Showing posts with label diabetes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diabetes. Show all posts

Saturday, April 30, 2011

VOICES OF LW3

UPDATE: 30 April -  

Pro golfer targets diabetes

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Professional golfer Notah Begay III is fighting the growing problem of diabetes among Native-American youth, saying the disease could ultimately cost tribes their future leaders if nothing is done.
Begay took his wellness message to the airwaves Friday during the national Native America Calling radio program and in a television show that was broadcast via satellite to students in nearly 200 schools across Indian Country.
Part Navajo and part pueblo Indian, the 38-year-old golfer said diabetes has become an epidemic among his people but he wants people to know it's a disease that can be prevented.
"We're in a fight, literally, to save our kids' lives," he told The Associated Press in an interview. "The reassuring thing about this entire thing is that this is a fight we can win, but it's not going to come without some monumental change."
Native Americans are more than twice as likely to have diabetes compared with other groups, and they are three times more likely to die from the disease, according to the Indian Health Service.  Complete Article

27 FEBRUARY - This event began 14 February, 2011.  Walkers on both the northern and southern routes will reach Washington DC by July 8, 2011.  Support and encourage themas they walk through your community.

Follow The Longest Walk 3 Reversing Diabetes



Daily posts on weekdays about diabetes and natural health in support of The Longest Walk 3 can be found here.  Follow us as most of our work is focused on this event and the need to prevent and reverse diabetes for all affected people. 

Diabetic Health

Thursday, April 14, 2011

A Tasty Way to Get More Magnesium

I personally like quinoa, mainly for its protein, but also its many uses.  I add organic quinoa flakes to oatmeal, pancakes, and other foods.  I like it in place of rice as it is gluten free.

I guess I'd like to have Larry's Markets' recipe for their quinoa salad with oranges.  In the interim I found one one I think I'll play with, my choice is to omit the corn.  But you may like it as it is in this recipe.

Quinoa salad: 
  • 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 to 3 scallions, minced
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Bean salad:1 16-ounce (455g) can low sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup diced tomato
  • 1 Tbs apple cider
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Garnishes: Pumpkin seeds
  • Black olives
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

Directions

  • Boil 2 cups water (480mL) in a saucepan. Add the quinoa and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. When done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Combine quinoa with remaining ingredients for the quinoa salad.
  • While the quinoa cooks, toss the bean salad ingredients in another bowl.
  • To assemble, spread quinoa salad evenly on a platter. Leave a well in the center and mound bean salad into the well. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Arrange olives and pepper strips around the edge. (Delicious Living)

Low magnesium linked to inflammation

The experiment revealed several findings: Fewer than half of the people in the study were getting enough dietary magnesium to meet the estimated average requirement (the amount estimated to meet the needs of 50% of people), and more than one-third had low magnesium levels in their blood.
People with low-magnesium diets had higher levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that is closely correlated with cardiac risk.
A low magnesium diet was also associated with a higher body mass index, a number based on height and weight that is used to diagnose overweight and obesity. Scientists have found a close relationship between obesity and inflammation. CRP levels decreased in people in the magnesium group whose CRP levels were high at the beginning of the study, but increased in those in the placebo group.
“The findings show that many individuals have a low magnesium status associated with increased chronic inflammatory stress that could be alleviated by increased magnesium intake,” the study’s authors said. (Magnesium Research)
People with Diabetes (PWD) often have low magnesium levels: More on Magnesium



Quinoa is high in many health promoting nutrients, and you'll get about 90mg of magnesium from a half-cup serving.


Top Viewed articles (30+) re: Magnesium from Natural Health News
Dec 30, 2010
In 1995, researchers at the University Eye Clinic in Basel, Switzerland published a study on the effect of supplemental magnesium on glaucoma patients. A dose of 121.5 mg twice daily was administered to 10 glaucoma patients for one ...
Oct 24, 2007
(OMNS October 23, 2007) Over two-thirds of all Americans do not consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium. Even more alarming are data from a study showing that 19% of Americans do not consume even one-half of the government's ...
Nov 11, 2008
The relationship between high blood pressure and magnesium deficiency has been explored in several studies, producing conflicting evidence. A study published in the November 2002 issue of the Journal of Hypertension submits the ...
Apr 05, 2008
My therapy for restless leg (RLS as the pharma-media calls it) is based in magnesium but I add another nutrient or two, because for this situation the sum of the combination shows better benefit, and usually sooner, than magnesium alone ...

Monday, March 28, 2011

New-Onset Diabetes With Statins

UPDATE: 30 March - 
People with Diabetes (PWD) are 70% more likely to have liver disease. 
Diabetes Diary: http://www.facebook.com/pages/CHI-Creating-Health-Institute/46249556606
Diabetes increases Parkinson's risk
I hope you are connecting the dots...


