Too Much Sugar and Type 2 Diabetes Eat Your Brain!

Type 2 diabetes may actually be eating away at the brain, reported HealthDay News.
According to new research published April 29 in the online edition of Radiology, diabetes causes brain shrinkage with age. Interestingly, though, the decrease in brain volume isn't linked to the damage of tiny blood vessels in the brain, but instead to how the brain handles excess sugar. Chronically high levels of insulin and sugar might be toxic to brain cells, the study suggests.
"This would definitely be a potential cause of dementia," said Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
It's not news that diabetes hurts the brain; doctors have long known the disease is associated with an increased risk for stroke and dementia, said lead researcher Dr. R. Nick Bryan, a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perleman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. The recent study sheds light on why—with sugar as a main culprit.
"It is important that patients understand the adverse effect of their disease on their brains and cooperate with their doctors who are trying to treat their diabetes and prevent the effects of diabetes on the brain and other organs," he said.
The study used MRI scans to examine the brains of 614 people who had type 2 diabetes for an average of about 10 years. Research indicated the longer a person had diabetes, the more brain shrinkage occurred, most significantly of gray matter—areas of the brain responsible for muscle control, eyesight, hearing, memory, speech, decision-making and self-control.
Every decade of diabetes advanced the brain's appearance of age by two years compared to someone without diabetes, Bryan said.
 

Take Heart: Mediterranean Diet Combats Type 2 Dieabetes!

 

THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adhering to a so-called Mediterranean diet may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, especially if you're at high risk for heart disease.
That's the finding of researchers who reviewed 19 studies that included more than 162,000 people in different countries for an average of 5.5 years.
The analysis revealed that a Mediterranean diet -- which is rich in fish, nuts, vegetables and fruits -- was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared with other eating patterns.
A Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of diabetes even more -- by 27 percent -- among people at high risk for heart disease. Diabetes prevention is especially important for people at risk of heart disease, according to the authors of the study, which is to be presented Saturday at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting, in Washington, D.C.

         

"Adherence to the Mediterranean diet may prevent the development of diabetes irrespective of age, sex, race or culture," lead investigator Demosthenes Panagiotakos, a professor at Harokopio University in Athens, Greece, said in a college news release. "This diet has a beneficial effect, even in high-risk groups, and speaks to the fact that it is never too late to start eating a healthy diet."
Panagiotakos noted that the studies included in the review included Europeans and non-Europeans. This is important because most studies that have examined the effects of a Mediterranean diet have been European-based and there have been concerns that region-specific factors such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle might affect the results.
This review showed that a Mediterranean diet reduces type 2 diabetes risk in both Europeans and non-Europeans. This type of large-scale analysis "is important to help inform guidelines and evidence-based care," Panagiotakos said in the news release.
The number of diabetes cases worldwide has doubled in the past 30 years and this spike has been linked to the growing obesity epidemic.
"Diabetes is an ongoing epidemic and its relation to obesity, especially in the Westernized populations, is well known. We have to do something to prevent diabetes and changing our diet may be an effective treatment," Panagiotakos said.
Studies presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

-- Robert Preidt

Beyond Type 2 Texts for Success!

Text Messaging may Help Diabetic Patients Improve Glycemic Control

Today's technological advances continue to be a blessing and a curse in our everyday lives. Yet a recent study, conducted by researchers at the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, shows that texting may carry certain health benefits for diabetes patients.

According to the Dulce Digital Study, researchers found that a text message-based self-management intervention system helped to improve glycemic control in high-risk Latinos with type 2 diabetes.

"The use of mobile phones in health care is very promising, especially when it comes to low-income populations with chronic diseases," said researcher Athena Philis-Tsimikas, M.D., corporate vice president for the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, in a news release. "We found that by using text messages we were able to circumvent many of the barriers these patients face, such as lack of transportation or childcare, while still being able to expand the reach of diabetes care and education."

In the study, researchers divided a group of 126 patients into two sections: one that received standard diabetes treatments and another that received text messaging as well as standard care.

The text messages that the second group received contained nutrition and exercise tips as well as information on the benefits of medication adherence.

