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Agora Health

10 Diabetes

Diet Secrets

Uncovering Tomorrows Natural Health Breakthroughs Today


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Copyright 2012, Agora Health Limited

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All material in this publication is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical adviceor instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication; instead,readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well being.Te information and opinions provided in this publication are believed to be accurate and sound, based onthe best judgement available to the authors, and readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authori-ties assume the risk of any injuries. Te publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

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10 Diabetes Diet Secrets

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diabetes aects over 220 million people

globally and the consequences o high blood sugar kill 3.4 million every year. I such statisticswerent scary enough, the WHO is predicting deaths to double between 2005 and 2030.

Diabetes causes blood sugar levels to become damagingly high because the hormone insulin is notregulating it properly. In type 1 diabetes, which usually becomes apparent in childhood, the pancreas

(a gland situated behind your stomach) produces little or no insulin. This usually requires dailyinjections o insulin.

In the kind o diabetes that most oten arises in later lie, called type 2, either the system that signalsthe pancreas to produce insulin becomes less ecient or the body tissues become less responsive toinsulin a condition called insulin resistance.

Common symptoms o type 2 diabetes are atigue, requent hunger, excessive thirst and a requentneed to urinate. It can also cause blurred vision, a dry mouth and dry or itchy skin. It is importantto see your doctor immediately i you suspect you may be developing diabetes, as it can be a lie-threatening condition. I not well controlled, the long-term eects o diabetes can lead to heart disease,stroke, kidney ailure, vision loss and nerve damage.

Factors that contribute to type 2 diabetes include being overweight (80 per cent o diabetics areoverweight), a sedentary liestyle, ageing (over 40s are more at risk), a amily history o diabetes and

smoking.

So, make sure you take steps to lose any excess weight. On top o this, take regular exercise. Itsnot necessary to spend hours down the gym; just 30 minutes o brisk walking or cycling three or

our times a week is adequate. Exercise increases the insulin sensitivity o your cells, so less insulin isrequired to transport glucose into them.

The good news is that simple dietary and liestyle changes can make a big dierence to yourlikelihood o developing the disease. In a study o over 3,000 people with impaired glucose tolerance,it was ound that liestyle changes (dietary modications plus regular exercise) were almost twiceas eective as the drug metormin, in reversing symptoms (US National Institute o Health - TheDiabetes Prevention Programme).

Mainstreams dietary advice puts countless lives at risk

Youre about to discover specic oods that can help prevent diabetes and even help reverse it insome cases.

The rst step you should take, no matter whether youre in a pre-diabetic state or have type 2diabetes, is to cut down on the amount o sugar and rened carbohydrates (present in white bread andpasta) you consume. These oods are rapidly converted to sugar in your digestive tract, causing glucoseto build up in your blood.

These high levels o blood glucose cause many o the complications we associate with diabetes. The

primary underlying actors here will be some resistance to the hormone insulin (which is necessary tohelp control blood sugar levels) and/or inadequate insulin secretion as a result o an exhausted pancreas.

The mainstream totally ignores this and instead recommends a diet that is high in carbohydrates.Suerers can be let eeling conused and bewildered when their doctors and dieticians would preerthat they take more medication rather than reduce their carbohydrate intake.


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Yet why go down this route when there is a simple, eective, low-cost solution? The lesscarbohydrates consumed the less insulin is needed or type 1 diabetics, and the less hard the pancreashas to work or type 2 diabetics.

According to Dr. Katharine Morrison, Principal GP rom the Ballochmyle Medical Group, insulindependent diabetics can expect to reduce their insulin requirements by a hal or to a third oncethey apply a low-carb diet. Less insulin injected results in more predictable blood sugars and lesshypoglycaemia (Low carbohydrate diets or diabetes control, by Dr. Katharine Morrison, published01.11.05, British Journal o General Practice, pubmedcentral.nih.gov).

The results speak or themselves

The Cochrane review (which collated data rom 11 randomised trials involving 402 patients) conrmsa shit in the evidence in recent years, with a number o recent studies suggesting a low-carb dietcould oer long-term benets to diabetics.

These benets include sustained weight loss with no signicant eect on glycaemia or lipid levels.This review will uel a long-running controversy over what dietary advice doctors should give to

patients with diabetes, and it challenges the traditional belie that a low-at, high-carb diet is best.The Cochrane review shows that patients on a diet o oods with a low glycaemic index including

oods extremely low in carbohydrates such as lentils, beans and oats had an HbA1c level (averageblood glucose level) 0.5 per cent lower than controls. There were also signicantly ewer episodes ohypoglycaemia in patients on a low-GI diet, with a reduction o 0.8 episodes per patient per monthachieved in one trial.

Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a GP in Maccleseld who advocates a high-at, low carbohydrate diet in patientswith diabetes, said the studys conclusions should encourage GPs to reject the conventional wisdom.

He said: The reality is that over the years, and around the world we have killed literally millions

o diabetics by advising them to eat a high-carb diet and avoid ats... Only now is it being recognisedthat previous advice was and remains useless, dangerous and scientically illiterate. The authors o thisCochrane review should be applauded or taking the rst step on a path that will, inevitably, result inthe destruction o the nonsense.

10 diet secrets or healthy blood sugar levels

Instead o sugar and starch you should aim to eat more high bre oods and protein, which produce amuch lower insulin response. Other oods to consume more o are vegetables, beans and pulses, whichrelease sugar into your bloodstream at a slower rate (Balance Diabetes UK Nov/Dec 2001).

Following a low-carbohydrate diet, taking regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating

more o the ollowing oods can help keep your blood sugar levels stable:

1. Cinnamon: discover how an ordinary kitchen spice led to the development o an

extraordinary diabetes remedy

Cinnamon, the dried inner bark o a tree rom Sri Lanka, is a common ingredient used to favour avariety o dishes that you probably have sitting in your kitchen spice rack.