28 March -
Need I say more?  Now more studies shoe increased risk of diabetes among other health problems from statins.  And the cookie cutter medicine machine wants YOU to take this drug if you have diabetes.  Its doing the same as aspartame.  Red Yeast Rice  is a statin and will have this effect in some people.

We offer a very good supplement to help raise HDL, lower LDL and reduce total cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. 


CLINICAL RESEARCH: LIPID-LOWERING AND DIABETES

Predictors of New-Onset Diabetes in Patients Treated With Atorvastatin

Results From 3 Large Randomized Clinical Trials

David D. Waters, MD, Jennifer E. Ho, MD,David A. DeMicco, DPharm, Andrei Breazna, PhD, Benoit J. Arsenault, PhD, Chuan-Chuan Wun, PhD,John J. Kastelein, MD, PhD, Helen Colhoun, MD, PhD and Philip Barter, MD, PhD Division of Cardiology, San Francisco General Hospital, and the University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California

 Pfizer, Inc., New York, New York
 Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
 Department of Public Health, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland
Heart Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
Manuscript received July 28, 2010; revised manuscript received October 4, 2010, accepted October 11, 2010.
* Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. David D. Waters, Division of Cardiology, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, California 94114 (Email:dwaters@medsfgh.ucsf.edu).
Objectives: We sought to examine the incidence and clinical predictors of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) within 3 large randomized trials with atorvastatin.
Background: Statin therapy might modestly increase the risk of new-onset T2DM.
Methods: We used a standard definition of diabetes and excluded patients with prevalent diabetes at baseline. We identified baseline predictors of new-onset T2DM and compared the event rates inpatients with and without new-onset T2DM.
Results: In the TNT (Treating to New Targets) trial, 351 of 3,798 patients randomized to 80 mg of atorvastatin and 308 of 3,797 randomized to 10 mg developed new-onset T2DM (9.24% vs. 8.11%, adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94 to 1.29, p = 0.226). In the IDEAL (Incremental Decrease in End Points Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering) trial, 239 of 3,737 patients randomized to atorvastatin 80 mg/day and 208 of 3,724 patients randomized to simvastatin 20 mg/day developed new-onset T2DM (6.40% vs. 5.59%, adjusted HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.43, p = 0.072). In the SPARCL (Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels) trial, new-onset T2DM developed in 166 of 1,905 patients randomized to atorvastatin 80 mg/day and in 115 of 1,898 patients in the placebo group (8.71% vs. 6.06%, adjusted HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.75, p = 0.011). In each of the 3 trials, baseline fasting blood glucose, body mass index, hypertension, and fasting triglycerides were independent predictors of new-onset T2DM. Across the 3 trials, major cardiovascular events occurred in 11.3% of patients with and 10.8% of patients without new-onset T2DM (adjusted HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.35, p = 0.69).
Conclusions: High-dose atorvastatin treatment compared with placebo in the SPARCL trial is associated with a slightly increased risk of new-onset T2DM. Baseline fasting glucose level and features of the metabolic syndrome are predictive of new-onset T2DM across the 3 trials.
SOURCE: http://content.onlinejacc.org/misc/terms.dtl
Most read statin articles from 30+ on Natural Health News
Nov 21, 2010
More than 6 millions adults are prescribed statins by their GPs will be told about five new 'undesirable effects' in leaflets issued with packets of the drugs. These include sleep disturbances, memory loss, sexual dysfunction, . ...
Nov 14, 2008
It's been going this way for a while: even healthy people should be on the cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins. That, in a nutshell, is the verdict of a study published over the weekend which found that even in people deemed to ...
Feb 04, 2008
No study has shown a significant reduction in mortality in women treated with statins. The University of British Columbia Therapeutics Initiative came to the same conclusion, with the finding that statins offer no benefit to women for ...
Jul 07, 2010
Statins for children 10 to 17 have been FDA approved since 2002. Now Pfizer seeks EU authorization. READ IT HERE FIRST: THE IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING YOU IN HEALTH CARE AT NATURAL HEALTH NEWS DAYS, AND OFTEN WEEKS OR MONTHS, ...

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Reversing Diabetes: 2011

UPDATE 13 MARCH
FROM REGIS AND KELLY



Also, I'd say a highlight for today was definitely running into a diverse group of people who are walking across the country. Go figure! The event is called "The Longest Walk 3". It's to raise awareness for Diabetes.
P3082157
The walkers left San Diego on 2/14 and plan on getting to Washington DC by 7/8. A lot of Native Americans are in charge of this event, including Wounded Knee, pictured below on the left and the chief in the middle...
P3082161 P3082155 P3082160
 ----------------------------------------------------
2/21 Now entering its second week, The Longest Walk III continues to cross these United States to call attention to diabetes and especially in Indian Country.
As the walkers come through your area, support them and support this grand effort.

