Med Health News

Tag: glucose

  • How Exercise Can Naturally Raise Your Basal Insulin Sensitivity

    How Exercise Can Naturally Raise Your Basal Insulin Sensitivity

    If you’re suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2, your doctor may have prescribed basal insulin shots to help you manage your blood sugar levels. But basal insulin therapy can also cause some unwanted side effects, and some serious conditions. Naturally boosting your basal insulin sensitivity with exercise may be a safer way to help keep your blood sugar levels normal.

    What Is Basal Insulin?

    Everyone, both diabetes mellitus type 2 sufferers and non-diabetics, has low background levels of insulin circulating in their bloodstream to allow cells to take in sugar to fuel their life-sustaining processes. This background insulin is called basal insulin. Long after you’ve eaten, fat is broken down into sugar to help keep your blood sugar levels normal – basal insulin thus also helps to ensure the sugar from broken down fat don’t reach high levels.

    But both diabetes mellitus type 2 and type 1 sufferers produce not enough basal insulin to keep the sugar from fat breakdown from building up to high levels in their bloodstreams.

    How Basal Insulin Fits Into Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Treatments

    Artificial and natural basal insulin can be given to diabetes mellitus patients if they’re not making enough or any of their own basal insulin. Diabetes mellitus type 2 patients aren’t given basal insulin until their blood sugar levels can’t be managed by most other medications. If metformin is in the first line of pharmacological intervention, then basal insulin is in the last line of diabetes mellitus type 2 treatment.

    Most diabetes mellitus type 2 medications are taken orally, but basal insulin shots are injected subcutaneously. This can be very discouraging for diabetes mellitus type 2 patients because now they’ll have to inject themselves routinely – which isn’t something most people start out feeling comfortable with. The good news is, researchers have developed oral basal insulin tablets that are as effective as basal insulin shots.

    Even though about 60 percent of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients progress to require basal insulin shots to manage their blood sugar levels, they still feel the stigma that their condition is worsening. From their diabetes mellitus education, they know that diabetes mellitus type 1 patients require basal insulin, while diabetes mellitus type 2 patients don’t always need it.

    When their doctors tell them he needs to add basal insulin therapy to their treatment, for some it’s like they’re losing the distinction between their condition and diabetes mellitus type 1. They understand that their pancreas may have become impaired and is now producing lower levels of basal insulin or none at all. They know very well that this is the situation diabetes mellitus type 1 patients are born with or develop – and now they’ve reached the same circumstances.

    The possible adverse effects of basal insulin shots contribute to the fear diabetes mellitus type 2 patients feel about them. If they administer incorrectly, they could risk developing hypoglycemia, which is a risk present even when they follow their doctor’s instructions to the letter. The effectiveness of a basal insulin shot also changes with the time you administer, your routine activities surrounding the time of administration, and your eating habits. That’s why the basal insulin shot routine is highly individualized and must be curtailed to a specialized fit for each diabetes mellitus patient.




    How Exercise Helps Lower the Number of Basal Insulin Shots You Need Daily

    Researchers may have found hope for naturally helping diabetes mellitus patients better manage their basal insulin and lessen their dependency on basal insulin shots. They found that a single bout of moderate to vigorous exercise, like cycling for 15 minutes, boosts overall insulin sensitivity for a maximum of 48 hours.

    If you have diabetes mellitus and your pancreas is still producing basal insulin, this means that exercising makes your cells more receptive to these low levels of basal insulin. This causes your blood sugar levels to drop more so than they normally would. This means that exercising makes your body require fewer or lower doses of basal insulin shots.

    But researchers caution that this increased insulin sensitivity goes away if you stop exercising for six to eight days straight. They conclude that exercising regularly will maintain this whole-body insulin sensitivity boost.

    If you’re being prescribed basal insulin shots, exercising is a safe and natural way to help you make a stand against your diabetes mellitus. Exercising regularly lowers your dependency on your basal insulin therapy and helps you avoid scary side effects like hypoglycemia and weight gain that come with taking basal insulin.

  • Doctors May Have Formulated a Way to Treat Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 by Taking Basal Insulin Directly by Mouth

    Doctors May Have Formulated a Way to Treat Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 by Taking Basal Insulin Directly by Mouth

    Researchers may have invented a way for diabetes mellitus type 2 patients to get their basal insulin by simply popping a tablet rather than injecting themselves.