Latest research ndings have revealed that this popular spice possesses ar more than a distinctivetaste. It is proving to have remarkable powers as a sae and eective way o helping to successullycontrol diabetes.

In 1990, Dr Richard Anderson, a chemist at the Human Nutrition Research Centre in Maryland, in

the US, was searching or oods that might mimic the action o insulin in controlling blood sugar. Hewas amazed to discover that the spice mix used in the traditional American apple pie had just this


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eect, which was nally narrowed down to its content o cinnamon.

Clinical trials involving diabetic patients and cinnamon have revealed startling results

It was 13 years ater Dr Andersons initial discovery that cinnamon can successully control bloodsugar levels, that a research associate o his, Dr Alam Khan, leading a team at the Hayatabad MedicalComplex in Peshawar, Pakistan, conducted a clinical trial involving diabetes patients.

60 middle-aged men and women were divided into groups who received either 1, 3 or 6 grams opowdered cinnamon daily, or a placebo. Ater 40 days, patients in all three o the cinnamon groups hadreductions in their blood sugar levels o between 18 and 29 per cent, while there was no change inthe placebo group (Diabetes Care 2003; 26(12): 3215-3218).

This trial was carried out in Pakistan and the patients diabetes was not under the degree o controlthat would be typically aimed or in the West, so their blood sugar levels at the start o the trial wererelatively high by comparison. The patients diets and genetic backgrounds were also dierent romthose o most westerners. Because o this, it was still not certain that cinnamon would be an eective

addition to conventional medical treatments or diabetes.

Since then, research carried out in Germany has removed any remaining doubts about cinnamonseectiveness. A team at the University o Hannover conducted a double-blind clinical trial in which 79patients with type 2 diabetes were given either an aqueous cinnamon extract (equivalent to 3 gramso powdered cinnamon) or a placebo, three times a day or our months (Eur J Clin Invest 2006;

36(5): 340-344).

At the end o the trial, blood sugar levels had allen by an average o 10 per cent in the group takingcinnamon extract, but by only 3 per cent in the control group. The patients who had the highest bloodsugar readings at the start o the trial experienced the greatest reductions. This explains why theresults o the German trial, while being comparable with the eects o conventional medication, werenot as spectacular as those in Pakistan, where patients were starting rom much higher blood sugar

level readings.

Boosts insulin activity and increases glucose metabolism

Cinnamon contains two main active ingredients. One o these is a group o water-soluble compoundscalled polyphenols, which promote glucose uptake by cells and increase glucose metabolism. Themost important polyphenol it contains is MHCP, which boosts the activity o insulin by about 20 times(J Agric Food Chem 2004; 52: 65-70).

The other active ingredient is a group o compounds known as hydroxychalcones, which actuallymimic the action o insulin and allow glucose to pass rom the bloodstream into the cells (J Am Coll

Nutr 2001; 20(4): 327-336).

Quick and delicious banana and cinnamon smoothie

This recipe serves 1-2 people

For this dish you will need the following ingredients:

1 large pinch o ground cinnamon1 banana (cut into chunks)150g pot o live natural yoghurt

150ml semi-skimmed milk (or unsweetened soya milk)1 tsp organic honey


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To prepare:

Chop the banana into large chunks and place the banana, milk, live yoghurt, honey and cinnamoninto a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve with a little extra cinnamonsprinkled over the top.

2. Lower your risk o diabetes by eating more magnesium-rich oodsTo help ward o type 2 diabetes add the ollowing items to your shopping list: leay green vegetables,pumpkin seeds, anchovies, avocados, nuts and whole grains. Each o these oods is high in magnesium anutrient that, according to the results o a new study, may be a key player in preventing type 2 diabetes.

In 2005, researchers rom Brigham and Womens Hospital collected dietary and medical data rommore than 11,000 women over the age o 45 who participated in the ongoing Womens Health Study.

Results showed that subjects with the highest magnesium intake had a 27 per cent lower risk o

developing metabolic syndrome (Diabetes Care, Vol. 28, No. 6, June 2005).

A quarter o the worlds adults are estimated to have metabolic syndrome the symptoms o which

include hypertension; abdominal obesity; and high blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride (blood at)levels making them three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke and ve times as likely todevelop type 2 diabetes.

The ollowing year, Northwestern University researchers reported on a study in which dietary andmedical records or more than 4,600 healthy subjects were ollowed or 15 years. As in the Brighamand Womens study, the highest intake o magnesium was linked with a signicantly lower risk ometabolic syndrome.

These results are not entirely surprising. Previous research suggests that magnesium helps heartmuscles relax, reduces blood pressure, and helps control homocysteine and C-reactive protein levels.

Magnesium: The research fndings speak or themselves

The latest magnesium/diabetes research comes rom the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.The Karolinska team reviewed seven large studies similar to the two above. In each study, dietary andmedical records were ollowed over a long period.

Four studies tracked diet only, while three studies reviewed dietary habits and supplement intake.The combined studies included more than 286,000 subjects.

Results: Six o the studies ound a signicant association between high magnesium intake anda reduced risk o type 2 diabetes. The sources o magnesium whether rom diet or supplements

combined with diet were equally eective. Diabetes risk dropped by 15 per cent or every 100mgincrease in magnesium intake (Journal o Internal Medicine, Vol. 262, No. 2, August 2007).

Could you be suering rom a magnesium defciency?

Unortunately, its quite easy to become magnesium decient. High stress and menstruation cantake their toll on magnesium levels, while a heavy intake o starches, alcohol, diuretics and someprescription drugs (such as antibiotics) can increase urinary excretion o magnesium.