Route Information



“Reversing Diabetes”
  
On February 14th, 2011, The Longest Walk III will begin a 5,400 mile walk/run relay across America. The purpose of which is to draw attention to the alarming epidemic of diabetics in Indian Country.
Led by A.I.M. co-founder Dennis Banks, the walk will begin at La Jolla Shores, California (San Diego), and ending in Washington, D.C. on July 8th. The route will be southern based which will include the states of: Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Banks, himself a diabetic, said that “Diabetes has reached an epidemic state in Indian Country and the percentage of diabetes amongst Native Americans may be as high as 75%” (Indian Health Service’s estimate is at 35%). “Surgery involving amputation is very common”, Banks said, “making Native people Partial Indians”.
Key organizers in each state are developing evening lectures by Banks who will also conduct seminars in juicing your vegetables. “Vegetables”, he said “are becoming extinct”, and wants to aid in a massive “Reversing Diabetes” program across Native America.
California, which will host the opening ceremonies, is being directed by Orlando Vigil of Taos New Mexico. He will guide and walk with members of many Southern California tribes to and through the southern tribal nations of the Diegueno Kumeyaay, Lusenio, Serrano, Cahuilla, Chemeuuai, and Quechan territories. 
The walk will also provide the opportunity to collect diabetic concerns and stories heard across America and develop this information into a personal in-depth perspective from the Native view. In addition to this, the U.S.D.A and Banks will campaign for Indigenous lands to set aside 2,000,000 acres of prime farming land into large vegetable gardens to begin supplying our people with fresh produce. “Everyone should have a garden for good nutrition and exercise. We are working on a 50 year program to reverse the symptoms of diabetes. If we don’t start now, in 50 years we will all be diabetic, with no future at all,” Banks said.
The opening activities will commence at 6:00 a.m. at La Jolla Shores, San Diego, California with  a prayer by a local elder, Bird Singers opening with a 3 hour ceremony of doctors, foreigners, and speakers, and ending with a pipe ceremony, including Dennis Banks to provide detailed key information pertaining to the walk.
Should you wish to assist with the largest, most historic walk for the fight against reversing diabetes, please contact The Longest Walk III website for any further information. Any contributions before and during the walk will be greatly appreciated and can be arranged by calling (763) - 242 - 4242 or joining the walk.








Federal Dam, MN 56641

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Cancer Risk Higher with Diabetes

Many people know that with diabetes comes a higher risk of many health problems.  This new report adds to that.  It tell us that we MUST prevent - reverse - and cure diabetes.

Natural Health and good nutrition tell us this has to be a priority.  This is much more urgent as Congress attempts to cut funding drastically for diabetes.

During The Longest Walk we are posting more information here each day during the week, weekends excluded.

Just a not to say that Lantus insulin is carcinogenic.  It is a genetically engineered drug.

Diabetics have higher risk of death from cancer

By Kate Kelland and Gene Emery
LONDON (Reuters) - Doctors know that diabetics have a higher than normal risk of dying of heart attacks or strokes, but new research on Wednesday showed that having diabetes also ups the risk of dying from many cancers and other diseases.
The findings shed light on the potential burden of disease that will build in the future as the number of cases of diabetes is predicted to rise dramatically in coming decades.
"These findings highlight even more the need to prevent diabetes and to understand it better," said Emanuele Di Angelantonio of Britain's Cambridge University, who worked on the study as part of an international collaboration.
"They show that diabetes is not only a cardiovascular risk factor, but is linked as well to other conditions."
The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), collated and analyzed data from 97 previous studies involving more than 820,000 people worldwide.
It found that being a diabetic hiked the odds of dying from cancer by 25 percent, and also heightened the risk of death from infection, kidney and liver disease.
The risk of death was only higher in people with poorly controlled diabetes, however, as indicated by high blood sugar levels after a fast.
Among the biggest cancer risks for diabetics were liver and pancreatic cancer, colorectal or bowel cancer, and lung cancer.
Diabetes is reaching epidemic levels with an estimated 280 million people, or 6.4 percent of the world's population, suffering from it and numbers predicted to rise further as obesity rates also increase.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says up to a third of U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 they continue to gain weight and shun exercise.
Another study published this week found that millions of people with diabetes are undiagnosed or poorly treated, raising their risk of early death from heart disease and of serious complications like blindness and chronic kidney disease.
The Cambridge-led study found that aside from cancer and vascular diseases such as stroke, diabetes was also associated with deaths from many other causes including renal disease, liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mental disorders, pneumonia, other infectious diseases.
"A 50-year-old with diabetes died, on average, six years earlier than a counterpart without diabetes," said Cambridge University's John Danesh, who also worked on the study.
The study did not look at why these death rates were higher among diabetics, so the researchers could not say whether diabetes link was simply a proxy for generally poorer health.
"Preventing diabetes becomes that much easier when we have a complete picture of the debilitating effect it has across the body and we know what steps to take to mitigate the damage," said Stephen Holgate of Britain's Medical Research Council, which part-funded the study.
SOURCE:  bit.ly/g5guqz The New England Journal of Medicine, online March 2, 2011. 