"At the six-month mark, we found that the Dulce Digital participants had a significantly larger decrease in hemoglobin A1c test levels than the control group," Tsimikas concluded, via the news release.

One in Four Has No Idea They Have Diabetes!

More than 29 million American adults have diabetes — up from 26 million in 2010 — yet one in four of them don’t know it, according to areport issued Tuesday from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have been increasing for years; while the obesity epidemic has been blamed on the rising rates of type 2 diabetes, the reasons for the rise in type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition that typically strikes in childhood, remain unknown.

CDC researchers also can’t explain why so many diabetics remain undiagnosed. Certainly, many without health insurance don’t see doctors until they develop severe complications like kidney problems, nerve damage, and vision loss. But even those with access to healthcare often fail to recognize symptoms like increased thirst, urination, and fatigue — or fail to attribute such symptoms to diabetes.

"We need people to be more aware of the symptoms and to get screened if they have certain risk factors or are over the age of 45,” said Ann Albright, director of the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation.

The American Diabetes Association recommends a screening blood test — to measure the marker hemoglobin A1C or a fasting one to measure blood glucose — for everyone over age 45 every three years. Screening should be done at a younger age in those with certain risk factors like high blood pressure or obesity.

Albright, a registered dietitian, said it’s just as more important for people to know when they’re on the road to diabetes so they can take steps to prevent it. An estimated 1 out of 3 American adults have a condition called prediabetes where their bodies have become less responsive to the hormone insulin. Without taking action to lose weight or increase physical activity, 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years.

“Some of the strongest evidence suggests that small changes — like losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight if you’re overweight — can make the biggest difference,” Albright said. She’s not a fan of radical eating plans like the low glycemic diet, which eliminates a lot of carbohydrates like certain fruits, cereal, and breads. “White bread isn’t the villain,” she said. “I’d rather see people making calorie adjustments as if they were deciding how to spend money.”

Cutting down on frivolous foods such as sweetened beverages, chips, or candy bars, is akin to cutting out frivolous purchases. “Invest in foods that are nutritious,” Albright said, “like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”

The CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention program that teaches nutrition and exercise classes is offered at more than a dozen sites in Massachusetts at little or no cost to participants. Clinical studies suggest that participating in the program often prevents or delays the onset of type 2 diabetes among people with prediabetes.

HSC researcher exploring cures for diabetes

Photos

 

By ELLYSA GONZALEZ  

        

Cells found in male testes may be the key to aiding Type 1 diabetes patients.
A local researcher is looking in to how effective Sertoli cells can be in helping preserve insulin-producing cells in the human body.

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Provided by Texas Tech Health Sciences Center.

Jannette Dufour, a Texas Techresearcher, is looking in to how effective Sertoli cells can be in helping preserve insulin-producing cells in the human body.

Jannette Dufour, associate professor in the department of cell biology and biochemistry in the School of Medicine at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, said her research is focused on Sertoli cells and their effects on islet cells — insulin-producing cells found in the pancreas.

