Beating Diabetes
Experts say some minor changes make a big difference in preventing and defeating diabetes.
The following diabetes tips are from the Nov. 2006 issue of Readers Digest, to which I add the following comments
Drink Milk - Milk contains about 20% whey protein which requires very little digestion. Amino acids from whey absorb into the blood faster than any other protein. Similar to glucose, insulin is required for amino acids to be transported into cells.
Protein digestion slows the absorption of sugar, causing a slower, more gradual increase in insulin secretion rather than a huge "spike" of insulin from glucose rapidly entering the blood.As we age, it's common for digestion efficiency to decline. Maldigestion of protein may cause an increased absorption of glucose to compensate for the decreased calories from amino acids; causing a more rapid rise in blood sugar and a sudden increased secretion of insulin. Long term, this might tax the ability of the pancreas to keep up with insulin demands. This may be part of the mechanism of "insulin resistance" and the commonly seen "adult onset" of type 2 diabetes.Milk (consisting of 20% whey protein) might increase blood amino acids and therefore insulin secretion easier than other types of protein and with less increase in blood sugar (although milk does contain the milk sugar lactose). It's questionable whether this alone would be responsible for the lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics when the percent of proinsulin remain unchanged. Theoretically, any protein would be expected to have similar results, although whey protein, because of its ease of digestibility, might do so more significantly.An alternative strategy to increase insulin secretion and lower blood sugar levels might be to address age-related concerns of protein maldigestion by enhancing gastric and intestinal digestive actions to assure adequate protein digestion and slow the digestion and absorption of glucose.
Snack on Walnuts - Australian researchers found that having a daily walnut snack (about a handful) and eating slightly less fish boosted omega-3s and lowered saturated fat (in the diet) better than fish alone.Most of the fat in walnuts is polyunsaturated, which is believed to lower cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity. Fish like salmon and cod, although containing omega-3 fats which lower bad cholesterol (LDL), also (unlike walnuts) contain some cholesterol. Eating less fish, regardless of walnuts in the diet might be expected to lower saturated fats in the diet while maintaining adequate levels of the good omega-3 fats. The date of the study is not included, but a 2004 Australian walnut study instructed subjects to consume, walnuts, fish and five daily portions of fruits and vegetables naturally rich in fiber and known to decrease blood levels of cholesterol and other fats. Some vegetables also provide some omega-3 fatty acids.
Get Some Sleep - This makes sense since inadequate sleep raises the blood level of cortisol, the adrenal stress hormone known to shift metabolism towards fats and away from carbohydrates, increasing the risk of high blood levels of lipids and glucose and insulin resistance.Beating Diabetes
Experts say some minor changes make a big difference in preventing and defeating diabetes. Here are 3 you can try today.
By Cynthia DermodyReaders Digest http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=30156
- Drink milk. A Scandinavian study found that adding whey, a protein in milk, to high-carbohydrate meals increases insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar levels. Researchers have yet to figure out how whey does this, but they say it may be that whey protein is highly digestible and releases high levels of amino acids in the blood. The acids summon the insulin release that's necessary to control blood sugar. Another report from Harvard found that men who drank the most low-fat milk had a 23 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than men who drank only a little milk.
- Snack on walnuts. People with diabetes and those at risk for the condition are told to eat oily fish like tuna or salmon twice a week because it helps reduce the amount of saturated fats in their diet and because it supplies omega-3 polyunsaturated acids, which protect against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of diabetics. But many people don't eat that much fish. Australian researchers found that having a daily walnut snack (about a handful) and eating slightly less fish boosted omega-3s and lowered saturated fat better than fish alone.
- Get some sleep. Boston University researchers recently found that people who slept too little (six hours or less a night) were 66 percent more likely to have diabetes than those who slept seven to eight hours. Study author Daniel J. Gottlieb, MD, a professor of medicine, speculates that insufficient sleep causes the release of adrenaline-like substances that induce insulin resistance, though more research in this area is needed.