Good Heart Health

Good Heart and Cardiovascular Health are important to everyone, especially people with diabetes. This is especially an urgent issue
The outcome of a study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Circulation on February 14, 2010 has resulted in the dismal conclusion that only one in 1,933 Americans may be meeting the American Heart Association's criteria for good heart health.
University of Pittsburgh vice chancellor for clinical research Steven E Reis, MD and his associates analyzed data from 1,933 men and women aged 45 to 75 who participated in the community-based Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation (Heart SCORE) study. Surveys, physical examinations and blood test results provided information concerning the presence of the following factors: not smoking, meeting physical activity and healthy diet goals, and having a body mass index lower than 25, untreated cholesterol level of less than 200, blood pressure of lower than 120/80 and fasting glucose below 100.
Only one participant met all seven criteria of ideal heart health and fewer than 10 percent of participants had five or more components. African-Americans had an 82 percent lower chance of having five or more components compared to subjects of European ancestry.
"Of all the people we assessed, only one out of 1,900 could claim ideal heart health," stated Dr Reis, who is affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh's Cardiovascular Institute. "This tells us that the current prevalence of heart health is extremely low, and that we have a great challenge ahead of us to attain the AHA's aim of a 20 percent improvement in cardiovascular health rates by 2020."
"Many of our study participants were overweight or obese, and that likely had a powerful influence on the other behaviors and factors," he observed. "Our next step is to analyze additional data to confirm this and, based on the results, try to develop a multifaceted approach to improve health. That could include identifying predictors of success or failure at adhering to the guidelines."

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Preventive Benefit of Coffee and Tea

Helpful information but I suggest limiting your cups and using only organic.  And just another chance to caution on the green tea risk of pancreatic cancer: take heed.
The Archives of Internal Medicine, published by the American Medical Association (AMA), has recently released a comprehensive report on the benefits of coffee and tea for prevention of type 2 diabetes.1 The report is a review of published studies and a pooled analysis of all the data (called a “meta-analysis”).
Drinking coffee, decaf coffee, green tea or black tea was associated with a reduction in the risk of developing diabetes. For coffee, the reduction was dose-dependent, which is to say that the more coffee or tea drunk, the greater the reduction in risk, about 7% per cup up to six cups a day.
The authors state that the effects may be due to the presence of phenolic compounds in coffee or tea that increase sensitivity to the effects of insulin, the hormone responsible for keeping blood sugar levels low.
The research described in this review is all observational: it follows the dietary habits of people and observes what diseases they develop. Observational research is sometimes inconclusive. To demonstrate the reality of the effect, a controlled interventional study would need to be done in which people were given pills of coffee or tea or a placebo and then followed for several years.
1. Huxkey R et al, Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and tea Consumption in Relation to Incident Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. Arch Int med 169: 2053-2063 (2009). 
Read more about coffee


Roasting, why coffee is fountain of youth
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Canadian researchers say roasting is the reason coffee provides antioxidant benefits that help people fight aging. Lead author Yazheng Liu and co-author David Kitts, both of the University of British Columbia, say antioxidants present in dark roasted coffee brew extracts result from the green beans being browned under high temperatures.
The researchers analyzed the chemical compounds produced during the bean's browning process -- the "Maillard reaction." In the 1900s, French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard studied the way heat affects the carbohydrates, sugars and proteins in food when grilling steaks or toasting bread.
"Previous studies suggested that antioxidants in coffee could be traced to caffeine or the chlorogenic acid found in green coffee beans, but our results clearly show that the Maillard reaction is the main source of antioxidants," Liu says in a statement.
However, Kitts, a food science professor and director of the food, nutrition and health program, says coffee beans lose 90 percent of their chlorogenic acid during the roasting process.
Antioxidants help in removing free radicals -- the end products of metabolism which have been linked to the aging.
The findings appear in a forthcoming issue of Food Research International.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2011/02/04/Roasting-why-coffee-is-fountain-of-youth/UPI-15391296802480/#ixzz1D6IAMVE6
Natural Health News 6.2008 Wake up and enjoy an aroma of health


