/11/05 - "diabetes can raise the risk of developing and dying from several types of cancer, including digestive-tract tumors"
• High Blood Sugar Hurts Thinking - WebMD, 12/22/04 - "More than half of the group (55%) didn't think as clearly as normal when their blood sugar was too high. They responded more slowly or made more verbal and subtraction errors when their blood sugar levels were high"
• Testosterone Deficiency Found In One-Third Of Diabetic Men - Science Daily, 11/29/04 - "The surprisingly high prevalence of low testosterone levels was associated with lower levels of pituitary hormones called gonadotrophins ... The high prevalence of low testosterone in diabetic men is concerning, said Dhindsa, because in addition to lowered libido and erectile dysfunction, the condition is associated with loss of muscle tone, increase in abdominal fat, loss of bone density, and can affect mood and cognition"
• Death Risk Rises With Blood Sugar - WebMD, 9/20/04 - "As your blood sugar level goes up, so does your risk of death and heart disease - even if you don't have diabetes ... we should be concerned about blood glucose elevations even in people who do not have diabetes"
• Cardiovascular therapies and risk for development of diabetes - J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Aug 4;44(3):509-12 - "Treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and calcium antagonists yielded a lower incidence of diabetes development than beta-blockers and diuretics"
• Do Bacon and Hot Dogs Trigger Diabetes? - WebMD, 9/8/04 - "Compared with women who eat less red meat, women who eat red meat frequently have almost a third higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Frequently eating bacon, hot dogs, and processed (deli-style) meats was associated with a 43% higher risk of type 2 diabetes"
• Higher Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Associated with Increased Risk for Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/25/04
• Soft Drinks: Too Much of a Bad Thing? - WebMD, 8/24/04 - [Abstract] "women who increased their intake of sugar-sweetened soft drinks or fruit punch from one can per week to one per day gained more weight and doubled their risk of type 2 diabetes compared with women who did not increase their intake"
• Statin use in Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with a delay in starting insulin - Diabet Med. 2004 Sep;21(9):962-7 - "The use of statins is associated with a delay in starting insulin treatment in patients with Type 2 diabetes initially treated with oral antidiabetic agents"
• Sugary Sodas Add Pounds, Raise Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 6/7/04 - "women who went from drinking less than one non-diet soda a day to one or more sodas a day gained more weight and were nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes over a four-year period than women who drank less than one soft drink a day"
• Nearly All With Type 2 Diabetes Need Statins - WebMD, 4/19/04 - "no matter how low the cholesterol count, nearly all people with diabetes should take these cholesterol-lowering drugs"
• Intensified Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy Slows Renal Disease Progression - Doctor's Guide, 4/1/04
• C-Reactive Protein as Independent Predictor of Type 2 Diabetes in Women - Doctor's Guide, 3/8/04 - "Elevated plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory biomarker, is an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes in females ... C-reactive protein is a sensitive and stable marker for systemic inflammation, and may be a potential target for intervention in healthy subjects" - See my CRP page for ways to reduce it.
• Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Has Direct Effect on Glucose and Protein Metabolism in Type 1 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 1/29/04 - "circulating IGF-I may act in concert with insulin to control glucose and protein metabolism" - Note:  Growth hormone increases IGF-I.
• Diabetes, Are You at Risk? - Time Magazine Cover Story, 12/8/03 - "Now there are half a dozen studies confirming that if you measure markers of inflammation, and CRP in particular, you can do a good job of predicting who's going to get diabetes"
• Redefining Impaired Fasting Glucose - Physician's Weekly, 11/24/03 - "the cut point for IFG should be reduced to 100 mg/dl from the current 110 mg/dl"
• Younger Adults With Type 2 Diabetes 14 Times More Likely to Suffer Heart Attacks - Doctor's Guide, 10/24/03 - "Young adults, age 18-44, who get type 2 diabetes are 14 times more likely to suffer a heart attack and up to 30 times more likely to have a stroke than their peers without diabetes"
• Anaemia in Diabetics Often Unrecognised, Undetected, and Untreated - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/03 - "Although anaemia is a key indicator of renal disease, a significant complication caused by diabetes, most diabetics are not tested for anaemia and remain unaware of an association between anaemia and kidney disease ... reduced quality of life was evident by reports of being down or depressed (21%), very down or depressed (17%), or feeling frustrated (17%)"
• Indications and Management Strategies for Insulin Therapy in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 9/8/03 - "The American Diabetes Association goals for glucose control are a haemoglobin A1c level of less than 7%, a fasting glucose level between 90 and 130 mg/dL, and a post-prandial glucose concentration of less that 180 mg/dL"
• Doctors Ignore Diabetes Guidelines - WebMD, 8/18/03 - "Do you have diabetes? There's a one-in-three chance that if you do, you don't know ... Testing should be considered at a younger age -- and done more frequently -- in certain people: ... Anyone with high blood pressure (140/90 or higher) ... Anyone with an HDL "good" cholesterol of 35 or under and/or triglyceride levels of 250 or more ... Anyone with a fasting blood sugar level of 100 to 125"
• Is it possible to prevent type 2 diabetes? - Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2003 Jun;64(3 Suppl):37-44 - "Four prospective randomised long-term studies have been recently completed and published ... Both of them clearly demonstrate the possibility to delay and/or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in at high-risk subjects with impaired glucose tolerance, through changes in lifestyle (dietary intervention, weight reduction, increased physical activity) or drug treatment (metformin, acarbose, orlistat)"