Dufour’s lab is trying to find a way to transplant Sertoli cells into patients with Type 1 diabetes, she said.
“The reason we are studying Sertoli cells is the protection is not always 100 percent,” said Gurvinder Kaur, postdoctoral research fellow at TTUHSC in Dufour’s lab. “What we are trying to do is boost their protection. ... We know the exact mechanism, how they work.”
“This cell is found in testes of males,” Dufour said. “It’s considered a mother cell because its job is to protect these developing germ cells.”
The cell was discovered by an Italian researcher named Enrico Sertoli in 1865, Dufour said.
“Ironically, when he discovered the cells, he described them as motherly cells because … they surround all these germ cells and he speculated that they’re a motherly cell that’s (protective),” she said.
Dufour is trying to find a way to transfer and manipulate Sertoli cells in Type 1 diabetes patients to help them protect islet cells, which make up 2 to 5 percent of the pancreas.
“Those are the cells that make insulin,” Dufour said. “So when someone loses those cells and they don’t make any more insulin, and insulin is what’s needed to regulate blood glucose levels, so without insulin, the blood glucose levels increase and you have diabetes.”
There are two types of diabetes — Type 1 and Type 2.
Approximately 8.3 percent of the United States population has diabetes, according to 2011 statistics listed on the American Diabetes Association website.
“Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where the immune system actually attacks the cells that make insulin,” she said. “So normally, the immune system is what protects you so when you have a cold or something like that, cells in the immune system will attack the virus or the cold and basically help make you better. In this case, for reasons we don’t know, the immune system attacks these beta cells which are in the pancreas.”
Type 2 diabetes is different, Dufour said.
“There instead is more of a metabolism problem where you start out usually making a lot of insulin, but it doesn’t work right,” Dufour said. “… People with Type 2, if they get stressed enough, the cells can die. Then they also don’t make insulin or they don’t make enough. Then they can also need insulin as a treatment. … So my lab is primarily focused on Type 1.”
Dufour said her team is also working on starting another project focused on Type 2 diabetes.
“We want to allow transplantation of these islets that make insulin,” she said. “So we have a major focus on understanding how these Sertoli cells are modifying the immune response so we can improve their protection.
“The second major interest in our lab is we’re also trying to engineer Sertoli cells, themselves, to make insulin so that we don’t have to worry about protecting another cell. We can just transplant the Sertoli cells. So we have some pretty exciting data getting them to make insulin. … We’re trying to take advantage of the fact that our cells have a way to modify the immune response and then use that to improve the treatment of diabetes.”

5 Superfoods to Add to Your Diet

Lara Rondinelli-Hamilton RD,CDE

Are you trying to eat healthy at the start of the New Year? If so, make sure to include these Superfoods in your daily diet. These foods are referred to as superfoods because they contain high levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or omega-3 fatty acids, which can help decrease cancer risk, improve heart health — they may even help improve blood sugar control (since many of these foods are low in carbohydrates, too).

1. Beans and Lentils

Beans and lentils are an excellent source of fiber, with ½ cup of black beans or lentils providing 8 grams of dietary fiber. Plant foods rich in dietary fiber can may help protect against cancer, specifically colorectal cancer. Beans and lentils are a healthy carbohydrate with a lower-glycemic index, and they provide some extra protein too.

TIP: Add beans to soups, salad or tacos. If using canned beans, try to buy ones with no added salt or rinse canned beans well with water. Try making a meatless meal with lentils, such as a soup or veggie casserole.

2. Green Veggies

If you eat green, you will eat clean. You can't really go wrong with broccoli, Brussel sprouts, spinach, kale, and greens. These veggies are great sources of vitamin C, folic acid, Beta-carotene, fiber, and they contain nutrients that fight against cancer. In regard to diabetes, these veggies are especially good because they are low in carbohydrates and won't raise blood sugar levels.

TIP: Roasting veggies brings out their natural flavor and can't get any easier. Drizzle a little olive oil on the veggies and add minced garlic. Toss to coat and roast in the oven around 400-450 degrees for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Walnuts

Walnuts contain a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help lower total and LDL cholesterol, therefore possibly decreasing risk of coronary heart disease.

Walnuts, like other nuts, are low in carbohydrates and don't raise blood sugar levels. One ounce of walnuts is approximately ¼ cup shelled halves and contains 190 calories, 4 grams carbohydrate, and 2 grams dietary fiber.

TIP: Eat walnuts by themselves as a snack or add to oatmeal, muffins, or salads. You can also crush and add as a light coating on fish, chicken or pork chops.

4. Berries

Berries are a great source of vitamin C and fiber. One cup of berries provides approximately 15 grams carbohydrates and 3 grams dietary fiber. Strawberries and raspberries are high in ellagic acid, which is a phytochemical that may help prevent cancers of the skin, bladder, lung, esophagus, and breast.

Remember to be aware of how many carbs are in the different fruits. Here's a list of the lowest carb fruits to help you.

TIP: Add berries to oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies or just eat them for a refreshing treat.

5. Fish – tuna, salmon, mackerel

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, such as salmon, albacore tuna, or mackerel at least two times a week. Fish can be good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may decrease triglyceride levels and decrease growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque – which leads to heart disease.