Roasting Coffee Beans Dark Brown Produces Better Antioxidants

Coffee beans that are darkly roasted a deep brown provide a more powerful antioxidant benefit, a new study has found.Food science researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada say the most antioxidants in coffee are produced when the green-colored beans are browned at high temperatures. Lead author Yazheng Liu and colleague Professor David Kitts looked at what is called the "Maillard reaction" -- the chemical reaction triggered by cooking foods, in this case during the roasting of coffee beans. They found that the compounds produced during the roasting process are where coffee's antioxidants come from. Prior research has suggested they originate in either the caffeine or other ingredients. "Previous studies suggested that antioxidants in coffee could be traced to caffeine or the chlorogenic acid found in green coffee beans," Liu said in a statement. "Our results clearly show that the Maillard reaction is the main source of antioxidants." Antioxidants have been showed to bolster the immune system and slow the aging process, among other benefits. They help to eliminate free radicals, which are the damaging end products produced during metabolism. The findings, to be published in Food Research International, showed that "coffee beans lose 90 percent of their chlorogenic acid during the roasting process," Kitts said in a statement. The Maillard reaction was named for the French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, who in the 1900s studied the effects of heat on proteins, sugars and carbohydrates in food, as in when steak is barbecued or bread is toasted. Prior research has had mixed results. Some studies have found that antioxidant levels are higher in dark-brown coffee beans, while some have found they're lower and others have concluded that the best antioxidants come from medium-roast coffee.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Anemia Drug Risky for People with Diabetes

I'd be very happy if we could go back to the time when medicine was simpler, treatments were simpler, and traditional medical care was more of an art and focused on patients like it used to be.

But you see Big PhRMA and Big Insurance just doesn't want it to be so. This is especially true if you estimate the cost of one dose to be in excess of $300 to more than $1,600 for the medicine, depending on dose, with additional fees for administration.

This is a great example of why the system is failing.
Diabetes: Poor response to anti-anemia drug predicts higher risk of heart disease or death
ScienceDaily (2010-12-29) -- Patients with diabetes, kidney disease and anemia who don't respond to treatment with an anti-anemia drug have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease or death, researchers have found. ...  read full article
Additionally this genetically engineered (recombinant) drug carries with it severe risk of clotting which may increase your risk of heart attack or death.

This drug is also used for people enduring chemotherapy.


In a kinder gentler way, blood status can be changed without drugs, the way it used to be done...

Selections from 30+ found in Natural Health News  
Anti-Anemia Drugs: B12 is Better, Safer
Oct 19, 2010
Working as I do from time to time with people who experience serious anemic states because of their health condition or prescribed drugs, I have to stand on the side AGAINST the anemia drugs, regardless of health condition. ...
Death Risk Ups with Cancer Anemia Drugs
May 07, 2009
ScienceDaily (2009-05-07) -- The use of drugs to encourage red blood cell formation (erythropoiesis-stimulating agents) in cancer patients with anemia increases the risk of death and serious adverse events such as blood clots, ...
Natural Health News: Biochemic Help for Malaria
Dec 15, 2010
Additional cell salts Calc Phos (calcium phosphate) can help with secondary anemia resulting from the disease. Ferr Phos (iron phosphate) the oxygen supplying cell salt is very helpful when there is fever and vomiting of undigested food ...
If vitamins are so bad why is FDA giving them to PhRMA
Apr 06, 2010
It is also important for the prevention of cancer and the prevention and treatment of seizures, anemia, mental disorders including schizophrenia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other conditions. Its effect on carpal tunnel can seem almost ...

Monday, December 6, 2010

New Drive for Thousands to Get Diabetic Eye Exam

6 December 2010

Here is a good and informative page with more about Omega 3 benefits for your eyes, especially with diabetes

http://www.thediabetesclub.com/the-omega-3-benefits-for-the-diabetic-eye/

30 October 2009

While this is an extremely worthwhile project, it should be noted that one of the very best natural ways to prevent diabetic retinopathy is to supplement with vitamin E and vitamin C.  Other approaches have been included in articles I have written on eye care, and especially one written for the A. R. E. (Edgar Cayce).
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Posted on : 2009-10-30

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- 10/30/09 -- Diabetes causes more new cases of legal blindness among working-age Americans than any other disease. If diabetics are monitored regularly by their ophthalmologist, this vision loss is almost always avoidable. Yet, tragically, more than half of all people living with diabetes do not get the recommended annual dilated eye exam. As the number of people with Type 2 diabetes rises in the U.S., the CDC projects that the number of adults with diabetic retinopathy will double by the year 2050. Yet 90 percent of diabetic eye disease can be prevented simply by proper regular examinations and treatment and by controlling blood sugar.

This November, during Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) through its EyeSmart(TM) campaign, is reminding the public that an annual dilated eye exam can help prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. To promote awareness of the need for an annual eye exam, the Academy, along with its partners the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Macula Society and the Retina Society, have launched EyeSmart: EyeCommitted, a social media campaign to encourage people with diabetes to pledge to get an annual eye exam.

"Diabetes can have a devastating impact on vision, but the good news is that regular dilated eye exams by an ophthalmologist and timely treatment, if needed, can save vision for the vast majority of diabetics," said David W. Parke II, MD, executive vice president and CEO of the Academy. "That is why we are urging people with diabetes to get EyeCommitted. By taking charge of their eye health, Americans can greatly reduce their risk of losing their sight from diabetes."