• Impaired Glucose Tolerance Ups Cancer Deaths - WebMD, 7/11/03 - "people with impaired glucose tolerance have a high risk of cancer death ... They're nearly twice as likely to die of any form of cancer ... They're more than four times as likely to die of colon cancer ... They're more than 50% more likely to die of lung cancer"
• Fatty Diet Raises Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 6/20/03 - "surveys of people with diabetes have suggested a link between the amount of saturated fat in a person's diet and diabetes risk, but until now that link has not been confirmed by biological evidence ... they looked at the levels of fatty acids in the blood, which reflects how much saturated fat a person generally eats over time, and compared it to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among a group of 2,909 adults aged 45-64 ... During nine years of follow-up, 252 of the men and women developed type 2 diabetes ... As the level of fatty acids increased, the likelihood that the person developed type 2 diabetes also increased" - This is something else the Atkin's studies should be looking at.  This study was nine years.  I believe the longest Atkin's study was one year. - Ben
• Iron Stores May Predict Diabetes Risk - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/03 - "Women in the highest quintile of ferritin concentration were 2.66 times more likely to have diabetes, compared with those in the lowest quintile"
• Epilepsy Drug Topamax Targets Diabetes - WebMD, 6/16/03 - "In a small study, the antiepileptic drug Topamax lowered levels of total cholesterol, blood glucose, and diastolic blood pressure, all components of the "prediabetic syndrome,""
• One in Three Children Will Develop Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 6/16/03 - "The study showed that 33% of boys and 39% of girls born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime ... The projected lifetime risk is about three times higher than the American Diabetes Association's current estimate ... With simple lifestyle changes, patients can decrease their risk of developing diabetes by more than 50%"
• Schizophrenia Drugs Linked to Diabetes - WebMD, 6/3/03 - "close to 25% of them developed high blood sugar levels while taking Clozaril, the first of these newer schizophrenia medications -- called "atypical antipsychotics." ... people with schizophrenia have a four- to six-fold risk of diabetes compared with the general population ... One possible explanation: Those with schizophrenia typically have higher levels of cortisol, known as the "stress hormone," because the body releases it during times of agitation. And high cortisol levels can cause problems in the way blood sugar is metabolized" - See my cortisol page for possible ways to reduce it.
• Erectile Dysfunction / Impotence - Prostate Health Guide - U. of Maryland Medicine - "There are 5 million adult men in the US with diabetes, and it is estimated that half are impotent and the other half will become impotent in time. The process involves premature and unusually severe hardening of the arteries. Peripheral neuropathy, with involvement of the nerves controlling erections, is commonly seen in persons with diabetes"
• Combination Therapy Improves Management of Obese Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/15/03 - "Adding rosiglitazone, an insulin-sensitising thiazolidinedione drug, to metformin, a biguanide agent, greatly enhances the management of obese type 2 diabetic patients who are inadequately controlled by metformin alone"
• Diabetes Linked to Development of Alzheimer's Disease - Doctor's Guide, 4/8/03 - "people with diabetes had a 73% greater chance of developing Alzheimer s disease compared to controls ... people with diabetes had a 51% greater rate of decline in perceptual speed"
• Blood Pressure Rises Decades Before Diabetes Develops - Doctor's Guide, 4/7/03 - "Elevations in blood pressure precede the development of type 2 diabetes in middle age by 20 to 25 years"
• Topiramate Shows Promise in Patients with Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 4/2/03 - "Diabetic control (hemoglobin A1C levels) improved significantly during topiramate treatment, and the effect was dose-related ... Reductions in hemoglobin A1C did not seem to correlate with topiramate-induced weight loss ... The study also found that most patients lost weight during topiramate treatment. Eighteen to 40% of patients showed clinically significant weight loss, losing at least 5% of their baseline weight"
• Diabetes Prevention Efforts Achieving Good Results - Doctor's Guide, 2/17/03 - "Strategies that may prevent progression to diabetes include weight reduction, exercise, insulin secretagogues, metformin, glucosidase inhibitors and thiazolidinedione ... Diabetes risk was reduced by 31% among patients who were treated with metformin (which tends to restrain weight gain) and by 58% for patients who improved their lifestyle ... Losing even 5 to 7 kg [11 to 15.4 pounds] "has an enormous benefit" that was also apparent in cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factor reductions"
• Insulin Resistance Profoundly Effects Lipoprotein Size And Subclass Concentrations - Doctor's Guide, 1/30/03 - "Overall, more marked insulin resistance was associated with increases in the size and concentration of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) as well as decreases in the sizes of both low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). The subgroups of insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant subjects without diabetes also showed the association"
• C-Reactive Protein as a Predictor for Incident Diabetes Mellitus Among Middle-aged Men - Archives of Internal Medicine, 1/13/03 - "Low-grade systemic inflammation is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged men. Inflammation could be one mechanism by which known risk factors for diabetes mellitus, such as obesity, smoking, and hypertension, promote the development of diabetes mellitus" - Inflammation has been associated with diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and stoke.  See my inflammation page for ways to reduce it.
