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Category: Experts’ Blog

What You Need to Know About Drinking Guava Juice for Fertility

Guava juice has been used traditionally to help with fertility issues. But does it really help? The evidence seems to point toward guava juice boosting fertility in both men and women. Here is what you should consider before trying out this remedy:

Guava Juice and Women’s Fertility

Researchers found that folate is important to both male and female fertility. In one assisted fertility study, the group of women who took the highest amount of folate daily experienced up to a 20 percent increase in successful births compared with the other groups.

Folate is abundant in guava juice. If you juice one cup of guavas, you’ll get 20 percent of your daily folate requirements. One glass of guava juice should use more than a few cups of guavas, which means drinking that glass gives you a bountiful amount of folate.

Guava Juice and Men’s Fertility

Scientists found that men with idiopathic male factor infertility produced more abnormal sperm that generated more free radicals. These sperm-generated free radicals damage the source and nearby sperm’s cell membranes, DNA, and other cell structures. This causes these sperm to die faster and swim slower, which lowers their likelihood of reaching the egg before expiring.

They also found that lycopene is one of the best carotenoid antioxidants for fighting free radicals. Lycopene levels and fertility decline with age, but lycopene levels are markedly lower in men with idiopathic male factor infertility.

They wanted to see if boosting lycopene intake would have an effect on male infertility. They found that giving patients with idiopathic male factor infertility a daily lycopene supplement increased their sperm counts by about 70 percent.

Like tomato juice, guava juice is filled with lycopene. Lycopene is significantly responsible for giving guava juice its reddish pigment. When researchers gave rats a guava leaf extract, their sperm counts significantly increased.

From all this evidence, it’s very probable that drinking guava juice will boost male fertility.

Best Ways to Boost Your Fertility With Guava Juice

You might dread drinking multiple servings of guava juice – after all, it’s a fruit juice. You’ve probably heard doctors warn that drinking too much fruit juice is a factor in childhood diabetes, which means it must be loaded with sugar. But guava juice has significantly less carbs than most sugary fruit juices. For example, it has half the calories of orange juice and only a fifth of the calories of coconut juice. But these calorie comparisons only hold true if equal amounts of guava are used compared to the alternative fruit juice.

That means that you shouldn’t feel too guilty about drinking more than one glass of guava juice because it’s like drinking only one glass of orange juice.

But if you’re not into fruit juices, then you can try enjoying guava leaf tea, which also holds the same fertility-boosting benefits. Teas are warm and soothing, and that can make drinking more than one cup easier to do.

Drink guava juice for fertility. Its folate content boosts female fertility, while its lycopene content boosts male fertility. But for faster and better results, it’s probably best to ask your doctor if lycopene supplements are something you can supplement with your fertility treatment.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172634/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4023371/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18163132

April 1, 2018
3 Delicious Recipes You Can Add Guava Juice to for Better Health

Many wonderful recipes call for fruit juice for a tangy, sweet kick. But substituting guava juice can amp up the dish’s taste even more, while also adding a significant health boost. Here are a few recipes that you can add guava juice to:

1. Orange Juice Chicken

Orange juice chicken is a popular baked chicken dish where the chicken is marinated with orange juice, mustard, brown sugar, and onion. In some instances, butter and flour are used for better texture.

Guava juice has the same sweet, sour, and tangy flavor as orange juice, except with an added strawberry-esque side. Switching orange juice with guava juice makes this chicken dish healthier because it has 500 percent more vitamin C and 200 percent more vitamin E, but only about half the calories.

2. Juicy Apple Juice Steak

Kansas City is known for its steaks and barbecue meats. One of their famous recipes involves steak marinated in apple juice. A marinade of apple juice, vinegar, molasses, basil, lemon juice, black pepper, garlic, and other ingredients is prepared and blended with a strip or ribeye raw steak. The steak is then grilled or baked and served juicy.

Apple juice and guava juice share a similar sweet flavor, but guava juice also has the tangy sour properties of lemon juice. Since the marinade calls for both apple and lemon juice, you can switch out both for guava juice. Guava juice has multiple times more vitamins than apple juice, including 300 percent more vitamins A, C, B3, and B6. It also has a bit more important minerals, like magnesium, iron, and potassium.