The EyeCommitted campaign, which will be promoted through the power of social media channels, will include an interactive pledge application that:

-- Encourages visitors to take the EyeCommitted pledge to have an annual diabetic eye exam;

-- Allows users to share the pledge and campaign information with friends and family;

-- Features important diabetic eye disease information and a new video that tells the compelling stories of two patients with diabetic retinopathy; and,

-- Allows users to post the application onto their preferred social media sites.

For each pledge, the Academy will commit another $1 to its diabetic eye health education efforts.

Detailed information about diabetic eye disease is also available on the EyeSmart Web site.

The EyeCommitted campaign comes at a time when there is a documented rise in Type 2 diabetes rates among Americans, particularly among the young. An estimated 23.6 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes, but nearly one quarter are unaware of it. African-Americans and people of Hispanic heritage are more likely to have diabetes.

"As ophthalmologists, we are concerned that the trend toward younger age at diagnosis will mean that people will have to manage their eye health closely for decades, including through their peak work years," said Dr. Parke. "That's why it is critical for people with Type 2 diabetes to get an eye exam as soon after their diagnosis as possible and then annually thereafter." For people with Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, the Academy recommends that the first dilated eye exam should take place within three to five years of initial diagnosis and then annually thereafter.

To find an Eye M.D. in your area, please visit www.GetEyeSmart.org. Consumers can submit questions about eye health to an ophthalmologist at Ask an Eye M.D.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology - AAO is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons -- Eye M.D.s -- with more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three "O's" -- opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. For more information, visit the Academy's Web site at http://www.aao.org/.

Contact: Media Relations, (415) 561-8534, media@aao.org

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Healthy Side of Maple Syrup


I use maple sugar granules because I am allergic to cane sugar. I have also used B grade maple syrup for years as it has the reputation of a healthy sweetener over many years.



I like it on sweet potatoes, my pumpkin pancakes, and on vanila ice cream served with warm waffles,  or as in the past - a split warm doughnut.

Now a new report tells us more - 


Maple syrup reduces cancer, diabetes risk 2011 article

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, 2010 (UPI) -- Maple syrup can substantially slow the growth of cancerous cells in several cancers and help reduce the risk of diabetes, U.S. researchers found. 
Navindra Seeram of the University of Rhode Island found 13 new antioxidant compounds that were not known to exist in syrup until now. Several of these antioxidants newly identified in maple syrup are reported to have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and anti-diabetic properties.
Maple syrup contains substantial quantities of abscisic acid, a phytohormone known to stimulate insulin release through pancreatic cells and to increase sensitivity of fat cells to insulin, which makes it a potent weapon against metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Seeram presented his findings on Canadian maple syrup at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Francisco.
A second study by researchers at the Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi suggests maple syrup can substantially slow the growth of cancerous cells in the prostate and lungs and to a lesser extent in the breast, colon and brain more effectively than blueberries, broccoli, tomatoes and carrots. 
The study is published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.
© 2010 United Press International, Inc.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Better to Use Vitamin E My Dear

All over the TV ads in the Spokane market is an ad from Spokane Internal Medicine attempting to lure you into a Big PhRMA study allegedly for diabetic neuropathy relief using Lyrica.

Yes, you get paid, just as in most of these studies. But is this worth the risk?

Lyrica is a very controversial drug and comes with a high price in dollars and negative risks for your health.

I think it would be a great service to patients with pain, FMS, and neuropathy if SIM started a study to show you just how effective natural vitamin E can be to prevent and reverse neuropathy. 

Contact us FMI, and be sure to check out all the Lyrica related articles on Natural Health News.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Avandia: Is it time to pull it off the market?

UPDATE: 15 July - FDA reviewer David Graham told the panel Avandia's risks were real enough "to put you in a hospital or a cemetery."

Graham, who wants the pill banned, recently published an analysis estimating that as many as 100,000 heart-related problems may have been caused by Avandia among seniors on Medicare.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remember back in 2004 coming across a report on the cardiovascular risk from Avandia. It caught my eye because I knew someone taking the drug and I took the opportunity to advise him of the issue.

Over the almost seven years since I first had reports of problems, it seems as if the controversy hasn't stopped.

Since the problems in the US were reported recently, Avandia now seems to be having problems in Europe.

