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Diabetes

1.5 million Canadians have been diagnosed with diabetes and another 750,000 have diabetes and don't know it! Diabetes is a chronic disease and is a leading cause of death by disease among Canadians. There is no cure for diabetes, but there are options both with lifestyle changes and natural medicine that can help treat the symptoms.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type I or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) occurs when the pancreas can no longer produce any insulin. It occurs most often in children and young adults. Type I diabetes affects about 10% of diabetes suffers with the other 90% having Type II or non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM). Type II diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin. Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are the main causes of insulin resistance. However, non-obese people may develop Type II diabetes, proving that obesity is not the sole cause.

Changes in lifestyle including diet are key for preventing Type II diabetes. Tight blood sugar control is essential, which is done through diet and exercise. Consuming a balanced diet of carbohydrate, protein and good fat can stimulate weight loss, and keep blood sugar within a healthy range. Exercise is also beneficial, helping to lower blood sugar levels and making insulin work better, and exercise aids in weight loss at the same time, improving overall health. Weight loss often results in major improvements in blood sugar control in patients with Type II diabetes.

People with diabetes are at risk for developing complications; therefore it is very important to monitor blood glucose levels, keep within a healthy body weight, and consume a healthy diet to help prevent or delay the onset of complications. However, approximately 40% of diabetics will develop complications due to the disease. There are three main categories of possible complications:

Microvascular complications-small blood vessel damage. These include impairment of loss of vision due to damaged blood vessels in the eyes; nephropathy, disease to the kidney due to blood vessel damage; and neuropathy, nerve damage. Macrovascular complications-large blood vessel damage. This includes cardiac problems and hypertension. Other complications-including infections of mouth, gums, and urinary tract; impotence; and pregnancy complications.

All complications of diabetes are serious; however, neuropathy nerve damage caused by a prolonged imbalance in blood glucose levels affects 40-50% of people with diabetes. Symptoms of neuropathy include numbness and sometimes pain in the hands, feet, or legs. This affects internal organs such as the digestive tract, heart, and sexual organs leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, dizziness, and bladder infections. Neuropathy can also lead to impotence, which afflicts approximately 9% of all diabetic men. In severe forms, neuropathy can lead to lower limb amputations, and is the leading cause of all non-accident related amputations. Lower extremity amputation is eleven times more frequent for people with diabetes than people without diabetes.

No pharmaceutical treatment exists for diabetic neuropathy. While diet and exercise are important for diabetes, physicians recommend close monitoring of blood sugar levels as the best way to prevent complications. In theory, close blood sugar monitoring is the best way to prevent the onset of neuropathy, but in practice it is very difficult for diabetics to achieve.

There is hope for improving the symptoms of neuropathy. Certain natural products have been proven successful in moderating the effects of diabetes and neuropathy. Essential fatty acids, or good fats such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), are an important factor contributing to prevention and improvement of neuropathy. Antioxidants such as alpha-lipoic acid have proven synergistic effects with GLA in the treatment of neuropathy.

In the last 20 years, research with both animals and humans has demonstrated the value of GLA. GLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in borage, evening primrose oil, and black currant oil. A healthy body can convert linolenic acid (LA) found in many processed foods, margarines, and vegetable oils to GLA. The body can then use GLA for building nerve structure. The metabolites of GLA are required for healthy nerve function; however with diabetes, the initial conversion of dietary LA to GLA is often impaired. The result is a lower level of GLA and its metabolites in the tissues. The key to improving diabetes and neuropathy is to restore GLA to normal levels through dietary supplementation.

Now laboratory research indicates that recovery pf patients may be even more complete when GLA is used in conjunction with anti-oxidants. Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful anti-oxidant found in foods such as potatoes, red meat, and spinach. It plays an important role in the body's ability to bourn blood sugar, thus helping to sustain normal blood sugar levels. An animal study combining GLA with alpha-lipoic acid showed great improvements in motor skills and blood flow deficits associated with neuropathy.

To get the GLA you need, the best source is borage oil containing up to 24% GLA. Evening primrose oil (8-10% GLA ) and black currant oil (15-17%) are other sources, but because of the higher concentration of GLA in borage oil, a patient will have to consume fewer capsules.

By making modifications to diet and lifestyle, and by incorporating good fat such as GLA and anti-oxidants such as alpha-lipoic acid, preventing diabetes and its complications of neuropathy, cardiac problems, and hypertension is possible.