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Two recent studies have linked deficiencies in Magnesium and Potassium to an increase in the prevalence of Diabetes.

The first study, done in Brazil,  found that those patients with lower fasting and after-meal blood glucose levels had higher blood magnesium levels while those patients with higher fasting glucose levels had lower blood magnesium levels and higher urine levels of magnesium. 

According to the author of "The Magnesium Miracle", Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD ,ND, "Magnesium plays a pivotal role in the secretion and function of insulin; without it, diabetes mellitus is inevitable. Measurable magnesium deficiency is common in diabetes and in many of its complications, including heart disease, eye damage, high blood pressure, and obesity. When the treatment of diabetes includes magnesium, these problems are prevented or minimized."

 In the second study, lower potassium levels in the blood may help explain why African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

According to  Hsin-Chieh “Jessica” Yeh, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an author of the study, which appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "We now know lower serum potassium is an independent risk factor for diabetes and that African-Americans have, on average, lower potassium levels than whites. What remains to be seen is if increasing potassium levels through diet or supplementation can prevent the most common form of diabetes.”

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James Perfield, a University of Missouri researcher, has, found that a specific plant oil, known as sterculic oil, may be able to reduce belly fat in humans. Belly fat leads to serious medical problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke. Sterculic oil is extracted from seeds of the Sterculia foetida tree.

Dr Perfield adds"This research paves the way for potential use in humans."

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Just read a great article by Melanie Smith that names 12 foods that help you deal with STRESS. If you're like me, then you EAT when you're stressed. That means cookies, pretzels, ice cream, and other nosh that make you feel better..... albeit temporarily.

Instead, have some Almonds which help produce serotonin and have lots of Vitamin Bz, Vitamin E, magnesium and zinc. Have some Blueberries which have tons of Vitamin C and antioxidants. For meals, be sure to add Fish, Sushi,  Asparagus, Broccoli, and Whole Grain Pasta to your diet. Milk and Cottage Cheese are important as well as Lean Beef, and Oranges.

In these times, everyone has a lot of stress. If you can deal with it by following a healthier diet, you'll be able to think clearer and get through the tough times feeling better about yourself.

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A new study  purports that children with Diabetes generally have poorer eating habits than other children, leading to, what could be,  very serious complications in their future.

 Minority male adolescents 15 and above are those with the highest risk. Influential factors include a low level of parental education, low-to-middle family income,  and low parental involvement in Diabetes management. A sedentary lifestyle is also a factor. These young adults tend to have numerous cardiovascular disease risk factors. Ninety percent of children with Type 2 Diabetes have metabolic syndrome — a group of conditions that  increases the risk for coronary artery disease and stroke.

Dr. Beth Mayer-Davis, a leader in the field of childhood Diabetes, spoke about the study, part of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute’s Appetite for Life Seminar Series. She said that "Diet in children with Diabetes is, then, of utmost importance. Children with Diabetes need to be able to match insulin to food intake, eat foods high in fiber, consume whole grain breads and cereals, get enough fresh fruits and vegetables and increase physical activity."

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Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona are developing a new type of self-monitoring blood glucose sensor that would measure glucose in tear fluid,   Testing may give an indication of glucose levels in the blood as accurately as a test using a blood sample, the researchers said.

"This new technology might encourage patients to check their blood sugars more often, which could lead to better control of their diabetes by a simple touch to the eye," said Jeffrey T. LaBelle, the designer of the device technology. (ANI)

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A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies 15 states in the US that make up the Diabetes Belt.

The study concludes that about 12 per cent of the people living in the “belt” have diabetes as opposed to 8.5 percent "outside the belt."The CDC’s  Lawrence E. Barker stated that a major contributor to the disease may be the culture and variations in preference of people’s diets.In the diabetes belt, almost 23.8% of the population comprised non-Hispanic African-Americans, whereas it was 8.6% for the rest of the nation. The region had more adults aged 65 and over and a greater number of African-American residents, a group, which is at a higher risk for diabetes.

Do you live in the "Diabetes Belt"?

Check out this video!

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New research by the University of Cambridge in Britain says that having diabetes at 50 may reduce a person’s life expectancy by an average of six years.

The research suggests that a  person with diabetes is more than twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease as someone without diabetes and 25% more likely to die of cancer. People with Type 2 diabetes are also more likely to die from kidney disease, liver disease, pneumonia, infectious diseases and even intentional self-harm, according to the study,

 In light of the rapidly expanding incidence of diabetes in the United States, where an estimated 25.8 million Americans have diabetes, this research shows how important and vital it is to PREVENT diabetes.

Researchers knew that diabetes could shorten lifespan, "but this really says how many years of life may be lost and to what causes," said Dr. David M. Kendall, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Assn., who was not involved in the study.

 

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