3. Coconut Green Juice

Green juices are a mainstay for health buffs – but it’s not exactly easy to gulp down a straight drink of blended cruciferous vegetables and water. That’s why green juices are mixed with a sweet, but healthy ingredient – and fruits or their juices are popular choices. Kale and coconut juice is one such combination.

Organic kale is blended with some choice ingredients and coconut juice for flavor. Coconut juice itself has antioxidants and nutrients, which adds more to the already antioxidant-rich green juice.

Using guava juice instead of coconut juice makes this green juice a lot more flavorful and easier to drink. Guava juice shares the sweetness of coconut juice, and may be even sweeter. It also adds a rich tangy flavor to the mix.

Doing so also boosts the drink’s health benefits many fold. Guava juice has only a fifth of coconut juice’s calories, but is far more rich in antioxidants. Guava juice also has multiple times more vitamins C, A, E, B3, B6, K and others. It also has more minerals.

If one of the recipes you frequently use involves some kind of fruit or fruit juice, use guava juice instead. Chances are good that guava juice is far healthier than your usual ingredient. It’s just that guava juice isn’t as popular, so most recipe makers aren’t aware of its powerful flavor and health benefits. Guava juice is also weight loss-friendly since it usually has half or less of the calories of your usual fruit juice – so that’s something to consider if you’re trying to shed some pounds!

March 1, 2018
Guava Juice Is Becoming More Mainstream

It’s a brisk afternoon and you’re looking for something sweet to quench your thirst and give you a little jolt from the doldrums of paperwork. You might soon be able to grab a bottle of guava juice at the nearest newspaper stand by the office. Guava juice is slowly becoming more mainstream and is a healthier drink compared with other fruit juices.

Guava Juice Is Getting Popular Worldwide

You may have never heard of guava juice, but that may soon change. Did you know most juice products already contain some kind of guava juice additive? It’s also being used in more alcoholic beverages, soda products, and a main ingredient in specialty juice mixes.

In South Africa, the Mos Mag Fruit Juice is starting to spread across the country as a new niche market of fruit and milk blend drinks. One of its three top products is guava juice concentrate infused with milk, creating a unique, juicy beverage.

Coca-Cola India announced the upcoming release of guava juice sodas under their Minute Maid brand by 2022. They say they’re trying to nurture the economy and resources of the naturally grown guava in the region. Soda isn’t very healthy, but Coca-Cola stated they’re planning on using real guava juice in their upcoming products, which means these sodas should be healthier than regular sodas.

In America, Clown Shoes Brewery is selling a guava juice beer mix that tastes more like creamy juice than beer. Their Josh the Guava King beer is being sold in 30 states, including New York and California.

Odd Side Ales has also concocted its own guava juice beer, naming it “Pink Guava Dank Juice.” It’s being sold exclusively around Illinois and Michigan.

The popular healthy juice mix company, Jamba Juice, has also adopted guava juice into their product family. They created their “Gotta Guava” guava juice smoothie and are marketing it as a refreshing, healthy summer drink for people living active lifestyles.

Guava Juice and Diabetes

Guava juice’s mainstream adoption can also help curb the diabetes mellitus epidemic. The World Health Organization states that there are now about 400 percent more people suffering from diabetes mellitus than in 1980. Guava juice has been found to help manage blood sugar levels with similar effectiveness as pharmaceutical diabetes mellitus medications.

If more people are switching out their regular sugary drinks and fruit juices that don’t offer protection from diabetes mellitus, then this could help lower international incidences of diabetes mellitus. Such an effect has already been evidenced in Papau New Guinea. In its Kalo region, residents consume more guava and researchers have linked this consumption with their markedly lower incidences of diabetes mellitus compared with the other regions.

This overall movement to adopt guava juice into mainstream beverages is overall healthy. Guava juice is healthier than most fruit juices and can only boost the nutrition and health benefits of the mainstream products it’s being mixed into. One of these health benefits is helping fight the rising diabetes mellitus epidemic.

Sources:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19114402

February 1, 2018
How You Can Incorporate Guava Juice Into Your New Year’s Tradition

Fruits are actually common in many cultural New Year’s traditions. In Turkey, they eat pomegranates at the turn of a new year because of how their vibrant crimson color and round seeds are metaphorically interpreted to represent fertility, the heart, and prosperity. Guava shares similar crimson shades and has abundant seeds, which makes it a viable and better alternative since it also has multiple times more protein and vitamin A. Here are other New Year’s traditions you can use guava juice with for a healthier experience:

1. Eating Round Fruits

Many cultures share the tradition of eating some sort of round fruit for better health and prosperity in the upcoming year. For example, in the Philippines, eating 13 round fruits is considered good luck. In Europe and the United States, people eat 12 round fruits because they look like coins and there are 12 months in the new year – which all symbolize good fortune year-round.

