Insulin May Pose Increased Cancer Risk for Diabetics

Image of a hand holding a insulin needle with a yellow tip.

Diabetics who take insulin-type drugs appear to be more prone to increased rates of cancer diagnosis, according to several prominent researchers who spoke at a press conference at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. The concerns were first raised by German researchers in a data base analysis submitted in 2008, which linked an insulin-based medication to increased cancer risk. The researchers generally agreed that insulins may promote cancer through their actions as growth factors.

The message here is that when you follow my nutritarian diet-style and protocols for diabetes, a Type 2 diabetic would not need an insulin-based medication. In fact, over 60% of diabetics who follow my protocol no longer need any medication at all. A Type 1 diabetic following my nutritarian diet-style would only have half the insulin requirements, without the highs and lows, which would signifacantly extend their lifespan and reduce complications.

Further reading: http://drfuhrman.com/disease/Diabetes.aspx

Diabetes and Insulin; the New Baseball and Apple Pie of America

Image of a shot of insulin going into a piece of apple pie, there is a baseball propping the needle up.

With the current epidemic of 40% of adults living in the US having diabetes or pre-diabetes, diabetes and insulin have become household words; almost as common and all-American as baseball and apple pie.

Obesity.  Diabetes.  Metabolic Syndrome.  Insulin resistance.  Blaah.  Blaah.  Blaah.  Yawn.

Ten percent of those with diabetes have type I or juvenile diabetes.  It’s an auto-immune disease where the body attacks and destroys its own islet cells that produce insulin.  Most often it appears in childhood and the child is totally dependent upon insulin 24/7 for the rest of his or her life.

The remaining ninety percent have type II or adult onset diabetes.  (Some call it insulin resistant diabetes.)  The pancreas makes insulin, but due to layers of excess fat surrounding the cells, they become insulin resistant, thus resulting in high blood sugar.

Diabetes, whether it is type I or type II, is a nasty disease that eventually produces life threatening complications such as heart disease, heart failure, blindness, kidney disease, circulatory problems and amputations; not to mention daily micromanagement of blood sugars, and astronomical costs of diabetic supplies, insulin, doctor and hospital bills, and high insurance premiums as a result of the disease.  On top of all that, with the best of care and self-management, one can still feel miserable when blood sugars fluctuate. 

The type I diabetics can utilize less insulin, stop hypoglycemic events and protect their future health with a nutritarian diet.  However, almost everyone with type II diabetes can get completely rid of it through embracing Dr. Fuhrman’s diet-style.  Dr. Fuhrman’s results in this arena are remarkable.  Imagine if the majority of type II diabetics took the challenge to get totally well.  That translates into almost 90% of those with diabetes; resulting in nearly 40% of the adult US population completely free from a life of diabetes and diabetes related complications!

Ask any kid who lives day-in-and-day-out with type I diabetes if he or she would consider committing to the nutritarian way of eating in exchange for the privilege of getting completely rid of diabetes for the rest of his/her life.  Hands down every child and teen would gladly embrace the opportunity.

As a nation, let’s all get healthy and eradicate type II diabetes from our vocabulary.  May diabetes no longer be an all-American, household word for generations to come!

Drugs for diabetes can perpetuate type II diabetes, and often cause more weight gain and worse disease outcomes.  Let’s get real and expose this nasty disease called diabetes.  Do you know someone suffering from it?  Without revealing the person’s identity, how has it affected his or her life?  If they knew for sure they could get rid of it, with excellent nutrition and daily exercise, would they?

http://drfuhrman.com/library/diabetes_epidemic.aspx

Citrus Nutrient May Help Stop Obesity

In college, the only citrus I got was the lime in my beer bottle, but now I know better. Citrus fruits are loaded with health-promoting nutrients, like vitamin C.

Kiwi fruit, watermelon, strawberries, mangos and raspberries are all packed with vitamin C. And in May, vitamin C was found to stave off age-related vision loss.

Now, new findings in the journal Diabetes claims another fruit nutrient, naringenin—a flavonoid in citrus fruits—halts the development of metabolic syndrome, which leads to diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

For the study, scientists fed mice a high-fat diet—to simulate a western diet—in order to induce symptoms of metabolic syndrome and discovered mice fed a fatty diet plus naringenin had “corrected” levels of triglycerides and cholesterol.

