Time for some research...

Based on statistics on HerbaCall.com, the most read category is Diabetes. So I went out to look for more information about this condition / disease, and some thoughts about how a good nutritional program can contribute to controlling it.

Learning about Diabetes

We've all heard about it and read about it and undoubtedly know people who suffer from it... Diabetes. But how much do we really know about this condition or disease?

First, which is it - condition or disease?

Diabetes Mellitus

= a condition characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from the body's inability to use blood glucose for energy. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin and therefore blood glucose cannot enter the cells to be used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, either the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use insulin correctly. (see the United States National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Disorders)

In plain English, diabetes is a disorder of metabolism--the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.

After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

When we eat, the pancreas is supposed to automatically produce the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body's system for fighting infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. Someone with type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin daily to live.

At present, scientists do not know exactly what causes the body's immune system to attack the beta cells, but they believe that autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors, possibly viruses, are involved. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States.

Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children and young adults, but the disorder can appear at any age. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier.

Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Type 2 diabetes

The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes usually develops in adults age 40 and older and is most common in adults over age 55. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Type 2 diabetes is often part of a metabolic syndrome that includes obesity, elevated blood pressure, and high levels of blood lipids. Unfortunately, as more children and adolescents become overweight, type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in young people.

When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but, for unknown reasons, the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The result is the same as for type 1 diabetes--glucose builds up in the blood and the body cannot make efficient use of its main source of fuel.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. They are not as sudden in onset as in type 1 diabetes. Some people have no symptoms. Symptoms may include fatigue or nausea, frequent urination, unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow healing of wounds or sores.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops only during pregnancy. Like type 2 diabetes, it occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, people with a family history of diabetes. Though it usually disappears after delivery, the mother is at increased risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life.

Hyperglycemia

= excessive blood glucose. Fasting hyperglycemia is blood glucose above a desirable level after a person has fasted for at least 8 hours. Postprandial hyperglycemia is blood glucose above a desirable level 1 to 2 hours after a person has eaten.

Statistics

According to the US NIDDK, almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 17 million people--6.2 percent of the population--in the United States have diabetes mellitus--a serious, lifelong condition. About 5.9 million people have not yet been diagnosed. Each year, about 1 million people age 20 or older are diagnosed with diabetes.

How Is Diabetes Managed?

Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, everyone with type 1 diabetes died within a few years after diagnosis. Although insulin is not considered a cure, its discovery was the first major breakthrough in diabetes treatment.

Today, healthy eating, physical activity, and insulin via injection or an insulin pump are the basic therapies for type 1 diabetes. The amount of insulin must be balanced with food intake and daily activities. Blood glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blood glucose checking.

Healthy eating, physical activity, and blood glucose testing are the basic management tools for type 2 diabetes. In addition, many people with type 2 diabetes require oral medication and insulin to control their blood glucose levels.

People with diabetes must take responsibility for their day-to-day care. Much of the daily care involves keeping blood glucose levels from going too low or too high. When blood glucose levels drop too low from certain diabetes medicines--a condition known as hypoglycemia--a person can become nervous, shaky, and confused. Judgment can be impaired. If blood glucose falls too low, a person can faint.

A person can also become ill if blood glucose levels rise too high, a condition known as hyperglycemia.

People with diabetes should see a doctor who helps them learn to manage their diabetes and monitors their diabetes control. An endocrinologist is one type of doctor who may specialize in diabetes care. In addition, people with diabetes often see ophthalmologists for eye examinations, podiatrists for routine foot care, and dietitians and diabetes educators to help teach the skills of day-to-day diabetes management.

The goal of diabetes management is to keep blood glucose levels as close to the normal range as safely possible. A major study, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), showed that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as safely possible reduces the risk of developing major complications of type 1 diabetes.

And so...?

For a diabetic, it's possible to have too much glucose or too little. Managing their diets is a lifelong, day-to-day, constant task for the diabetic. In order to accomplish this, the diabetic must carefully choose their food and overall nutrition to maintain the proper balance.

And don't forget that it's not only diabetics who need to control their blood sugar levels. There are folks who suffer from hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, among others.

In choosing nutritional supplements, it's important to be careful that they contribute appropriately to the body's glucose levels. In the case of the products, there are few worries or concerns. The product that most specifically addresses the glucose levels in the blood is Thermojetics® Yellow:

Chromium is an essential trace mineral that promotes the natural regulation of sugar in your body. If there is a deficiency, your body is forced to work harder at regulating blood-sugar balance–and this may cause sugar cravings.

As you age, your body retains less chromium, resulting in the need for supplementing your intake of this vital mineral. This, however, rules out many foods, because when they are refined–as in sugar, flour and rice–the chromium is often severely depleted or eliminated altogether. As if this were not enough, over-consumption of sugar and going through stressful periods–can further deplete your body’s chromium reserves.

Thermojetics® Yellow can help. By providing chromium, Thermojetics® Yellow can help your body regulate its supplies of glucose while also giving a mild energy boost.* In addition, garcinia cambogia supplies your body with hydroxycitric acid which helps control appetite. All this results in the brain not broadcasting a signal that your body interprets as, “feed me sugar!”*

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Read the entire fact sheet here:

http://www.herbalife.com/us/pdf/fact_sheets/inner_nutrition/39855us_yellow_fct_page8.pdf