    If you have diabetes mellitus type 2 and dread the basal insulin shots, you might soon be in luck. Researchers announced they’ve successfully created a basal insulin delivery system where you swallow a tablet by mouth and the basal insulin is released and absorbed in your small intestine.

    They ran clinical trials to see if their newly created oral basal insulin tablet is as effective as the basal insulin shot. In one study, 50 diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who couldn’t adequately manage their blood sugar levels using metformin (and other oral diabetes mellitus medications) were separated into two groups. For two months one group was instructed to take the new oral basal insulin tablets thrice daily. The other group was instructed to continue their basal insulin shots as normal.

    To keep the participants blind to the study, both were also given tablets and shots that contained a placebo – so both were getting tablets and shots daily, but only one form contained real medication. Both groups were allowed to continue their metformin treatment, but most other oral diabetes mellitus medications were stopped for the duration of the study.

    After the two months were over, the oral basal insulin tablet group’s fasting blood sugar levels dropped to about 73.71 percent of what they were during the start of the study. The basal insulin shot group’s fasting blood sugar levels dropped to about 73.78 percent of what they were during the start of the study.

    The researchers concluded that the slight difference in effectiveness is negligible and insignificant, stating that the oral basal insulin tablets are as effective as the basal insulin shots. They also found that the oral basal insulin tablets are safer than the basal insulin shots because they caused 50 percent less hypoglycemic events (episodes when your blood sugar falls too low) than the basal insulin shots.




    But these researchers don’t think this particular study’s results should be widely embraced just yet. They say more clinical trials are needed because the current study’s duration is too short and with only a small sample of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients. It’s always possible that side effects and other adverse interactions can come to light with a larger sample size of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who take the oral basal insulin tablets for a longer period of time.

    You can still look forward to the near future when you’ll hopefully never have to prick yourself with a basal insulin shot to keep your blood sugar levels normal, while instead simply pop a tablet or two in your mouth!

  • How Meditating Daily Can Help Treat Diabetes Mellitus

    How Meditating Daily Can Help Treat Diabetes Mellitus

    Researchers found that meditation can help lower blood sugar levels. Meditation can also help treat diabetes mellitus in other ways.

    Meditation Is a Healthy Activity, Not Just a Religious Ceremony

    Meditation should be an integral part of everyone’s lives. It’s not just an activity that religious monks do at a temple. Meditation has shown to improve your cognition and attention. Researchers found that meditating regularly lengthens your DNA’s telomeres, which are responsible for preventing aging by keeping your DNA safe from deterioration when your cells multiply.

    It’s also been found to boost your immunity. They found that people who meditate have a higher immunity against viral infections.

    And then there are the mainstream benefits you probably already know about that meditation confers: It lowers your blood pressure and stress.

    These are just the tip of the iceberg. Researchers are constantly discovering more health benefits that regular meditation can give you.

    Meditation Helps Treat Diabetes Mellitus

    But did you know that meditating everyday can also help treat diabetes mellitus? Researchers found that meditation lowers the levels of compounds responsible for causing inflammation, which is elevated in people suffering from diabetes mellitus. By lowering inflammation, meditation can help protect you from atherosclerosis and other diseases that you’re more susceptible to because of diabetes mellitus complications.

    Meditation’s stress-lowering effects are another way it helps treat diabetes mellitus. Since less stress means lower cortisol levels, meditation helps lessen insulin resistance.

    Meditation has also been found to directly lower blood sugar levels. Researchers instructed 50 diabetes mellitus patients to meditate after breakfast everyday for two weeks. They found that their postprandial sugar levels (their blood sugar levels after eating) were much lower after they started their meditation intervention.

    You should definitely include meditation into your daily routine because it will help treat diabetes mellitus, and is overall healthy for your body and mind.




    Here Are Some Ways You Can Ease Into Meditation for Diabetes Mellitus Treatment

    Meditation can be tricky and frustrating if you’ve never tried before. But you should make the effort because it’s a natural way to lower your blood sugar levels without medications. Here are a few helpful tips to get you jumpstarted:

    Try gradually. Do you remember when you first started learning to run or jog? At first you couldn’t go the full hour, but you gradually made your way there by increasing the time you ran or jogged each time you tried. Treat meditation like exercise – try meditating for only five minutes, then ramp it up to fifteen then twenty, and so on. You don’t have to go the full forty-five minutes on your first few sessions! This helps you ease into meditation without straining yourself and making the activity harder than it should be.