• HRT May Reduce Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 1/6/03 - "postmenopausal women with heart disease who took a combination of estrogen and progestin (Prempro) had a 35% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who took a placebo. The women on HRT also had more normal fasting blood sugar levels, which when high suggest the likely onset of diabetes"
• Study Raises Questions About HRT In Diabetic Women - Intelihealth, 12/3/02 - "In diabetic women who hadn't experienced a recent heart attack, HRT was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of heart attack"
• Low-Dose Acetylsalicylic Acid may Interfere With ACE Inhibition in Type I Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 9/4/02 - "Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, Aspirin) may increase systolic blood pressure in type 1 diabetic patients, especially in those taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors ... Compared to those not taking ASA, patients taking ASA had higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) (151 plus or minus 1 versus 134 plus or minus 1 mmHg; p<0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (84 plus or minus 1 versus 80 plus or minus 1 ... Similarly, in patients without CVD and not taking antihypertensive drugs (n=37), SBP was still higher in those taking ASA (142 plus or minus 3 mmHg) compared to the 1042 participants who were not taking it (128 plus or minus 1 mmHg)"
• 'Pre-Diabetes' Puts Millions at Risk - WebMD, 3/28/02 - "The threat of an epidemic of diabetes is now so great that the U.S. government has created a whole new condition for those at risk, called "pre-diabetes." ... Research shows that most people with pre-diabetes will develop diabetes within a decade unless they make changes in their lifestyle, such as eating a healthier diet and becoming more physically active"
• Drug for high blood pressure reduces diabetes risk - CNN, 3/21/02 - "using the drug Cozaar to treat people with high blood pressure reduces their risk of developing diabetes by 25%"
• Nodding Off? 'Wake-Up Pills' Available - WebMD, 1/16/02 - "Studies at the University of Chicago show that when college-aged men were allowed to sleep for just four hours a night for one week, their insulin reactions were that of "old diabetics,""
• Diabetes Drug [Glucophage/metformin] May Fight Obesity - WebMD, 12/26/01 - "Pediatricians at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine put 24 obese adolescents on a low-calorie diet: 1,500 calories a day for the girls and 1,800 calories a day for the boys. They also gave half the teens Glucophage and half a placebo ... After eight weeks, dieting teens who took the placebo lost 3.8 % of their body weight. But those taking Glucophage lost 6.5 % of their body weight -- nearly twice as much"
• Millions Of 30-Somethings Urged To Get Diabetes Tests As Disease Strikes Young Adults - Intelihealth, 8/28/01 - "the fatter you are, the more likely Type 2 diabetes is to strike before age 45 - as young as 18. Obesity not only was key to early diabetes, but the risk rose 6 percent for every 5 pounds to 8 pounds (2 to 4 kilograms) of extra weight"
• How to Avoid Diabetes -- Landmark Results Unveiled - WebMD, 8/8/01 - "Either a low-fat diet combined with moderate exercise or the drug metformin -- brand name Glucophage -- dramatically reduced type 2 diabetes risk among overweight people with elevated blood sugar"
• Cow's Milk May Cause Type 1 Diabetes in at-Risk Infants - WebMD, 7/23/01 - "Those fed the formula made without cow's milk were about 50% less likely to develop proteins that are associated with type 1 diabetes"
• Another Study Suggests Inflammation May Trigger Diabetes - WebMD, 7/17/01 - "The immune system and inflammation may be factors causing type 2 diabetes ... women who had high levels of immune system substances called C-reactive protein or interleukin-6, or both, in their blood were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes ... Both C-reactive protein, called CRP, and interleukin-6, or IL-6, are considered indicators for inflammation"
• Sleep on This: Lack of Shut-Eye Ups Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 6/25/01 - "People who don't get adequate rest may increase their risk for type 2 diabetes ... "short-sleepers," or those who slept less than 6.5 hours per night, were about 40% less insulin-sensitive than normal sleepers, those who logged about 7.5 to 8.5 hours a night"
• 'Bad' Fats Found in Processed Foods Linked to Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 6/8/01 - "Fats known as trans fatty acids, commonly seen in these foods, already have been linked to heart disease and high cholesterol. Now a study from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that limiting their consumption also can greatly lower diabetes risk"
• Depression may double diabetes risk - USA Today, 5/24/01 - "But, even "independent of weight gain and other factors," Lustman says, depression doubles the risk for diabetes. "There are changes in hormones that occur during depression that can directly increase insulin resistance.""