I a blood test shows your magnesium level is low (a normal range is anywhere between 0.66 and1.23 millimoles per litre), you can help make up this shortall by including more magnesium-rich oodsin your diet.


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3. Good news or type 1 diabetics: adding pumpkin to your diet can help regulate

your blood sugar levels

According to the results o a recent animal study, an extract rom pumpkin (Cucurbita ciolia)may improve blood glucose levels in diabetics, in addition to exerting a benecial antioxidant eect(Journal o the Science o Food and Agriculture, Volume 87, Issue 9, Pages 1753-1757).

I the research, conducted by scientists rom the East China Normal University, can be reproducedin humans, then the consumption o pumpkin extract could promote the regeneration o damagedpancreatic cells in diabetics and boost levels o insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood.

According to researchers Tao Xia and Qin Wang: The present study provides substantial evidenceto demonstrate the hypoglycaemic action o C. ciolia ruit extract as well as its role as an antioxidant

agent and thus reveals a mechanism or its cytoprotective action.

Lead researcher, Tao Xia, added: Pumpkin extract is potentially a very good product or pre-diabeticpersons, as well as those who have already developed diabetes.

The rats used in this study modelled type-1 diabetes, but the researchers believe the pumpkin

extract may also play a benecial role in type-2 diabetes. Type-1 diabetes occurs when people are notable to produce any insulin ater the cells in the pancreas have been damaged, which is thought to bean autoimmune response.

Tao Xia and Qin Wang divided 12 diabetic rats and 12 healthy rats into two groups, one was ed anormal diet and the other was ed the normal diet supplemented with the pumpkin extract or 30 days.

At the end o the study, the researchers ound that diabetic rats ed the extract had only ve percent less plasma insulin and eight per cent ewer insulin-positive (beta) cells compared to normalhealthy rats.

The mechanism behind these potential benets was proposed to be due to both antioxidants and

D-chiro-inositol a molecule that mediates insulin activity. Boosting insulin levels has the eect olowering blood sugar levels, which reduces levels o oxidative oxygen species that damage beta-cellmembranes, preventing urther damage and allowing or some regeneration.

However, the researchers were quick to point out that beta cell levels in the diabetic rats areunlikely ever to reach that o healthy controls, because some o the cells will have been damagedbeyond repair.

The researchers concluded: Thus our studies support the notion that supplementation oC.ciolia ruit extract to diabetic patients would help in achieving good glycaemic and metaboliccontrol and prevent long-term complications as a result o the protection oered by its antioxidantaction; probably preserving the residual -cell mass without urther loss.

Hearty pumpkin, pepper and coriander soup

This dish serves 2 people


1 small pumpkin

2 red peppers2 tbspns olive oil1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (crushed) tspn juniper seeds100g celery (chopped)


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2 small red chillies (deseeded and nely chopped)1 litre vegetable stock2 tbspns hal at crme raicheLarge bunch o resh coriander (chopped)Salt and pepperPinch o paprika

To prepare:

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Quarter the pumpkin and remove the seeds (dont throw them away though as they make adelicious, healthy snack when roasted). Cut the red peppers in hal, remove the seeds and place themwith the pumpkin onto a roasting tray. Drizzle the fesh with a little olive oil and place in the pre-

heated oven to roast or approximately 40 minutes.

Remove rom the oven. Scrape the fesh rom the skin o the pumpkin and put to one side alongwith the roasted pepper.

Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan; add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, juniper seeds, celeryand red chillies. Cook or a ew minutes until the onions and celery are sot. Add the pumpkin and redpeppers, the stock and nally the chopped coriander. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow tosimmer or about 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and then process the soup in a blender to make it smooth.

Serve with a spoonul o crme raiche over the top sprinkled with a little paprika.

4. Nuts a simple way to manage type 2 diabetes and prevent complications

Nuts are a great low-GI (glycemic index) ood they dont raise blood glucose levels. According to thelatest research ndings, daily consumption o nuts may help to control type 2 diabetes and prevent its

complications (Diabetes Care, Published online ahead o print).

The researchers ound that consuming two ounces o nuts a day, as a replacement or carbohydrates,appears to be an eective glycaemic and serum lipid control or type 2 diabetes suerers.

Many nuts, including cashews, walnuts, and almonds, are known to have higher levels omonounsaturated atty acids, and have been touted as potentially having anti-diabetic eects. Nuts alsocontain bre, vitamin E, omega-3 atty acids, plant sterols, and L-arginine.

The researchers noted that at intake, especially rom monounsaturated atty acids, has been shown

to preserve HDL cholesterol and improve glycaemic control, in diabetic patients, yet the exact sourceshave not been clearly dened, they said.

Lead researcher Dr. David Jenkins, rom the University o Toronto, and his team who carried outthe study, assessed the eect o mixed nut consumption on serum lipids and blood sugar control in type2 diabetes.

The researchers divided 117 patients with type 2 diabetes into three dierent groups. Eachgroup was given a dierent supplementary meal or a period o three months: One group was givenhealthy muns (so-called because the mun was made o whole wheat products, sweetened withapple concentrate, and had no sugar added); one was provided with a mixture o two ounces o nutsincluding raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias; and

one group was given a mixture o muns and nuts.

People receiving the nut-only supplement reported the greatest improvement in blood glucosecontrol, and were also ound to have a reduction in low-density lipoprotein bad (LDL) cholesterol.


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The researchers ound that patients given muns and mixed mun-and-nuts experienced no signicantimprovement in their blood sugar control, but those receiving the mun-nut mixture signicantly loweredtheir serum LDL cholesterol levels. The mun group showed no decrease in LDL levels.

Patients receiving the ull dose o nuts reduced their HbA1c a long-term marker o blood sugarcontrol by two-thirds o what the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes as beingclinically meaningul or therapeutic agents.