    Try mindfulness. Try mindfulness, which is probably the easiest form of meditation. Here you simply shift your focus to something else in a nonjudgmental manner. You’re concentrating on anything else, but objectively without emotions. You’re being an observer, like a scientist. For example, you can focus on your breath and try to feel all the sensations that come to you when you inhale and exhale. Soon you’ll find yourself in a deeper state of awareness with your blood pressure and heart rate lower. If you suddenly get lost in emotional or stressful thoughts, simply pull your focus back to whatever it was you were objectively focusing on.

    Visualize light. If you feel like trying an advanced form of meditation, try visualizing light. Imagine a golden light shining down on you from above, like the sun. After a while, imagine that the light can enter your body through your pores, penetrating every cell and healing them of their insulin resistance. Doing this has been proven to help treat your diabetes mellitus two-fold. The meditation lowers your blood sugar levels, while researchers found that healing visualization boosts rates of healing in diabetics. Diabetics with foot ulcers who were frustrated and depressed healed much slower than those who had positive thinking toward their condition and focused on healing.

    Meditation is a holistically healthy activity. Start meditating everyday and it will help treat your diabetes mellitus. There are no drawbacks, only good things can come from including this ancient practice into your daily life.

  • New Wristwatch-like Device for Diabetes Mellitus Patients Can Measure Your Blood Sugar Levels Without Drawing Your Blood

    New Wristwatch-like Device for Diabetes Mellitus Patients Can Measure Your Blood Sugar Levels Without Drawing Your Blood

    If you’re suffering from diabetes mellitus, here’s some great news – researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas have bioengineered a device that goes on your wrist and can monitor your blood sugar levels without taking your blood.

    Diabetes mellitus affects about 29 million U.S. residents, but an estimated 8 million more people in the U.S. have diabetes but haven’t been diagnosed. It’s a disease of serious concern because it can lead to many fatal and debilitating conditions, while also being difficult to manage daily. The good news is that bioengineers from the University of Texas at Dallas have found a way to make life a little bit easier for those suffering from diabetes mellitus. They’ve created a device much like a wristwatch that can measure key vitals without a blood sample.

    The device only needs 1 to 3 microliters of sweat to get readings of your sugar, cortisol, and interleukin-6 levels. The researchers say that the device can also help prediabetic patients and hyperglycemia sufferers to help prevent progression into diabetes mellitus type 2. They say that when these patients experience chronic stress, the increase in their cortisol levels can cause insulin resistance, which can raise their blood sugar levels above the normal range. If left unchecked, this cycle can push their conditions over into full-blown diabetes mellitus type 2, which then increases their systemic inflammation, which can be measured by their interleukin-6 levels.

    By monitoring these levels and understanding what they mean, they can serve as biofeedback for both prediabetic and diabetes mellitus patients. They can see what they’re doing in their lives that are aggravating their condition and can make lifestyle adjustments. This is very helpful since food isn’t the only factor in diabetes mellitus – perhaps their work life is raising their cortisol levels, or something as simple as not waking up earlier, which can lead to a more stressful morning that spikes their blood sugar levels because of the combination of breakfast and high cortisol levels.

    The researchers also say that their device is cheaper in the long run because it lasts for up to a week, whereas most current monitors for diabetes mellitus are only for one-time use.

    This new device can help curb the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in America where it’s caused by high-fat, high-sugar diets and sedentary lifestyles.

    If you’re wondering whether you should buy this device, consider the following:




    Over 70 Percent of People With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Die of Cardiovascular Disease

    Researchers found that over 70 percent of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients die of cardiovascular-linked events. They’re saying that the diabetes mellitus type 2 epidemic taking America will forseeably lead to an epidemic of cardiovascular disease.

    That’s not a surprise since diabetes mellitus complications can cause atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk for heart disease greatly. When your blood sugar levels are high, it increases the free radical levels in your bloodstream, which damages your blood vessels. This also consumes the nitric oxide that your blood vessels need to relax and dilate, which means they’re more likely to stay constricted. These conditions increase your risk for a cardiovascular event.

    But these cardiovascular complications can be lessened if you use the device to better control your blood sugar levels. If it allows you to better keep your blood sugar levels optimal, you’ll help prevent damage to your blood vessels caused by too much sugar circulating in your bloodstream.

