Type 2 Diabetes Can Be A ‘devastating Diagnosis’ Says Expert
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The steep rise in diabetes prevalence could see the condition grow to pandemic proportions in coming years. While both forms of diabetes are linked to genetics, only type 2 diabetes is associated with weight. The condition is mainly characterised by blood sugar dysregulation which can lead to grave health issues if left unmanaged. Fortunately, one plant could help manage blood sugar levels, according to various bodies of research.
Fasting Diet ‘regenerates Diabetic Pancreas’
Health and science reporter, BBC News website
The pancreas can be triggered to regenerate itself through a type of fasting diet, say US researchers.
Restoring the function of the organ – which helps control blood sugar levels – reversed symptoms of diabetes in animal experiments.
The study, , says the diet reboots the body.
Experts said the findings were “potentially very exciting” as they could become a new treatment for the disease.
People are advised not to try this without medical advice.
In the experiments, mice were put on a modified form of the “fasting-mimicking diet”.
It is like the human form of the diet when people spend five days on a low-calorie, low-protein, low-carbohydrate but high unsaturated-fat diet.
It resembles a vegan diet with nuts and soups, but with around 800 to 1,100 calories a day.
Then they have 25 days eating what they want – so overall it mimics periods of feast and famine.
Previous research has suggested it can slow the pace of ageing.
Lower Your Blood Sugar With These Supplements
Researchers are currently studying a wide variety of supplements to determine their ability to lower blood sugar. These types of supplements could potentially be helpful for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes especially those with type 2.
Diabetes is long-term condition that affects the the bodys levels of blood sugar and insulin. Specifically, the body either doesnt produce enough insulin, or the body is not able to use the insulin it does produce properly.
Treatment generally includes healthy lifestyle changes and medications, but there are some alternative therapies, such as herbal supplements, that can help. However, herbs and nutritional supplements are not a cure for diabetes and arent a replacement for medical treatment, but certain supplements can complement conventional therapies to help provide relief from symptoms and decrease the chances of developing complications.
Taking the right supplements alongside your diabetes medication may even lead to your physician decreasing your medication dose, although its unlikely that supplements will completely replace your use of medication.
Here Are the Top 10 Supplements That Can Help Lower Blood Sugar.
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Hormones Of The Pancreas
Regulation of blood glucose is largely done through the endocrine hormones of the pancreas, a beautiful balance of hormones achieved through a negative feedback loop. The main hormones of the pancreas that affect blood glucose include insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and amylin.
Insulin lowers BG levels, whereas glucagon elevates BG levels.
Somatostatin is formed in the delta cells of the pancreas and acts as the pancreatic policeman, balancing insulin and glucagon. It helps the pancreas alternate in turning on or turning off each opposing hormone.
Amylin is a hormone, made in a 1:100 ratio with insulin, that helps increase satiety, or satisfaction and state of fullness from a meal, to prevent overeating. It also helps slow the stomach contents from emptying too quickly, to avoid a quick spike in BG levels.
In a healthy liver, up to 10% of its total volume is used for glycogen stores. Skeletal muscle cells store about 1% of glycogen. The liver converts glycogen back to glucose when it is needed for energy and regulates the amount of glucose circulating between meals. Your liver is amazing in that it knows how much to store and keep, or break down and release, to maintain ideal plasma glucose levels. Imitation of this process is the goal of insulin therapy when glucose levels are managed externally. Basalbolus dosing is used as clinicians attempt to replicate this normal cycle.
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A Focus On Beta Cell Mass Could Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a global health problem expected to affect nearly seven percent of the worlds population by 2035. Treatment broadly focuses on regulating glucose levels, and an increase in the range of pharmacological options means that it is usually possible to manage the condition. However, diabetes cannot be cured. Professor Yoshifumi Saisho from Keio University, Japan, advocates moving the focus away from glucose levels and towards protecting pancreatic beta cell mass the cells which produce insulin to prevent patients from developing type 2 diabetes and to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Diabetes mellitus is a growing health problem worldwide, accounting for over 10% of global all-cause mortality, and costing an estimated $727 billion in healthcare expenses as of 2019. If diabetes is not properly managed it can lead to serious damage to the body, including the heart, kidney, eyes, and nerves, and type 2 diabetes can increase the likelihood of developing cancer and dementia. Diabetes results when the level of blood sugar in the body is too high for too long, and the body is incapable of reducing the levels naturally. Glucose comes from the food we eat and is usually absorbed for use as energy, but absorption is regulated by insulin. Insulin is produced by beta cells in the pancreas but in people with diabetes either there is too little insulin produced or the body tissues dont react properly to the insulin, and the glucose isnt absorbed.
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Can Improve Patients Daily Lives
Our findings might mean that insulin production can be partially restored if we can find a way of stopping the disease process. The potential for insulin production is greater than previously thought. The risk of developing health problems later on is lower for those who manage to maintain a certain level of insulin production. Less supplementary insulin means that you will be better off as a patient, says Krogvold.