Diabetes Drug Maker Hid Test Data on Risks, Files Indicate - Dates to 1999

By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: July 11, 2010

WASHINGTON -- FDA staff reviewers blasted rosiglitazone (Avandia) in briefing documents released Friday, recommending that the diabetes drug be yanked from the market because of the "serious" cardiovascular risks it poses.
Rosiglitazone is no more effective at improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes than pioglitazone (Actos) and provides no known unique health benefits, FDA reviewers wrote. While both drugs increase the risk of congestive heart failure, the effects of rosiglitazone are "substantially greater," the briefing documents concluded.
It remains to be seen whether a joint panel of outside medical experts will agree with this assessment. The panel meets July 13 and 14 to make recommendations about rosiglitazone -- including whether to pull the drug from the market.
Next week's meeting will be the second time an advisory panel has been asked to guide the FDA on what to do about rosiglitazone.
In 2007, a panel voted 20 to 3 that rosiglitazone increased cardiovascular risks, but then decided 22 to 1 that the benefits outweighed the risks.
In their current review, the FDA faulted the logic of the 2007 advisory decision, saying the panel failed to document the specific benefits of rosiglitazone. Since then, the benefits of the drug remain unclear, the agency said.
Next week's panel will review a number of different studies, including a post-marketing study the FDA reviewers branded as unethical.
A spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline said the company stands behind the safety and efficacy of rosiglitazone.

To me this falls into that category of covering up the facts as we have seen with so many other drugs throughout the last decade. And its an adjunct to this smirky comment about looking at the health protection agencies of the planet; they put forth propaganda with the purpose of causing fear....and to sell drugs.

The focus too long has been the profit motive and not public health!
GlaxoSmithKline's Diabetes Drug Avandia Draws More Scrutiny in Europe
By MELLY ALAZRAKI, Daily Finance, 07/09/10

Problems for GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) diabetes drug Avandia seem to be getting worse. The European Medicines Agency said Friday it's launching a new review of Avandia's benefit-risk profile following new data on the possibility of cardiovascular problems.

Avandia has been in the crosshairs of scientists, regulatory agencies and even U.S. senators in the past year. The EMA decision only adds to the already existing pressure. GSK shares tumbled 2.5% in premarket trading.

Last month, two new studies linked rosiglitazone, or Avandia, to heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications. The authors of the studies said the results should prompt regulators to pull the drug from the market. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel is indeed going to study the data next week.

A New Reevaluation

Now, the EMA will also be considering Avandia following the recent studies. Already, the product has been reviewed several times by the agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, which has updated the product information to include warnings on the use of these medicines in patients with heart problems. In 2008, the committee concluded that "rosiglitazone retained a small, if diminishing, place in diabetes type 2 therapy." Then again, it looked at the drug earlier this year.

The committee is now assessing the new data and will be discussing the issue at its next plenary meeting, July 19-22.

"Once all relevant data on the benefits and the risks of rosiglitazone have been looked at, the CHMP will issue an opinion on whether or not the marketing authorisations for these medicines should be revoked, suspended or changed," the EMA said in a statement.

The EU has authorized rosiglitazone on its own is as Avandia, in combination with metformin as Avandamet, and with glimepiride as Avaglim.

"Insufficient Data"?

GSK has defended Avandia, saying two heart associations have found that "Insufficient data exist to support the choice of" one treatment over the other. Still, sales of Avandia, which topped $2.6 billion in 2006, fell to $1.2 billion in 2009 after the FDA added a label warning regarding the elevated cardiac risk.

Judging from investors' reaction, the pressure on this drug is likely to keep mounting.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/investing/glaxosmithkline-avandia-europe/19547971/#
from Natural Health News - 4 of 14 articles referring to Avandia
FDA and Avandia: Ethics Lacking
Jun 05, 2010
FDA-Sanctioned International Diabetes Drug Trial Is Unethical and Dangerous “Surely no patient would willingly participate in a trial in which they have a substantial likelihood of taking a drug that, in the opinion of a large group of ...

Risks Potentially Outweigh Benefits with Avandia®
Jan 14, 2009
Avandia®, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was first approved by the FDA in 1999 for marketing on the basis of its ability to lower blood glucose and reduce insulin resistance. By 2006 the drug had become the top selling oral ...

Avandia Increases Bone Risk for Women
Dec 10, 2008
GlaxoSmithKline, which markets rosiglitazone as Avandia, said the safety and effectiveness of the drug was backed by one of the largest clinical trial programmes ever undertaken for any medicine, with 52000 patients studied. ...

Here is another well thought out idea
Sep 15, 2006
Now for women you'll get more drug because Avandia is not as effective for you. However if you already have liver or kidney dis-ease you should not take this drug! And it will increase your LDL level so - hey - more drugs. ...

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Brown Rice: More than Low GL or High Fiber

Brown Rice has been a mainstay of organic, whole food nutrition and food plans for a very long time.  It has also been a mainstay of more macrobiotic food plans for as long or longer.  Both choices have suffered the ridicule of mainstream medicine and dietitians for as long or longer than I have been involved as a health care professional which has been more than 40 years.  I have studied nutrition for far longer and it amazes me how slow mainstream is to learn about the benefits of such whole foods as brown rice, and then how they get the credit as if they are the first to discover it.