• Lantus (Insulin Glargine [rDNA Origin] Injection) Once-A-Day Treatment for Diabetes Available in US - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/01 - "first and only insulin analog that provides 24-hour glucose lowering activity with just one shot"
• Diabetics Get Kidney Protection From ARBs, High Blood Pressure Drugs Reduce Need for Dialysis, Transplant - WebMD, 5/20/01 - "results from three landmark studies of almost 4,000 diabetic patients suggest that a specific class of blood pressure drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers, or ARBs, can protect kidneys and reduce the need for kidney dialysis or transplant"
• Inhaled Insulin as Good as Injections for Diabetics, Powder Controls Blood Sugar Without Side Effects - WebMD, 5/20/01 - "Inhaled insulin appears to work as well as the [skin-injected] insulin on blood sugar control during these three-month studies"
• Diovan (Valsartan) Effective in Reducing Microalbuminuria - Doctor's Guide, 5/17/01 - "Diovan® (valsartan), is more effective in reducing microalbuminuria (p<0.001), an early sign of diabetic kidney disease, compared to the calcium channel blocker, amlodipine"
• Blood Pressure Control May Be Key In Preventing Cardiovascular Disease In Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/20/01 - "Controlling blood pressure may be the key factor in preventing cardiovascular disease in people who have diabetes, and ACE inhibitors appear the best means to that end"
• ACE Scores High In Diabetic Hypertension - Intelihealth, 4/20/01 - "hypertension is twice as frequent in diabetics, and up to 75 percent of CVD cases in people with diabetes may be attributable to hypertension ... suggest that ACE inhibitor therapy may improve insulin sensitivity and also delay the development of diabetes in patients at high risk ... Rigorous control of blood pressure to less than 130 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) systolic and 85 mmHg diastolic strikingly decreases heart attacks, strokes and end-stage renal disease in diabetic patients"
• Long-Term Blood Pressure Control Decreases Incidence Of Diabetic Retinopathy - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "DR affects 70-100 percent of patients with diabetes ... the results of this study highlight the importance of using multiple agents in order to achieve and sustain a satisfactory reduction in BP in patients with diabetic renal disease"
• Antihypertensive Control Needed To Delay Progression Of Diabetic Neuropathy - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "Proper control of blood pressure is the single most important factor in delaying the progression of diabetic neuropathy ... majority of such patients require more than a single antihypertensive agent to achieve adequate BP control (£ 130/80)"
• Angiotensin II Antagonist Telmisartan Fights Stiffening Arteries In Hypertensive Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "not only effectively lowered blood pressure compared with placebo, but also significantly decreased arterial stiffness"
• Angiotensin II Antagonist Plus Conventional Treatment Improves Blood Pressure Control, Kidney Function - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "Adding candesartan cilexetil to conventional therapy significantly reduced albuminuria by a mean of 25 percent, fractional albumin clearance by a mean of 35 percent, 24-hour systolic blood pressure by a mean of 10 mmHg, and GFR by a mean of 5 ml/minute/1.73 m2. The mean reduction in diastolic blood pressure (3 mmHg) was not statistically significant"
• FDA approves watch-like diabetes monitor - USA Today, 3/22/01 - "checks glucose levels every 20 minutes by sending tiny electric currents through the skin ... it sounds an alarm if blood sugar hits dangerous levels — possibly life-saving if glucose plummets while they sleep ... prescription-only" see http://www.glucowatch.com/
• Aspirin Greatly Underutilized Among Patients with Diabetes - WebMD, 2/13/01 - "A simple aspirin is one of the cheapest and most widely available therapies for preventing life-threatening complications of diabetes"
• Common blood pressure drug increases the risk of diabetes - CNN, 3/29/00 - "A drug [beta-blockers] commonly used to treat high blood pressure increases the risk of developing diabetes by 28 percent"