Introduction To The Pancreas
The pancreas is a large gland located in the upper left abdomen behind the stomach, as shown in the figure below. The pancreas is about 15 centimeters long and it has a flat, oblong shape. Structurally, the pancreas is divided into a head, body, and tail. Functionally, the pancreas serves as both an endocrine gland and an exocrine gland.
- As an endocrine gland, the pancreas is part of the endocrine system. As such, it releases hormones, such as insulin, directly into the bloodstream for transport to cells throughout the body.
- As an exocrine gland, the pancreas is part of the digestive system. As such, it releases digestive enzymes into ducts that carry the enzymes to the gastrointestinal tract where they assist with digestion. In this concept, the focus is on the pancreas as an endocrine gland. You can read about the pancreas as an exocrine gland in the chapter Digestive System.
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Regulation Of Blood Glucose Levels By Insulin And Glucagon
Glucose is required for cellular respiration and is the preferred fuel for all body cells. The body derives glucose from the breakdown of the carbohydrate-containing foods and drinks we consume. Glucose not immediately taken up by cells for fuel can be stored by the liver and muscles as glycogen, or converted to triglycerides and stored in the adipose tissue. Hormones regulate both the storage and the utilization of glucose as required. Receptors located in the pancreas sense blood glucose levels, and subsequently the pancreatic cells secrete glucagon or insulin to maintain normal levels.
Best Herbs To Lower Blood Sugar
These are some good choices for natural herbs that help blood sugar:
Gymnema sylvester extract helps repair and regenerate pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin this potent herb promotes glucose utilization in the cells thus lowering blood sugar. Additionally, it prevents the liver from releasing more glucose into the blood flow, lowers triglycerides and cholesterol. Some people today feel gymnema sylvester is among the most effective herbs for treating high blood sugar both type 1 and 2 diabetics. Additionally gymnema Sylvestre can help rejuvenate beta cells in the pancreas thus helping cure the problem.
Gymnema sylvestre is original to central & southern part of India. Used in traditional Indian medicine since the 6th century BC, the leaves of the plant contain gymnemic acids which have the incredible ability to slow down the transfer of sugar from the intestines into the bloodstream. Some scientists even think that Gymnema sylvestre extract can help repair and regenerate pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin.
Other research conducted in the same institute studied possible regeneration of the islets of langerhans in rats which were made diabetic to the analysis and then provided Gymnema Sylvester leaf extracts. The diabetic rats could double the amount of the islets and beta cell numbers. Researchers believed that the herbal therapy managed to bring blood glucose stability by repairing the pancreas and increasing insulin secretion.
seeds
Rosemary
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How To Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Smart nutrition and lifestyle tips you can implement to help lower your blood sugar levels
Whenever we eat carbohydrates, sugar , enters the bloodstream. Glucose is an important source of energy and provides the body with the correct nutrients to fuel our internal organs and bodily processes.
However, if your blood sugar levels become too high, this can lead to type 2 diabetes. A healthy blood sugar range is between 70-99 milligrams per deciliter when fasting and up to 140 mg/dL, two hours after eating. In this article, we’ll explain how to lower your blood sugar levels, through some simple nutrition and lifestyle changes.
- Keep an eye on your ticker with one of the best heart rate monitors
- … and how to lower cholesterol
One Last Thought About Supplements
Taking supplements to lower blood sugar may be a viable option for you. But some of these interact with medications, so its a good idea to talk to your doctor before trying one out.
Supplements may help you lower blood sugar fast, but the results are not immediate. Theres no magic pill that substitutes a good diet, regular exercise, and prescribed medication. However, taking these supplements on a regular basis can help yield results in as little as a few weeks.
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Mrna Processing: An Emerging Frontier In The Regulation Of Pancreatic Cell Function
- Cell, Stem Cells, and Development Graduate Program, Department of Pediatrics, Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
Robust endocrine cell function, particularly cell function, is required to maintain blood glucose homeostasis. Diabetes can result from the loss or dysfunction of cells. Despite decades of clinical and basic research, the precise regulation of cell function and pathogenesis in diabetes remains incompletely understood. In this review, we highlight RNA processing of mRNAs as a rapidly emerging mechanism regulating cell function and survival. RNA-binding proteins and RNA modifications are primed to be the next frontier to explain many of the poorly understood molecular processes that regulate cell formation and function, and provide an exciting potential for the development of novel therapeutics. Here we outline the current understanding of cell specific functions of several characterized RBPs, alternative splicing events, and transcriptome wide changes in RNA methylation. We also highlight several RBPs that are dysregulated in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and discuss remaining knowledge gaps in the field.