Naringenin also protected against insulin resistance. Experts say naringenin reprogrammed the liver to burn up excess fat, instead of storing it. However, more research is needed to determined naringenin’s exact effect on heart disease.

In related news, pomegranates were found to reduce inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease.

Via EurekAlert!

Image credit: adamjtaylor

Scientists Find the Link Between Obesity and Diabetes

Published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers have determined fat cells in obese people release a protein, called pigment epithelium-derived factor or PEDF, and when let into the blood stream PEDF causes muscles and the liver to become desensitized to insulin. In response, the pancreas produces more and more insulin to counteract the problem, but eventually the pancreas craps out, leading to the development of type-2 diabetes; ScienceDaily reports.

Diabetes and obesity are major problems in the United States. In January, a report revealed 24 million Americans now have diabetes. But don’t despair! You don’t have to be another statistic. A diet based on fruits and vegetables offers amazing protection against type-2 diabetes and keeps you thin.

In related news, obesity was found to increase the risk of endometrial cancer—adding nearly 22 times more risk—and obesity has also been linked to poor ovary health and impaired fertility.

Image credit: füthart

Vegetable Diets Better for Diabetes

Appearing in the journal Nutrition Reviews, new findings suggest vegetarian and vegan diets offer significant benefits for diabetes control, more so than non-vegetarian. Clinical trials show individuals with type-2 diabetes on low-fat vegan diets had improved glycemic control, compared to conventional diets. Weight-loss is part of the explanation why, but reduced consumption of saturated fat and increased intake of fiber and plant nutrients offer additional advantages; Unbound Medline reports.

Plant foods, like green veggies, garlic and nuts, are potent diabetes-fighters, helping to keep glucose levels within normal range and eventually allowing people to kick their diabetes for good, unlike taking insulin, which can actually make things worse!

And last month, a report claimed Hispanic teenagers who started eating more fruits and vegetables and less sugar, lowered their risk of type-2 diabetes.

Image credit: Lars Odemark

Diabetes: Brits Get Drugs Before Better Diet

In the United Kingdom 1 in 3 people with diabetes are given medication too soon, instead of being encouraged to eat better and exercise. The study, presented at a Diabetes UK conference, revealed 36% of the 650 people studied were put on medication within 1 month of being diagnosed, despite medical guidelines recommending lifestyle changes be tried first. Startling when you consider 400 people a day are diagnosed with type-2 diabetes in the United Kingdom; BBC News investigates.

This is sad, especially in light of all the research linking diet to diabetes, such as the dangers of drinking soda and the benefits of eating vegetables. Consuming a lot of high-fiber, high-nutrient foods, i.e. fruits and veggies, improves pancreatic function and lowers insulin resistance, allowing glucose levels to return to normal range without medications.

The UK’s had a rough go of it. Health officials recently urged people to buy less saturated fat and Prince Charles blasted junk food for children’s disconnect with nature, but luckily they’ve enlisted Wallace and Gromit to help fight obesity and improve health!

Image credit: palestrina55

Surprise! Weight-Loss Helps Diabetics...

Reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association researchers reveal weight-loss and lifestyle changes are more effective than insulin therapy for overweight individuals with insulin-resistant type-2 diabetes. High insulin levels overload tissues with fatty molecules, leading to insulin-resistance. And treating people with MORE insulin does not overpower the resistance, but can cause organ damage. Losing weight and improving diet is much safer; Medical News Today explains.

An estimated 24 million Americans now have diabetes. And drugs are not answer. According to Dr. Fuhrman, a diet rich in healthy foods, such as green vegetables, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, raw nuts, seeds and some fruit, in combination with weight-loss and exercise can help you kick insulin and reverse diabetes.

America needs to take the hint! More and more of us have chronic conditions, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, than ever before. And all this extra fat isn’t helping.

Image credit: Insnay

Type-1 Diabetes: Control Blood Sugar, Save Eyes and Kidneys

According to Dr. Fuhrman, eating a vegetable-based diet can help type-1 diabetics reduce their insulin requirements and keep glucose levels under excellent control. Good thing! Because a new study in Diabetes Care reveals strict blood sugar control staves off diabetes-related eye and kidney disease; via Reuters.