Eating guava is perfect for this tradition because it’s smaller than most fruits. But, it’s also healthier than most fruits because it’s jam-packed with more nutrients – in some cases it even has 100 times more of an important nutrient than one fruit.

2. Toasting With a Ring in Your Drink

In Latin America and other countries, there’s a popular New Year’s tradition where people place a ring in their drink before a New Year’s toast. It doesn’t have to be a ring – it just needs to be made of gold because the act represents prosperity for the new year.

Since the drink isn’t important for this tradition, fill your glass with guava juice or at least an alcoholic beverage infused with guava juice. Drinking guava juice gives you an intense concentration of all of guava’s powerful nutrition. Doing so has also been found to help prevent and fight against diabetes mellitus.

3. Drinking Champagne

Drinking champagne on New Year’s is probably one of the most popular traditions in Europe and America. The tradition dates back to ancient European times when champagne was viewed as a religious alternative to holy water. It was also a wealthy drink due to its production difficulty, which led to a higher price – this led to its exclusivity and appeal by the social elites and high-class Europe. Champagne’s religious and elite connotations made the drink fertile ground for some kind of New Year’s tradition – and it became so.

As religions progressed and as more streamlined, economical production techniques were invented, champagne lost its high price tag and religious affiliations. Although champagne isn’t revered as much today in religious or wealthy circles, the tradition was so widespread that it’s still quite alive today for New Year’s.

You can make your champagne toast healthier by making guava bellini and guava mimosa, which are both guava juice champagne blends. These blends are quite popular and more delicious than regular champagne. The guava juice adds a health boost to your champagne that could be interpreted as adding better health to your new year along with prosperity.

Enjoy some guava juice with your New Year’s tradition. It can only boost your health and add an exotic taste to your annual routine. Adding a health boost at the turn of the new year can only symbolize more health to come!

December 31, 2017
How Guava Juice Is More Nutritious for You Than These 7 Popular Fruit Juices

Guava juice is healthier than most fruit juices, including apple and orange juice! But sadly, this exotic fruit juice is less known, leading many people to choose less nutritious, more sugary fruit juices over it. Here are a few fruit juices that aren’t as healthy as guava juice.

Most people have a glass of fruit juice in the morning – usually orange juice. They think they’re doing their health a favor, which is true. But they don’t realize there are healthier fruit juices out there – like guava juice. Guava juice is actually healthier than many popular fruit juices.

If you’re one of those who enjoy a glass of fruit juice once a day, here are some that you should switch for guava juice and why:

1. Guava Juice Has More Vitamin C Than Orange Juice But With Fewer Calories

Orange juice is known for its vitamin C content. When you need vitamin C to fight off a cold or scurvy, you’re quick to go for the OJ. But did you know that guava juice would have five times more vitamin C than orange juice (if you assume they use the same amount of guava as oranges in one glass of fruit juice)?

And if the same number of guavas are used as the number of oranges in one glass of fruit juice, then a glass of guava juice would also have about half the calories of a glass of orange juice!

Guava juice also has more vitamin A than orange juice, and twice the amount of vitamin E. Guava juice has vitamin K, while orange juice does not. But orange juice does have more B vitamins than guava juice.

Choose guava juice if your reason for drinking orange juice is primarily to get vitamin C.

2. Guava Juice Has More Vitamin A Than Apple Juice With Half the Calories

If apple juice is your thing, you should know guava juice is better. One glass of guava juice has over three times the amount of vitamins A, B3, B6, and C as one glass of apple juice. It also has about 20 percent more magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, and vitamin E than one glass of apple juice.

If you’re anemic, one glass of guava juice has twice more iron than one glass of apple juice.

But if you’re looking for vitamin K, guava juice falls behind because one glass of apple juice has about four times more vitamin K than one glass of guava juice.