Commenting on the ndings, Dr. David Jenkins said: Mixed, unsalted, raw, or dry-roasted nuts have

benets or both blood glucose control and blood lipids and may be used as part o a strategy toimprove diabetes control without weight gain.

Neither in the current study nor in previous reports has nut consumption been associated withweight gain. I anything, nuts appear to be well suited as part o weight-reducing diets.

Nuts can help diabetes suerers to improve their heart health

Nuts are now recognized as having the potential to improve the blood lipid prole and, in cohortstudies, nut consumption has been associated with a reduced risk o coronary heart disease (CHD).

More recently, interest has grown in the potential value o including nuts in the diets o individualswith diabetes, who are at greater risk o heart problems.

A study that reviewed data rom the Nurses Health Study ound that requent nut consumptionis associated with a reduced risk o developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Journal oNutrition, 2008;138(9):1752S-1756S). Randomised controlled trials o patients with type 2 diabeteshave conrmed the benecial eects o nuts on blood lipids also seen in non-diabetic subjects.

Another study conducted recently adds to the growing body o evidence supporting the healthbenets o eating nuts walnuts in particular

US researchers rom the Yale University School o Medicine have ound that daily consumption

o walnuts (rich in polyunsaturated atty acids) by type 2 diabetics can improve the health o bloodvessels, thereby decreasing the risk o heart disease (Diabetes Care. Published online ahead o print:Eects o Walnut Consumption on Endothelial Function in Type 2 Diabetics: A Randomized,

Controlled, Cross-Over Trial).

Supplementing the diet o middle aged diabetics with 56 grams o walnuts led to signicantimprovements in the unction o the blood vessel lining (endothelium). An improvement in cholesterollevels was also observed.

The researchers recruited 24 type 2 diabetics who were randomly assigned to either add 56 gramso walnuts to their diet or eight weeks, or to omit them altogether.

At the end o the intervention period, blood fow was measured using fow-mediated dilatation(FMD). Blood fow was ound to have signicantly improved by 2.2 per cent in the walnut group,compared to 1.2 per cent in the non-supplemented group. Furthermore, blood sugar levels and totalcholesterol levels were also decreased rom baseline values in those eating walnuts.

Commenting on the ndings, the researchers said: A walnut-enriched ad libitum diet improves

endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in type 2 diabetics, suggesting a potential reduction in overallcardiac risk.

Another study, unded by the Caliornia Walnut Commission, ound that the atty acids present inwalnuts (and also sh oils) may work in dierent ways to reduce the risk o coronary heart disease.According to the ndings, a diet supplemented with walnuts led to reductions in cholesterol levels,while a sh diet led to reductions in triglycerides (blood at) levels another heart disease risk actor(American Journal o Clinical Nutrition, May 2009, Vol. 89, pp. 1657S-1663S).


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Larger studies now need to be conducted to urther investigate the eects o walnuts in type 2diabetics and to veriy these ndings. In the meantime (provided youre not allergic to nuts o course!)increasing your walnut intake is a good precautionary measure to take to keep your heart healthy andto ward o heart disease.

5. Diabetes-riendly omega-3s

In a recent study, Harvard researchers took blood samples rom about 3,000 subjects and measuredomega-3 levels. When the results were compared to diabetic status, they ound that higher levels otwo key omega-3 atty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were

linked to a reduced risk o diabetes (American Journal o Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 94, No. 2, August2011, ajcn.org).

The reason or this is simple: EPA and DHA help your cell membranes manage insulin. Heres how...

Fat tissue contains an abundance o macrophages a type o white blood cell that ghts viruses,bacteria, and other junk that has to be removed rom your cells. But this is a classic case o too mucho a good thing.

The macrophages do their work by producing proteins that burn o the junk with infammation.Too much body at creates a food o those proteins, which happen to promote insulin resistance.Chronic infammation just makes the situation worse.

Last year, researchers at the University o Caliornia identied an important macrophage receptorin cells (GPR120 Is an Omega-3 Fatty Acid Receptor Mediating Potent Anti-infammatory andInsulin-Sensitizing Eects Cell, Vol. 142, No. 5, 9/3/10, cell.com). They ound that when the receptor

is activated, excessive infammation is reduced and insulin sensitivity improves.

And what switches on the receptor? EPA and DHA.

One important note: Omega-3s are polyunsaturated atty acids, so they promote ree-radicalormation. This potential threat is easily taken care o with daily vitamin E 400 IU, ideally with mixedtocopherols.

How oily fsh can beneft type 2 diabetics

The benets o omega-3 rich oily sh have been ound to reduce at mass in diabetics, as well as

improving blood lipid levels associated with the ormation o arterial plaque.

In the December 2007 issue o theAmerican Journal o Clinical Nutrition, scientists rom severalresearch institutions in Paris, France, reported on a study in which they evaluated the eect o sh oilsupplements on adiposity and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetics.

Adiposity literally means attiness, and is oten used interchangeably with the word obesity. Thereare two types o adipose cells: white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). The bodyuses WAT to store energy or use in amines; BAT burns energy to maintain body temperature.

Severe obesity occurs when the body begins storing too many WAT cells than it requires orsurvival. Some research suggests that only the reduction o at cell numbers can cause permanent atloss, and weight loss techniques that reduce the size o at calls, but not their numbers, are doomed tobe temporary. The Paris study revealed a reduction in both at cell numbers and the size o at cells.

For the purpose o the study, researchers led by Morvarid Kabir rom Frances INSERM, recruited 27

women with type 2 diabetes. Hal the subjects took 3 grams o sh oil each day (delivering nearly 2

grams o omega 3 atty acids), and hal the subjects took a placebo. The subjects did not show signs ohigh triglyceride (blood at) levels.