Modulating Insulin Secretion As A Means Of Diabetes Therapy
Due to the worldwide, still spreading epidemic of T2DM, there is an urgent need for anti-diabetic drugs and therapies that are more effective and have fewer side effects. Currently, the most commonly used drugs can be classified into agents that enhance insulin secretion and incretin mimetics), sensitize the target organs of insulin , or reduce glucose absorption from the gastrointestinal tract . Different therapies address different problems and stages of T2DM and may be prescribed in combination to exert synergistic effects.
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What Supplements Can Help Lower Blood Sugar
Are you suffering from diabetes and are tired of trying to lower your blood sugar level? Scientists are testing and coming up with plenty of supplements that can help lower your blood sugar. We have come up with a list of natural supplements that can help you lower your blood sugar level naturally without harming your body. These supplements can be consumed along with the regular medication prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor may reduce the dosage of your regular medications when you are taking the supplements alongside, but it cannot replace the medications. Lets take a look at the best Supplements that can help lower blood sugar levels!
How To Strengthen Your Pancreas Improve Digestion And Lower Blood Sugar All By Yourself
Why strengthen your pancreas? Because it produces hormones vital to your ability to digest food and assimilate carbs and fats. Moreover, about 74% of us have problems with digestion and gut health, and nearly 40% experience damaging elevated blood sugar. How about you?
ABOUT A month ago I wrote about one of the most important organs in our endocrine system, the adrenals. In that article, I showed readers how they can heal their adrenals. According to Adrenal experts Dr. Michael Lam and Dr. Josh Axe, 50 to 80% of the U.S. population have adrenal issues, which is precisely why I wrote about it adrenal fatigue affects a lot of people and there are specific things you can do to heal them.
Today, its time to take a look at another very important endocrine organ, the pancreas. If your pancreas is not healthy, you could be experiencing a host of unsavory health issues that may be categorized into two buckets: digestion and blood sugar, both of which become compromised as we age.
In this article, youll discover:
- What the pancreas does and why its so important
- How the pancreas affects digestion and gut health
- How the pancreas affects insulin and blood sugar
- What are the symptoms of a compromised pancreas and
- What tests to take, food to eat and supplements to use.
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Functions Of The Pancreas
A healthy pancreas produces the correct chemicals in the proper quantities, at the right times, to digest the foods we eat.
Exocrine Function:
The pancreas contains exocrine glands that produce enzymes important to digestion. These enzymes include trypsin and chymotrypsin to digest proteins amylase for the digestion of carbohydrates and lipase to break down fats. When food enters the stomach, these pancreatic juices are released into a system of ducts that culminate in the main pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct joins the common bile duct to form the ampulla of Vater which is located at the first portion of the small intestine, called the duodenum. The common bile duct originates in the liver and the gallbladder and produces another important digestive juice called bile. The pancreatic juices and bile that are released into the duodenum, help the body to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Endocrine Function:
The endocrine component of the pancreas consists of islet cells that create and release important hormones directly into the bloodstream. Two of the main pancreatic hormones are insulin, which acts to lower blood sugar, and glucagon, which acts to raise blood sugar. Maintaining proper blood sugar levels is crucial to the functioning of key organs including the brain, liver, and kidneys.
Diseases Of The Pancreas
Disorders affecting the pancreas include pancreatitis, precancerous conditions such as PanIN and IPMN, and pancreatic cancer. Each disorder may exhibit different symptoms and requires different treatments.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas that occurs when pancreatic enzyme secretions build up and begin to digest the organ itself. It can occur as acute painful attacks lasting a matter of days, or it may be a chronic condition that progresses over a period of years.
Learn more about pancreatitis, its causes, and treatment options.
Precursors to Pancreatic Cancer
The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is still unknown, but there are known risk factors that increase the risk of developing the disease. Cigarette smoking, a family history of pancreatic cancer or hereditary cancer syndromes, and chronic pancreatitis are some of these factors. In addition, certain pancreatic lesions such as Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms and Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia are considered precursors to pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic Cancer
The most common form of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic adenocarcinoma, an exocrine tumor arising from the cells lining the pancreatic duct. A far less common form, endocrine tumors, account for less than 5% of all pancreatic tumors and are sometimes referred to as neuroendocrine or islet cell tumors.
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Disorders Of The Endocrine System
Diabetes Mellitus
Dysfunction of insulin production and secretion, as well as the target cells responsiveness to insulin, can lead to a condition called diabetes mellitus. An increasingly common disease, diabetes mellitus has been diagnosed in more than 18 million adults in the United States, and more than 200,000 children. It is estimated that up to 7 million more adults have the condition but have not been diagnosed. In addition, approximately 79 million people in the US are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are abnormally high, but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes.
There are two main forms of diabetes mellitus. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease affecting the beta cells of the pancreas. Certain genes are recognized to increase susceptibility. The beta cells of people with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin thus, synthetic insulin must be administered by injection or infusion. This form of diabetes accounts for less than five percent of all diabetes cases.
Watch the video to view an animation describing the role of insulin and the pancreas in diabetes.