3. Guava Juice Has More Vitamin E Than Pineapple Juice With Less Than Half the Calories

If you make your own pineapple juice and use the same amount of fruit as you would to make guava juice, then guava juice would come out nutritionally on top. One glass of guava juice would have 400 percent more vitamin E than one glass of pineapple juice. But that one glass of guava juice would have only about 45 percent of the calories of the glass of pineapple juice.

One glass of pineapple juice would also have less than a third of the vitamin A in one glass of guava juice. One glass of guava juice would also have almost twice more vitamin C than one glass of pineapple juice. One glass of guava juice would also have more rare, but essential nutrients that your body needs, like zinc, copper, and selenium. Your body uses these three elements to bolster your immunity, protect you from toxins, and other important daily biological processes.

One glass of guava juice would also have a bit more vitamin K, phosphorous, and potassium than one glass of pineapple juice.

But one glass of pineapple juice would surpass guava juice when it comes to select key nutrients. It would have up to about 200 percent more B vitamins. It would also have 10 times the manganese content and over three times more calcium and iron.

Depending on which nutrients you’re going for, you’d probably be getting more from one glass of fruit juice by choosing guava juice over pineapple juice – and you won’t take in as many calories too!

4. Guava Juice Blows Cranberry Juice Nutritionally Out of the Water

Cranberry juice is a favorite among all ages – it’s probably one of the most popular fruit juices. But did you know guava juice is many times more nutritious? If you use the same amount of fruit to make a glass of cranberry juice as you would guava juice, that glass of guava juice would have about 26 percent less calories and almost five times as much vitamin A and about 10 times as much vitamin C.

One glass of guava juice would also have six times more vitamin B3 and over 25 times more folate than one glass of cranberry juice. It also would have more calcium and about twice more magnesium and potassium. It would also have more phosphorous.

But cranberry juice would have four times more manganese, three times more iron and vitamins E and K than guava juice. Except these select nutrients, one glass of guava juice would have more nutrients in multiples compared to one glass of cranberry juice.

5. Guava Juice Is on Par With Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice is another household favorite – mostly enjoyed by older generations. This fruit juice actually holds its ground to guava juice in terms of nutrition. It’s actually richer than guava juice when it comes to protein because it has almost 300 percent more if the same amount of fruit is used. Pomegranate juice also has about 40 times more vitamin K, and more than three times more vitamin E than guava juice.

But guava juice has vitamin A, while pomegranate juice does not. It also has about five times more vitamin C than pomegranate juice.

On the other hand, pomegranate juice is far richer in B vitamins than guava juice. It also has about twice more calcium and magnesium. It also has eight times more iron and a lot more phosphorous, potassium, and the rare nutrients copper, manganese, and selenium.

Both guava juice and pomegranate juice are top options for your daily glass of fruit juice. Depending on which nutrients you want more of on the particular day, you can switch between the two!

6. Guava Juice Has Over 10 Times the Amount of Folate Than Grape Juice

Grape juice is a cult favorite of children and many adults. But it too is nutritionally blown away by guava juice. If the same amount of fruit is used in one glass of grape juice as one glass of guava juice, the glass of guava juice would have about 30 percent more protein and over four times the amount of vitamin A, all while still having less than half the calories. It would also have about 10 times more vitamin C and folate.

That one glass of guava juice would also have about three times more vitamin B3 and selenium than the glass of grape juice. It would also have about 25 percent more magnesium.

But one glass of grape juice would have almost 18 times more vitamin K than guava juice and a lot more B vitamins (except B3 and folate). It would also have about 30 percent more calcium and five times more iron. It would also have a bit more phosphorous and potassium.

If your usual is grape juice, switch to guava juice to take in more nutrients — unless you’re looking for the specific nutrients that grape juice has more of.

7. Guava Juice Has More Nutrients Than Coconut Juice

Everyone enjoys coconut juice once in a while. It has a clean, sweet taste. But did you know guava juice tastes sweeter and has a ton more nutrients, but far less calories? If the same fruit is used in one glass of guava juice as in one glass of coconut juice, the glass of guava juice would have more than 500 percent less calories and over 300 percent more vitamin A.

That one glass of guava juice would also have over 100 times more vitamin C, about 14 times more vitamin K, and four times more vitamin E. It would also have more vitamin B6, three times more vitamin B3, and over 200 percent more folate.

When it comes to minerals, the glass of guava juice would have 10 times more iron and about 30 percent more calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

But coconut juice still has some redeeming qualities over guava juice when it comes to some rare nutrients. That glass of coconut juice would have five times more zinc, 200 percent more copper, seven times more manganese, and over 10 times more selenium. It also would have about twice more phosphorous.