Ater two months o intervention, tests revealed signicant reductions in total at mass and the


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diameter o at cells beneath the surace o the skin (subcutaneous adipocytes) in the omega-3, but notthe placebo, group.

Moreover, risk actors or plaque ormation in the arteries (atherogenic markers), such astriacylglycerol levels and the ratio o triacylglycerol to HDL (good) cholesterol, were signicantly loweras a result o omega-3 supplementation, indicating considerable cardiovascular benets or the women.

Commenting on the ndings the researchers said: A subset o infammation-related genes wasreduced in subcutaneous adipose tissue ater the sh oil, but not the placebo, treatment.

No signicant changes occurred in insulin sensitivity measures.

The evidence keeps on mounting

According to three new studies, increased blood levels o omega-3 atty acids rom plant or marinesources are associated with a reduced risk o type-2 diabetes (American Journal o Clinical Nutrition,2011 Volume 94, Pages 520-526).

Two studies in Chinese populations and one in the US ound that intakes o omega-3 rom plants,

seaood, or both, were associated with a reduced risk o developing the disease.The Chinese population studies Singapore Chinese Health Study and the Shanghai Health Studies

included data rom over 150,000 men and women. The ormer ound that only plant-derived omega-3intakes (alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA) were associated with a reduction (o 21 per cent) in the risk odiabetes.

The Shanghai study reported dierent results concluding that seaood intake was associated witha reduction in the risk o diabetes. In addition, the researchers ound that the association was strongeror women than men.

The US study the Cardiovascular Health Study involving over 3,000 older men and women ound that both marine and plant sourced omega-3s were associated with a lower risk o diabetes. Inthis instance, however, the association was not observed or intakes o omega-3s, but or blood levelso ALA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Commenting on the ndings, Dr Edith Feskens rom Wageningen University said: ALA, the vegetable

oil omega-3 atty acid, has so ar been studied less requently in relation to diabetes and glucosemetabolism. The 2 studies in this issue o the Journal suggest that ALA can be protective, and this is agood hypothesis, which merits more attention.

The obvious variation in intake and sources between various countries suggests that additionalcohort analyses may provide some interesting evidence. But additional biomarker studies are equallywelcome.

Steamed garlic and lemon grass sea bass

This recipe serves 4 people


1 stems o lemongrass (nely sliced)3 cloves o garlic (crushed or nely sliced)4x175g sea bass llets200g runner beans (trimmed)

200g asparagus (trimmed)Salt and pepperLemon olive oil (to make this add slices o lemon to a bottle o olive oil and leave or 24 hours to inuse)


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To prepare:

Mix together the garlic and lemon grass and coat the sea bass llets with it. Put the sea bass,asparagus and runner beans in a steamer and season with salt and pepper. Cook or 6 to 8 minutes,until the sh is rm and white. Divide the seas bass and vegetables between our plates and drizzlewith the lemon olive oil. Serve immediately.

6. Cherries provide a vital deence against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular

disease

Tart cherries have been ound to be benecial or helping to alleviate gout and other orms o arthritis,

including both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis. Now, the latest exciting research ndings rom the USsuggest that adding tart cherries to the diet may lower cholesterol, lead to less at storage and improveantioxidant deences.

While these ndings were based on an animal study, and more research is certainly needed toestablish whether the same results could expect to be seen in humans, it has important implications

or treating metabolic syndrome a condition characterised by central obesity, hypertension, anddisturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome, which aects 15 per cent o adult Europeans,has been linked to increased risks o both type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The results, presented by researchers at Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, D.C., showedthat the antioxidant-rich cherries achieved signicant health improvements at relatively low levels thatcould easily be achieved in the human diet.

The study involved 48 male Dahl Salt-Sensitive rats a strain o rats susceptible to salt-linked highblood pressure, high cholesterol and impaired glucose tolerance and ed them a carbohydrate-enriched diet or a diet that, by weight, included one or 10 per cent cherries or 90 days.

Lead researcher E. Mitcell Seymour and his co-workers, rom the University o Michigan HealthSystem, ound that both cherry-supplemented groups had signicantly lower levels o total cholesterol,triglyceride (blood at), glucose and insulin than those o the rats that did not receive the cherries.

Plasma antioxidant levels increased, as measured by Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC).The rats that received cherries had higher antioxidant capacity, indicating lower oxidative stress intheir bodies, than those that did not, said the researchers. No toxic eects were observed or either othe cherry doses.

Commenting on the ndings, Seymour said: Rats ed tart cherries as one per cent o their totaldiet had reduced markers o metabolic syndrome. Previous research by other groups studied pure

anthocyanin [antioxidants that give the ruit its bright red hue] compounds rather than anthocyanin-

containing whole oods, and they used concentrations o anthocyanins that would be very dicult inot impossible to obtain in the diet. We are enthusiastic about the ndings that tart cherries conerredthese benecial eects at such a modest daily intake.

The researchers work is ongoing, with studies now being carried out in animals prone to bothobesity and diabetes. Additionally, a team o US researchers rom the University o Michigan is reportedto be launching a small clinical trial to investigate i similar ndings are achievable in humans.

Delicious cherry and apricot muesli crunch

This recipe serves 4-6 people


200g jumbo porridge oats


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25g faked bran or wheat germ75g barley or rye fakes50g faked almonds50g hazelnuts, lightly crushed50g sultanas50g cherries, roughly chopped

50g dried apricots, roughly chopped

To prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.

2. Place the oats, faked bran or wheat germ, barley or rye fakes, almonds and hazelnuts on a largebaking tray and toast in the oven or 10 minutes, shaking and turning in the tray halway through.Take the tray rom the oven and leave to cool: this should take approximately 10 minutes.