    Soon these week-long diabetes mellitus wristwatch monitors will be available for purchase. Buying one will help you understand how your daily routine affects your blood sugar levels. It will also help keep you protected from cardiovascular disease by giving you better vigilance over your blood sugar levels. And remember – it doesn’t require a needle prick, just a bit of sweat!

  • 3 Sweets and Carbs You Need to Include In Your Daily Diet If You Have Diabetes Mellitus

    3 Sweets and Carbs You Need to Include In Your Daily Diet If You Have Diabetes Mellitus

    If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus but have a sweet tooth, you’ll be happy to know there are sweets and carbs that health professionals recommend for diabetics. Here are three healthy foods that help you control your blood sugar levels.

    Diabetes mellitus is a trying condition to live with because you have to watch your blood sugar levels throughout the day. If you eat something that’s too high in carbs and sugar, it could dangerously spike your blood sugar levels and make you sick. That means that liking sugary treats can be dangerous. But like everyone else, your body still needs your daily carbs for energy and to make vital proteins – so you’re allowed some leeway to sate your sugar cravings.

    But did you know there are sweets and carbs that are almost a must for people suffering with diabetes mellitus? Here are a few expert-recommended healthy foods that help you keep your blood sugar levels safe:

    1. Blueberries

    Blueberries are sweet and melt in your mouth. They’re great with salads or just about any meal. But blueberries are also a superfood because they’re rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Their antioxidant content can help protect and lessen any damage arising from diabetes mellitus complications.

    But despite their sweet flavor, blueberries have been found to help prevent and treat diabetes mellitus type 2 by lowering insulin resistance. They gave obese and insulin-resistant adults blueberry smoothies or blueberry and bilberry extracts for six weeks and found that the participants experienced greater insulin sensitivity.

    They also fed blueberries to rats that were also on an unhealthy high-fat diet for 1 to 3 months and found that they had better glucose tolerance.

    Blueberries are also fiber-rich, which allows you better blood sugar level control because it steadies the amount of sugar absorbed from your gut. The fiber slows sugar from being absorbed by getting between it and your intestines’ villi. Instead of all the sugar from your meal being absorbed rapidly, blueberries’ fiber slows its absorption such that all of it enters your bloodstream steadily over a longer period of time, which helps keep your blood sugar levels normal and keeps you feeling sated for longer.

    Blueberries seem to help boost your insulin sensitivity independent of your diet, and their fiber content helps keep your blood sugar levels from spiking after eating. They’re definitely one food you need to include in your diet if you’re suffering from diabetes mellitus.




    2. Tree Nuts

    Most tree nuts, like Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, and cashews, are superfoods because they’re rich in vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and other nutrients that are important for your brain, heart, and many other vital organs.

    Eating tree nuts has also been found to help treat diabetes mellitus. Participants suffering from diabetes mellitus were instructed to eat two servings of tree nuts everyday for two weeks. The researchers found that the participants didn’t gain weight and had improved fasting blood sugar levels. They stated that eating tree nuts can best prevent and treat diabetes mellitus type 2 if they’re eaten in substitution of simple sugar foods, like white rice.

    Tree nuts are also fiber-rich, which allows them to help you maintain normal blood sugar levels.

    Include tree nuts in your diet and you most likely will see an improvement in your blood sugar levels – you’ll also be enriching your body with vital nutrients.

    3. Purple Yams

    Purple yams, like most yams, are sweet and scrumptious. They’re also known as the Okinawan Sweet Potato because they’re a main part of the Okinawan diet, which is famous among health enthusiasts as the diet that lets you live until 100 years old with the ability to run fast even in your 80s.

    Purple yams are superfoods rich in vitamins A, C, and B6. They’re also loaded with antioxidants and contain the vital trace elements copper and manganese.

    Researchers found that purple yams’ flavonoids, which are a type of antioxidants, lowered diabetic rats’ fasting blood sugar levels and their cholesterol levels. Another study found that these purple yams’ flavonoids also protect your cardiovascular system from artherosclerosis caused by diabetes mellitus.

    And you guessed it – purple yams are rich in fiber, which lets them help you keep your blood sugar levels stabilized.

    Since purple yams can lower your blood sugar levels and help protect you from diabetes mellitus complications, you should switch out your bread for this diabetes mellitus-protective carb.

    You can indulge your sweet tooth daily with these healing sweets and carbs that help treat and protect you from diabetes mellitus. It’s best if you switch out your regular carb foods, like white bread and white rice, for these three superfoods if you want the maximum healing benefits they can offer you.