Based on these nutritional comparisons, guava juice is the winner and should be your choice of fruit juice if you usually enjoy coconut juice. If you’re trying to get more essential rare nutrients, like selenium, eat two Brazil nuts instead with your guava juice. They certainly have fewer calories than a glass of coconut juice, but with a wealth of copper, selenium, zinc, and manganese.

If you drink any of these fruit juices, switch to guava juice today! But if you’re looking for specific nutrients that are lacking in guava juice, then stick to your regular fruit juice. But if you’re looking to slim down, one glass of guava juice always has fewer calories than a glass of any of these fruit juices (if the same amount of fruit is used).

September 15, 2017
Can Drinking Guava Juice Help Treat Diabetes Mellitus?

Guava juice is a lesser known healthy food that’s seen as exotic or foreign. But did you know that it grows naturally in the United States? Researchers have also found evidence that adding guava juice to your diabetes mellitus diet can have beneficial effects on your blood sugar levels.

How Can You Make Guava Juice?

Despite its exotic-sounding name, you can make guava juice the same way as any other fruit juice – by juicing the fruit it comes from. Guava you can buy is usually a green fruit with apple-like characteristics. It has an edible peel that protects the red meat of the fruit. But unlike an apple, the inner part of the guava has multiple seed-filled chambers which take up the majority of the fruit’s inner area. You can juice guava just like you would juice an apple!

If you’re wondering if the fruit is hard to find, you’ll be happy to know you can buy guava from your local health food store or whole foods market. Guava has been growing in the tropical areas of the Americas for centuries – even in Florida, where it grows both wild and cultivated. The fruit also matures during all seasons (but is harvested best in summer), which makes it readily available. (This also makes it cheaper to buy guava or guava juice during the summer because it’s more plentiful.)

Guava Juice Can Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels and Other Diabetes Mellitus-sensitive Parameters

Guava juice has been used as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since ancient times. Researchers explored its blood sugar-lowering effects on mice and found that it has the same, but weaker effect as metformin and chlorpropamide. Both normal and diabetes mellitus-induced mice experienced lower blood sugar levels after they were administered 1 gram of guava juice per 1 kilogram of body weight.

When tested in clinical trials, researchers found that guava juice lowered blood sugar levels in non-diabetic and diabetes mellitus patients.

If you decide to eat guava rather than drink guava juice to help treat diabetes mellitus, researchers caution that the effects can be different. They found that eating guava without the peel lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. But if you eat guava with the peel, it still lowers your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, but it also raises your total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. From these results they recommend eating guava without the peel if you choose to eat the fruit instead of simply drinking the guava juice.

Guava Juice Is Also a Healthy Drink Overall

Whether or not you have diabetes mellitus, drinking guava juice daily can benefit your health. A single averaged-sized guava gives you 0.8 grams of protein and 792 IU of vitamin A. That’s about three times more protein of a single apple. It also has only 51 calories, whereas one apple has 95! It’s also superior to an orange when it comes to vitamin C because it gives you 183.5 milligrams, which is 500 percent more than what’s in one average orange. It also has more than half the potassium content of a banana – 284 milligrams.

Guava Juice Is More Popular Than You Think – And You’ve Probably Already Had It!

According to the University of Florida, guava juice is one of the major ingredients that manufacturers often use in their juice blends as part of the processing process. Chances are – if you’ve ever enjoyed a commercial juice blend, you’ve had some guava juice.

Don’t be scared to add guava juice to your diabetes mellitus diet. Doing so has been proven to help you manage your blood sugar levels. But if you prefer to eat the fruit, remember to eat it without the peel to help prevent any increase in your cholesterol and related levels. And if you don’t have time to make guava juice, you can also buy 100 percent natural guava juice at the store.

References:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6660217

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27790420

sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/FlaFoodFare/Guava.pdf

September 6, 2017
If You Don’t Have Health Insurance, Here’s How You Can Buy Insulin Cheap and Safely

The current state of healthcare is tumultuous with the new presidential administration still battling with the other governmental branches on health insurance regulations. If you’ve gotten caught up in the crossfire and find yourself uninsured, here’s how you can get your diabetes mellitus medical care at a lower cost.