3. Mix the toasted ingredients with the sultanas, cherries and apricots.

4. You can eat this muesli straight away with milk.

When you eat is just as important as what you eat

or regulating blood sugar levels

To optimise blood sugar control, the kind o ood a diabetic eats is very important but the same can besaid about when ood is eaten too.

For most diabetics regular meals and snacks can help control the appetite and naturally prevent

over-eating during actual meal times. For any given type o meal, smaller quantities will be less

disruptive to blood sugar levels than larger meals. Plus, when the appetite has been controlled,healthier ood choices are usually easier to make and avoiding sugar-disruptive oods like bread,potatoes, rice and pasta is much easier.

With the latest study, UK researchers rom Newcastle University tested what is known as thesecond meal eect (The Second-Meal Phenomenon in Type 2 Diabetes, by Jovanovic A, et al,published by Diabetes Care, 2009;32:1199-1201). The second meal eect is the eect a meal has onthe blood sugar control ater it has been eaten.

The researchers tested the blood sugar response to a set lunch eaten in two settings on dierentdays. On one day, breakast and lunch were eaten. On another day, no breakast was given and the sameset meal was given as lunch.

The results o this study showed that having breakast appeared to reduce rises in blood sugar

levels ater lunch-time by 95 per cent.

So, in short, to avoid blood sugar rises ater lunch, have a good solid breakast and a balanced lightlunch. A solid breakast will include a cereal or muesli with berries (see the recipe above), ruit ornuts or low at yoghurt with nuts and ruit. Fruit contains natural bre, vitamins, enzymes and otheressential nutrients that diabetics need to maintain a normal liestyle. Fruit can also satisy diabeticscravings or processed sweets such as doughnuts and cakes. A cupul o grapes or a medium size applebetween meals can help diabetics maintain their blood sugar levels without creating sudden spikesthat can overwhelm an already overworked insulin-producing pancreas.


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7. Two slices o bacon a day increases the risk o type 2 diabetes by 51%

According to a recent Harvard study, published in theAmerican Journal o Clinical Nutrition, peoplewho eat 100g o red meat every day or hal a normal size steak are 19 per cent more likely todevelop type 2 diabetes.

Worse still, processed meat, including products made rom mince and cold meats such as ham and

salami, had a ar greater eect. Just 50g a day, the equivalent o two slices o bacon, one sausage or onesmall burger, increases the risk by more than 50 per cent.

Researchers at Harvard University looked at the health records and diets o more than 440,000 menand women spanning a period o between 14 and 28 years.

But the scientists ound that those who normally eat one portion o red meat a day could lowertheir risk by a th i they ate other proteins including nuts, low at cheese or brown rice instead.

8. How a special type o tea can help lower high blood sugar levels

I you visit a doctor in the UK and are diagnosed with high blood sugar levels, youre liable to go home

with a prescription. But i you visit a doctor in the Philippines with the same problem, chances areyoull come home with a box o tea bags. Thats not a joke.

Filipino doctors, the Philippine Department o Health, even the Philippine Academy o Physicians

have all endorsed an all-natural herbal tea that can reduce blood sugar levels as eectively as a well-known prescription drug. Fortunately, you dont have to go all the way to the Philippines to get theseherbal teabags, as theyre now available in the UK.

This underground remedy isnt really a big secret in act its active ingredient is one o the oldesttraditional herbal therapies or high blood sugar: bitter melon. Not only does it have proven benetsor diabetes suerers but it also has potent anti-viral and anti-cancer properties.

Bitter melon is just as eective as a leading prescription drug or diabetes

You only need look at some o the clinical studies to realise bitter melons blood sugar loweringbenets. For example, back in April 2003, scientists at the University o Hong Kong reported on theeects o bitter melon extract on rats eating a high at diet. They ound it improved insulin resistanceand lowered serum insulin levels (J Nutr 2003;133(4):1088-1093).

In September 2003, researchers rom India showed how bitter melon extract reduced astingblood glucose levels in diabetic rats. When the rats drank the bitter melon extract powder mixedwith water, their blood glucose levels went down by 48 per cent a result comparable to that o theconventional drug glibenclamide (also known as glyburide). And, better still, there was no evidence o

any negative side eects (J Ethnopharmacol 2003;88 (1):107-111). Another animal study conrmedthat bitter melon supplementation resulted in a consistent decrease in serum glucose levels, while

also raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride levels (JEthnopharmacol 2000;72(1-2):331-336).

While the ndings o human studies have ailed to yield results that are quite this impressive, theydo still demonstrate considerable benets. One study involved 27 people with type 2 diabetes, whowere divided into two groups. Group one drank 200ml o bitter melon tea ater each meal, whilegroup two ollowed the same procedure with regular tea.

Ater 12 weeks, the groups crossed over so that group one was drinking regular tea and group two

was drinking the bitter melon tea. While they were drinking the bitter melon tea, the mean decrease inasting blood sugar or all participants was 2.96 mg/dL. In addition, the mean reduction o haemoglobinA1C (HbA1C), a leading marker o type 2 diabetes, was 0.63 per cent. It seems like a small change,but its actually statistically signicant, since even small changes in this important marker indicate an


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improvement in insulin sensitivity (Philippine Journal o Internal Medicine 2001;39(4) 213-216).

So how does bitter melon lower blood sugar? Scientists have identied several possible mechanismso action. First, bitter melon contains hypoglycemic compounds like the plant insulin polypeptide-p,a steroid-like mixture called charantin, and an alkaloid enzyme called vicine all o which may play arole in lowering blood sugar levels.

These insulin mimics may help increase glucose uptake in muscle and reduce the number oglucose-producing enzymes in the liver. Animal studies have suggested that bitter melon reduces the

intestinal absorption o glucose, while laboratory studies indicate that it may stimulate insulin releaserom pancreatic cells and help regenerate damaged beta-cells.