By Armen Hareyan

2014-06-02 11:29

Tina Piaquadio, who has Type 1 Diabetes, shares what happened when she learned about her Celiac Disease and how she improved her Celiac skills.
I was very hopeful as I entered my new doctor’s office and sat across from her at her desk. She had just completed a full exam on me, looked over my lab results, and was ready for discussion. It took several months to get an appointment with this highly recommended diabetes specialist, but I patiently waited because her reputation preceded her. I’m a type 1 diabetic, and my blood sugar levels had been dangerously high and low lately without reason, which was making my day to day life very difficult. Even more of a struggle was the fact that I had been severely fatigued, wasting away my days off lying on the couch and draining myself of every last bit of energy just to get through the work day. Add the emotional strain that goes along with all of this, and you can imagine I was desperate for help.
I was convinced that it was my age. I had been a diabetic since my teens and now I was approaching 40. Time had taken its toll, I thought. This is what happens to a diabetic body as it gets older. The future was glum. This doctor was my last hope. Could she figure out why my sugar levels were out of control? Could she guide me in the prevention of becoming disabled by this awful disease as my years progressed? I expected her to make drastic changes to my insulin pump settings and my medication regimen. Surprisingly, she wasn’t interested in doing this just yet.
“Haven’t you been screened for Celiac disease?” she asked.
“No…what’s Celiac disease?” I replied.
The Doctor Schooled This Know-it-all About Autoimmune Disease
She then proceeded to tell me that recent studies showed that one in every nine type 1 diabetics has Celiac. Like type 1 diabetes, Celiac is an autoimmune disease, and science was telling us that the two often went hand in hand. With type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the pancreas, rendering the body incapable of producing its own insulin. Celiac causes the immune to system attack the intestines when it senses the presence of gluten, damaging the lining where the nutrition is meant to be absorbed. This can cause a long list of possible symptoms from abdominal pain to malnutrition.
“Well, you can test me but I’ve never had digestion problems. I’ve always been able to eat bread, pasta, and crackers, and I have no food allergies.” I was confident she was way off course with this idea.
So, as directed, I ate as much gluten-yielding foods as possible and began the testing process. The first step was a blood test to see if the celiac gene was present. The doctor called and told me the test came back positive, but this did not mean I had the disease. This initial test is used to rule out the possibility in the earliest stages of diagnosis; if the gene is not there, celiac is a definite negative. If the gene is present, we move forward with another blood test to see if there are antibodies in the body indicating the likelihood of an autoimmune reaction. They brought me into the office for the results of this one – another positive. Next, an upper endoscopy would have to be performed to analyze the inflammation in the intestines and biopsy some of the tissue.
I Started Doing My Homework About Celiac
I was gradually coming to accept the idea that I may have a life-changing disease that can only be treated with a strictly gluten-free lifestyle. In the process of increasing my gluten intake, my symptoms had gotten worse. I was so depleted of energy that I couldn’t keep my eyes open at times. My hair was getting thinner and lifeless, and my diabetes control was off the charts. Why was a biopsy necessary? I had been reading up on celiac – and learning some scary information. There is a much higher likelihood of cancer in the digestive system for people with celiac inflammation. So, my diabetes specialist referred me to a gastroenterologist for further testing – this would be the final yes or no to a celiac diagnosis. This doctor performed the endoscopy and informed me that I did in fact have celiac disease and I was to completely eliminate gluten from my diet immediately. The damage inside my intestines was significant to the extent that much of my food was passing right through me without the absorption of key nutrients. My iron level was extremely low, which explained the fatigue. This also made sense of the unpredictable blood sugar levels. It’s nearly impossible to dose insulin properly when you’re not aware of how much food the body is actually receiving. But, thank God, the biopsy came back negative. No cancer in the tissue.
Gluten-Free Was Not What I Expected It To Be
Finally, I knew what I had been doing wrong all these years! I was ready to eliminate gluten along with a slew of negative symptoms. I expected to regain my energy, lose weight, and feel like my old self again. Well, it was not to be. Going gluten-free is a slow learning experience, and I soon realized that all those gluten-free goodies I was so happy about were actually very fattening! And this “treatment” I was doing by eliminating gluten was no overnight fix. It was several months before I felt any better. This is because all that inflammation in the intestines needed time to heal before I would begin to properly absorb my foods. For a diabetic, healing is a slow process, and I could expect about a year before being fully recovered. But, when I did begin to feel better I experienced many revelations about my body. There was a bloated feeling I had carried around in my belly constantly – not painful, just annoying – I always assumed it was nothing abnormal. A few months into the gluten-free diet, it was going away. My hair was coming back. My bouts of insomnia stopped coming and going, and I was sleeping more soundly. My energy levels were returning to normal. I gradually cut back on the gluten-free treats, and lost a little weight too.
I Finally Got The Hang of It
Gluten-free is not just food that says “Gluten Free” on the label. It’s everything in the world that doesn’t contain wheat, rye, barley, or triticale. This means fruits, veggies, rice, potatoes, dairy, eggs, meats, fish, corn, beans, and a long list of foods I had never tried. I just needed to learn how to properly and safely prepare these foods without adding gluten. For about two years I worked on perfecting my celiac skills. I came to realize it was something I could do. Every day without gluten was another day toward a healed gut. I didn’t want one grain of wheat to pass my lips and reverse all the progress I’d made in healing. Then I began eliminating meats, fish, dairy, and eggs. Next thing I knew I’d become a vegan too, and my cholesterol levels were the best they’ve ever been.
This July will mark three years of being gluten-free for me. My blood sugars have gotten better, and my lab tests show my nutrient levels are all normal. I also just rounded a full year of living on a plant-based diet, and I’ve never felt this good in my life. Never did I think I’d be following these food restrictions. The sacrifice is well-worth the reward. Gluten-free and plant strong.