Obamacare has been repealed in some states, and still an uncertainty in others. The battle has only led to an increase in health insurance premiums and medical care costs. If you have diabetes mellitus and require insulin therapy to manage your blood sugar levels, you know how important health insurance is because it seems like your life depends on your doctor’s prescriptions. But did you know you can buy insulin without a prescription, and at a lower cost?

It’s true, and it’s great news if Trump’s healthcare reform has caused you to become uninsured, but it’s not without its dangers. Here’s a little bit on how to buy insulin without a prescription safely:

Can You Really Buy Insulin Without a Prescription Legally?

Is it really possible to buy insulin without a prescription without getting into legal trouble? Most doctors don’t even know this, but yes it’s been possible for decades. In fact, 15 percent of Americans who buy insulin get it without a prescription. Both the FDA and the American Medical Association (AMA) allow this because they rationalize that insulin access should be open in the case of emergencies when diabetes mellitus patients need to buy insulin for immediate blood sugar control and don’t have the time to ask their doctor for a prescription.

But of course these products are over-the-counter for a reason. They’re not super-concentrated, which means they won’t provide the same all-day coverage as some newer basal insulin prescription brands. The two most popular manufacturers you can buy insulin without a prescription from are Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. But both use older formulas that aren’t as efficient as their newer prescription insulins. They take much longer for your body to metabolize them, which means they won’t offer prompt blood sugar level control.

And chances are, you can’t buy insulin over-the-counter with the dosage you require.

But if none of these difficulties pose risks to you, then you’ll be happy to know that if you buy insulin over-the-counter brands, they’re probably within the $25 range, which is considerably cheaper than your usual prescription.

Get Trained to Prepare Your Own Insulin Dose

If you don’t know how to prepare the proper concentration of insulin for your dose, then it’s dangerous to buy insulin over-the-counter if the limited brands don’t offer your dosage requirements. If your dose isn’t strong enough, your blood sugar levels may be elevated enough that long-term use of over-the-counter insulin can lead to nerve, eye, and kidney damage. If your dose is too strong, it can lead to low blood sugar levels – which can present as uncomfortable symptoms, like cramping and weakness.

Improper doses administered at inappropriate intervals can lead to huge fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can only harm your body in the long term.

But the good news is you can get trained to prepare your own insulin dose for an inexpensive fee or even for free. For example, in the U.K. there’s the DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating) program that’s a 5-day course where licensed experts train you to calculate the glycemic contents of your meal and prepare a suitable insulin dose to manage it. Researchers found that diabetes mellitus patients who underwent the DAFNE program ended up with about 8.4 percent better blood sugar level control than those who didn’t.

Ask your doctor or a licensed health professional about where you can go to get trained to prepare your own insulin dose.

How to Get Insulin Syringes for Free

Now that you’re more or less ready to buy insulin without a prescription, there’s still the issue of where to buy insulin syringes. The good news is that in some states you don’t need a prescription to buy insulin syringes – like Kentucky and Washington.

But you can also buy insulin syringes without spending any money at all! It might not be the humblest feeling – but drug abuse disease transmission prevention programs offer free needles and syringes to people at partner hospitals and clinics. In the U.K., there are mobile and fixed delivery systems where suppliers give out free needles and syringes at popular sites and healthcare facilities. Some of these even make home deliveries!

There are also specialized vending machines you can buy insulin syringes from, which offer a discounted price for the deterrent of drug abuse-transmitted diseases.

These programs are active in over 150 countries, including the U.S.. Chances are you’ll find free syringes and needles close to where you live.

You Can Also Get Help From Diabetes Mellitus Assistance Programs

If you’d rather buy insulin that’s specific to your dosage requirements, you can apply for diabetes mellitus assistance programs that offer discounted prescription insulin if you’re approved. For example, if you’re uninsured, BD Medical offers its BD Ultra-Fine Insulin Syringes if you’re financially disadvantaged. If you have diabetes mellitus type 1, you can also apply for the ACT1 Supply Exchange Program where you may buy insulin and other diabetes mellitus supplies at lower prices.

If you live in New Jersey, the Diabetes Foundation, Inc. offers temporary prescription insulin and other diabetes mellitus supplies to financially disadvantaged diabetes mellitus patients. But it’s only temporary – you have to show that you’re working on a long-term solution for your diabetes mellitus medical care.