Get all the benefts o bitter melon without its bitter taste

Bitter melon has been a olk remedy or high blood sugar or many years. But this medicinal vegetabledidnt come by its name by accident, and most people are put o by the taste no matter what thebenets. But one supplier rom the Philippines has perected a method o capturing the benecial

phytochemicals rom bitter melon while removing the notorious bitter taste in their bitter melon

products, which are called Charantia. Ater hearing promising things about Charantia, Dr Guia Abad,the president o the Association o Municipal Health Ocers o the Philippines (AMHOP), decided totry it or her own blood sugar problems.

Years ago, beore Charantia products were available, Dr Abad used to buy actual bitter melons andprepare them or hersel and her husband to eat, to help them both control their blood sugar levels.At that time, olk wisdom taught the more bitter, the better, suggesting that the worst-tasting bittermelon would impart the most benets. So Dr Abad told me she was sceptical when she rst heard othis pleasant tasting Charantia tea.

But she decided to try it anyway, since she has a strong amily history o diabetes. Ater just a shorttime, she had to reduce the amount o Charantia she was drinking, because her blood sugar level was

sinking too low. Ater her positive experiences, she began recommending Charantia to her patients andcolleagues. It has been very eective, Dr. Abad says. It has helped [a lot o my patients] control theirexpenses, because it reduces their need or expensive drugs. Most o her patients have been able tocut back on their prescription diabetes medications, and some have come o o them entirely.

What to take or best results

There are now two varieties o Charantia tea products available in the UK, both based on the basic

ingredient o the dried ruits and seeds o bitter melon: Charantia Loose T-Bits eatures sliced driedruit and seeds, which can be steeped in hot water to make a drink; or you can opt or CharantiaTea Bags. No matter which way you preer to take Charantia tea, its important to ollow the specicdosage amounts given on the individual products label or as otherwise directed by your practitioner.Both Charantia tea products should be taken ater a meal, not on an empty stomach.

I youre already taking medication to lower your blood sugar, it is extremely important to talkto your doctor beore trying Charantia. Taking it in combination with other blood sugar loweringtherapies may lower your blood sugar levels too ar. So its vital to monitor your progress closely withthe help o a medical proessional.

9. How losing weight and warding o metabolic syndrome could be as simple as

putting the kettle on

Another herbal tea, recently developed in Australia, has been ound to help you lose weight andprevent metabolic syndrome both risk actors or type 2 diabetes.


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Unlike many other so-called slimming teas on the market today, Spearole Tea doesnt rely on herbsto produce a laxative or diuretic eect, which long-term can cause dehydration, diarrhoea and nausea.Nor does it contain ephedra a common ingredient in many Chinese slimming teas, which can raiseblood pressure and cause an irregular heart beat.

Spearole Tea is a pleasant-tasting blend o green tea, spearmint, olive lea and grape seed extract.According to the manuacturer, the Australian company Dr Red, one cup o Spearole Tea has the sameantioxidant content as a cup o green tea plus a cup o olive lea tea, a cup o spearmint tea and a glasso red wine!

The 4 ingredients in Spearole Tea help reduce abdominal at and cholesterol levels

What Spearole Teas our ingredients all have in common is the power to reduce infammatory actionsin the body, which are now recognised as a trigger or metabolic syndrome. Eating too much, physicalinactivity and simply getting older all lead to the over-production o infammatory chemicals calledcytokines, which can inactivate insulin receptors on the surace o muscle cells, causing insulin resistance(Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2008; 294(3): R673-680). This allows blood sugar and insulinlevels to rise too high, which in turn leads to the multiple actors involved in metabolic syndrome.

1. Green tea: Numerous studies have revealed that green tea, the main ingredient in Spearole Tea,

can promote weight loss, lower cholesterol, and even help prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease andstrokes (Am Fam Physician 2009; 79(7): 591-594). What has got scientists excited recently, though, isgreen teas potential to combat metabolic syndrome (Phytochemistry 2009; 70(1): 11-24).

Green tea compounds called catechins, and in particular one called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG),appear to prevent metabolic syndrome by slowing down the absorption o at ater meals and byreducing the deposit o visceral at around the organs in the abdomen (Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2008; 17(Suppl) 1: 273-274).

2. Olive leafhas potent antibacterial, antiviral and antiungal properties. Recent research conrmswhat armers in Spain and Portugal already knew that eeding olive leaves to pigs results in less atbeing laid down in their meat (Meat Science 2009; 82 (4): 438-443). Now, researchers in Germanyand Switzerland have ound rom human clinical studies that olive lea extract, which contains an

antioxidant polyphenol called oleuropein, can signicantly reduce both blood pressure and bloodcholesterol levels (Phytotherapy Research 2008; 22(9): 12391242).

3. Grape seed extractcontains a powerul mix o antioxidants, including a polyphenolcalled resveratrol which is also ound in much higher levels in grape skins as well as variouscatechins. Only ound in the grape seeds, rather than in the skins or juice, are other compoundscalled proanthocyanidins. In new research rom the University o Tarragona in Spain, grape seedproanthocyanidins maintained normal blood at and LDL cholesterol levels in rats ed a high-at diet or13 weeks, whilst levels o these markers in untreated control animals soared (Int J Obes (Lond) 2009;33(9): 1007-1012).

4. Spearminthas long been prized as a digestive aid and or its antibacterial and anti-parasiticproperties. Recent research has discovered that it also has strong anti-infammatory and antioxidant

properties, and scientists in India have shown that an extract o spearmint leaves prevents chemically-induced cell mutation and protects chromosomes rom damage (Drug Chem Toxicol 2009; 32(4): 411-416). Such damage can cause cells to become cancerous, so spearmint may have an anti-cancer eect.Spearmint also tastes delicious and gives a cool, light favour to Spearole Tea.