Diabetes Drug Metformin Might Increase Lifespan

By Staff Reporter

Jun 03, 2014 04:39 AM EDT

Roundworms treated with metformin show very limited size loss and no wrinkling. (Photo : © Wouter De Haes/ KU Leuven)Diabetes drug metformin can prolong life, a new study suggests.

Belgian doctoral researcher Wouter De Haes (KU Leuven) and colleagues conducted experiments on tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and found that metformin might help in slowing down the ageing process. The roundworm is an excellent model for understanding ageing because it has a lifespan of just three weeks.

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"As they age, the worms get smaller, wrinkle up and become less mobile. But, worms treated with metformin show very limited size loss and no wrinkling. They not only age slower, but they also stay healthier longer," said Wouter De Haes, according to a news release.

But, can humans use metformin to slow-down ageing? Researchers aren't sure about it yet.

"While we should be careful not to over-extrapolate our findings to humans, the study is promising as a foundation for future research," Wouter De Haes added.

How does metformin affect ageing?

Mitochondria or the power house of the cell generates tiny electric currents that provide energy to the cells. The reaction that produces this current also creates reactive oxygen molecules.

Large amounts of reactive oxygen molecules can damage the genetic material of the cell. However, in lesser amounts these molecules could be helpful in keeping the cells healthy.

"As long as the amount of harmful oxygen molecules released in the cell remains small, it has a positive long-term effect on the cell. Cells use the reactive oxygen particles to their advantage before they can do any damage," explained Wouter De Haes.

In roundworms, the drug works by increasing the number of toxic oxygen molecules in the cell and these molecules extend lifespan.

"Metformin causes a slight increase in the number of harmful oxygen molecules. We found that this makes cells stronger and extends their healthy lifespan," Wouter De Haes added.

The cosmetic industry has made millions by selling anti-ageing creams and lotions that contain anti-oxidants. These compounds promise to slow down ageing by neutralizing the active oxygen molecules. However, researchers are now realizing that people might want to keep some of the reactive molecules in the body to increase longevity.

Metformin

Metformin is a popular drug used to control sugar levels in people diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Other research has shown that the drug can be used to treat cardiovascular diseases, polycystic ovarian syndrome, cancer and cellular immunity. In fact, National Institute on Aging researchers had found that metformin increases lifespan in mice models.

The present study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

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