I have for decades now been recommending a special brown rice meal to people with diabetes or those at risk.  I've also been recommending it as a special meal for deep cellular detoxification.  And if you knew the nutritional benefits you would understand why.

White rice 'raises diabetes risk', say US experts

White rice has a higher glycemic load than brown rice.
Replacing white rice with brown rice and wholemeal bread could cut the risk of diabetes by a third, US experts say.
White rice poses a diabetes threat because it causes steep rises in blood sugar, say Harvard researchers in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Brown rice and other wholegrain foods are a healthier option as they release glucose more gradually, they say. Complete article
What I think is more important and not addressed in this report is the basic nutritional profile of this whole food and that connection to health or dis-ease.

Brown rice is high in the mineral manganese. Manganese is important for many functions. It can
  • Help your body utilize several key nutrients such as biotin, thiamine, ascorbic acid, and choline
  • Keep your bones strong and healthy
  • Help your body synthesize fatty acids and cholestorol
  • Maintain normal blood sugar levels
  • Promote optimal function of your thyroid gland
  • Maintain the health of your nerves
  • Protect your cells from free-radical damage 
Biotin and Thiamine are part of the vitamin B complex.  B vitamins are especially important for people with diabetes.  It is also important to support healthy thyroid function because it has a direct link to diabetes.

Brown rice is also high in selenium which helps support your thyroid and iodine metabolism, and it is high in magnesium which is also very important for people with this health problem.  This unhulled rice also is known to be high in phytonutrients that may be equal to or higher than fruits and vegetables.

Brown rice is helpful as well for lowering cholesterol, preventing cardiovascular disease, weight management, protecting against breast and colon cancer (other cancers too), preventing gallstones, and aiding childhood asthma.

Purchase organic brown rice when possible to reduce risk of arsenic exposure and store it in the refrigerator to prevent it from becoming rancid as it contains rice bran oils.  The oil is a source of vitamin E and tocotrienols. It also contains trytophan.

I always suggest soaking this rice overnight before cooking to reduce the phytic acid load.

More about Brown Rice nutrition

Combining brown rice with sesame seed in my special recipe adds more preventive nutrition for diabetes. This combination raises the level of IP6 availability.  IP6 (inositol) boosts your  immune system, helps lower cholesterol, prevents kidney stones, helps prevent osteoporosis, prevents or reduces the complications of diabetes and sickle cell anemia, reduces risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke.
IP-6 + Inositol Against Diabetes - Experiments with isolated murine pancreatic beta cells have shown that IP-6 stimulates these cells to secrete insulin" [Hoy et al, Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol: 278 #37 pages 35168-35171, September 12, 2003]. And Dilworth and colleagues report that IP-6 supplementation when administered in diet lowered blood glucose levels in rats. That diabetics could be benefited from IP-6 + Inositol is further supported by data from Nascimento and colleagues who report in the January 3, 2006 issue of the PNAS that in their experimental model, inositol itself may work as an antioxidant and not only prevents but also reverses many of the complications of diabetes. Thus, on one hand, IP-6 causes direct stimulation of insulin from pancreatic beta cells and inositol on the other hand helps in the prevention of complications of diabetes; combination of IP-6 + Inositol gives dual benefits. Read more here
We published an entire issue of herbalYODA Says! about diabetes some time ago,  This informative issue is available with a donation to keep our work alive and well.

Our bioSupplemente has IP6 (now RKBioBlend) and ADVENTURx, with a magnesium base, both help support health for people with diabetes.

Resources: whole health foods, Natural Healing through Natural Health
Archives of Internal Medicine 

NB:  I appreciate this comment regarding this and many other articles I write at Natural Health News.  It is from a member of a medical list to which I subscribe -
Is this really new information! We know and have known for years that whole grain (with the germ and husk) is healthier for you than one stripped of it's outer shell and germ. there is more fiber in whole grain which slows down the absorption of sugars. It blows my mind that information we have known for years gets money for research. It would be similar to studying" does putting your hand on a hot stove burn you" of course it does do we need to prove it?
Brown Rice Recipe for Heavy Metals - Soak 3 cups of organic brown rice ovenight.  Pour off water and place in pot with tight closing lid.  Add 7 cups of pure water and one sliced medium red onion and 1 tabespoon dulse.  Cook and eat several servings daily until gone, maintain a regulr healthy food plan.  This is not a fast.

One brown rice recipe I enjoy - Asian Brown Rice 
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice, rinsed and drained 
2-1/2 cups water 
2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 
1/2 tsp. Oriental sesame oil 
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce

Cooking Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, except soy sauce, in a heavy saucepan. Bring
to a boil over medium high heat. Boil 5 minutes. Lower heat as low as
possible. Cover pan tightly and let rice simmer 45 minutes
without lifting lid. After 45 minutes, turn off the heat, and 
let stand covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve drizzled
with soy sauce.

 
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