Spearole Tea could reverse the dangerous eects o a high at, high sugar dietWhen scientists at Queensland University in Brisbane, Australia, tested Spearole Tea on rats, their

aim was to see whether it would have any eect in reducing blood pressure. What they ound was


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incredible. Spearole Tea beneted not only blood pressure but every single marker or metabolicsyndrome that they looked at and not just a little bit, but right back to normal, healthy values(Brown L. Antioxidant-enriched green tea attenuates the signs o metabolic syndrome in highcarbohydrate/high at-ed rats. 3rd World Congress on Tea and Health: Nutraceutical and

Pharmaceutical Applications. December 3&4 2009, Dubai).

The researchers added condensed milk, bee at and ructose to the rats normal diet or a period

o 16 weeks. Ater eight weeks, hal o the rats also got Spearole Tea in their diet. As expected, by theend o the study, the high at, high sugar diet caused the rats in the control group to develop increasedblood pressure, more abdominal at, high blood glucose levels, increased liver enzyme production(showing liver dysunction), atty droplets in their livers and stier hearts due to collagen deposition.Their livers and hearts also showed a high degree o infammation.

The rats that were ed Spearole Tea or the last eight weeks o the study, on the other hand, hadcompletely normal readings rom all the tests and almost no signs o infammation in their heartsand livers. Systolic blood pressure, which was monitored throughout the study, rose steadily untilweek eight, ater which it dropped markedly in the rats that got Spearole Tea rom then on, while itcontinued to rise in the control group. I these results had come rom the testing o a patentable drug,the pharmaceutical companies would be alling over each other to run human clinical trials and the

media would be trumpeting it as a medical breakthrough!

O course, we have to be careul when interpreting how the results o animal tests might apply tohumans. Although in this case the rats developed all the symptoms o people on a high calorie, high atdiet, and the researchers cautiously suggest that overweight, mildly diabetic and mildly hypertensivepatients may benet rom adding Spearole Tea to their diet. Although the rats continued to be edan unhealthy diet throughout the trial, obviously making healthy eating choices and increasing theamount o exercise you take will only add to the benecial eects o Spearole Tea.

The recommended intake o Spearole Tea is three cups per day. Each pack contains enough tea or

around 100 cups, which is over one months supply.

10. The hidden ingredient in sot drinks that diabetics should avoid at all costs

A study conducted in 2007 revealed that ructose, a dangerous ingredient included in many processed

oods and sot drinks, signicantly increases the risk o type 2 diabetes.

US researchers at the University o Caliornia, Davis (UCD), presented their ndings o the ructosestudy at the American Diabetes Association 67th Annual Scientic Sessions in Chicago. The resultsmirrored the ndings o a study conducted ve years earlier by the same UCD researchers.

The 2002 UCD study reported on animal testing that showed how ructose consumption

contributed to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and elevated triglyceride levels three o thecore symptoms o metabolic syndrome. Other metabolic syndrome symptoms include excessiveabdominal at, high C-reactive protein level, and low HDL cholesterol. Three or more o thesesymptoms puts a patient at high risk o developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

In the conclusions to their 2002 study, the UCD team noted that a high intake o ructose mightincrease body weight and encourage insulin resistance.

Five years later a study involving human subjects by the UCD researchers conrmed these results

The UCD researchers began by giving a series o tests to assess heart disease risk in 23 overweightadults, aged 43 to 70.

For two weeks, each subject ate a strict diet that consisted o 30 per cent at, and 55 per centcomplex carbohydrates. Ater the rst phase was complete, subjects were allowed to eat whateverthey liked or eight weeks, along with three sweetened beverages each day that supplied a quarter


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o their energy intake about hal the group drank a glucose beverage while the other hal drank aructose beverage.

Ater the second phase was complete, subjects returned to the 30/55 diet while continuing withtheir daily drinks.

Throughout the study, urther checks o heart disease indicators occurred at two, eight, and

10 weeks. Results showed that just two weeks ater subjects began drinking sweetened drinks,triglyceride levels were up in the ructose group, but had actually dropped in the glucose group.

Over the entire range o the study, LDL cholesterol increased and insulin sensitivity decreased inthe ructose group but didnt change in the glucose group. In addition, ructose subjects gained aboutthree pounds overall, but no weight gain was reported in the glucose group.

UCD researcher, Dr Peter J. Havel (who participated in both the 2002 and 2007 studies), told

WebMD Medical News that most people get added sugars in their diet rom daily beverages whichtends to be a lielong habit, ar exceeding the two weeks in which ructose quickly had an adverseeect on triglycerides.

So what exactly is in that vast array o choices in the beverage aisle?Checking the ingredients o your sot drink, vitamin water, power drink, etc., you might wonder what

the dierence is between ructose, high ructose corn syrup, and crystalline ructose. Is one better thanthe other? Well... put it this way: I only part o your house is on re, your house is still on re.

The average high ructose corn syrup is made up o about 50 per cent ructose.

But according to the Sugar Association (sugar.org), increased ructose content o HFCS is becomingmore common. Some o these syrups contain more than 90 per cent ructose.

And then theres crystalline ructose thats present in many health drinks and vitamin-enhancedbeverages. But does the process o crystallizing magically transorm ructose into something healthy?

Lets look at the contents. According to the Fructose Inormation Center (ructose.org), crystallineructose contains nearly 100 per cent ructose. And just to make it even less appealing, it containstraces o lead, chloride, and arsenic. And keep in mind this inormation comes rom an association thatadvocates ructose use and consumption.

All o this is very bad news or those who are ructose intolerant and dont even know it. Theymay suer rom chronic problems such as irritable bowel syndrome without making the connectionbetween their condition and their ructose intake.

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