There are also prescription assistance programs in every state that can help you buy insulin at the dosages you require. For example, Pennsylvania offers the PA Free Prescription Drug Card that offers up to 75 percent off specific insulin pumps and other supplies. You should inquire with your local hospital or pharmacy for information on these prescription assistance programs.

Now that you’re a bit more informed on how to buy insulin without a prescription, you can begin to manage your diabetes mellitus without having to rely on health insurance. With the proper training and research, you should be able to competently keep your blood sugar levels under control at all times. But keep in mind that nothing can replace a doctor’s proper supervision and the accurate efficacy of prescription insulin. In the long run, it’s healthier to see your doctor and be on his prescribed diabetes mellitus medications.

References:

npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/12/14/459047328/you-can-buy-insulin-without-a-prescription-but-should-you
bmj.com/content/325/7367/746
temple.edu/lawschool/phrhcs/otc.htm
avert.org/professionals/hiv-programming/prevention/needle-syringe-programmes
pparx.org/prescription_assistance_programs/diabetes_programs_supplies#syringes
pennstatehershey.psu.edu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=3d2d7fde-d33f-4340-bd65-a643d6a7f7e8&groupId=220862

July 28, 2017
3 Important Guidelines You Need to Know for Less Pain and Better Absorption When Using Basal Insulin Needles
If you’ve been prescribed basal insulin for diabetes mellitus, you’re probably required to inject it directly into your bloodstream using basal insulin needles. This can be a daunting task because most people generally don’t deal with injections on a daily basis. Here are a few important pointers to keep in mind.

1. Choosing the Right Basal Insulin Needles

When buying the best basal insulin needles for you, most medically certified brands and types will work competently to deliver your dose. But the quality of your experience and rate of absorption wholly depend on your budget.

Choose thinner, sharper basal insulin needles for the least amount of pain during injections. These have higher gauges and are more expensive. But even the sharpest basal insulin needles can dull after a single use, and Western Carolina University recommends that you reuse basal insulin needles only once more. That means you effectively cut your expenses for basal insulin needles by half every month by reusing them once, but you’ll most likely also experience more pain during injections.

But regardless of how many times you’ve used your basal insulin needles, you must replace them and any used storage vials every month.

Larger doses of basal insulin can also cause more pain if injected all at once because of the greater pressure. Experts recommend splitting a large dose of 30 units or greater, but doing so means you’ll be using twice as many basal insulin needles.

Experts also recommend you buy short basal insulin needles to avoid penetrating sensitive muscles beneath the target fat, which could cause undue pain. They recommend choosing basal insulin needles that are 6 millimeters or shorter.

As you can see, it all boils down to how much money you can spend on your diabetes mellitus medical expenses every month. The more money you can spare for basal insulin needles, the less pain you’ll feel during each injection.

2. Other Ways to Minimize Pain for a Better Long-term Experience

If you have diabetes mellitus type 1, basal insulin needles will be something you’ll have to deal with for life. If you can learn to make each injection a bit more pleasant, it helps you better live your life in the long run. Lessening the pain you feel during each injection is one such way. Besides choosing the right basal insulin needles and splitting large doses as mentioned above, here are some other important pain-relieving tips you should following during injections:
- Numb the injection area with ice beforehand.
- After drawing the basal insulin into the syringe, let it warm to room temperature for 30 minutes before injecting. Cold, refrigerated basal insulin can add a stinging feeling during the injection.
- After disinfecting the injection site with rubbing alcohol, wait until it completely dries before proceeding. Alcohol causes a stinging sensation to open wounds, like the puncture wounds from basal insulin needles.
- Relax the muscles at the injection site because tense muscles can make your nerves more sensitive. (Read more about this below.)
- Pinch the injection site beforehand to make sure penetration is quick, which should be less painful. But release the pinch before injecting the basal insulin to ensure none leaks out from the puncture wound.
3. Choose the Appropriate Injection Site to Boost Your Basal Insulin Absorption During Injections

Although it doesn’t matter as much for basal insulin as opposed to bolus insulin, you can boost the rate of absorption during injections by choosing to do a few simple things. One is to massage the injection site beforehand to boost absorption (and as stated above, it also lessens the pain).

You should also practice rotating injection sites to avoid lowering the rate of absorption. If you inject into the same exact spot for multiple times, it can lead to irritation, inflammation, and other conditions and chronic damage that can lower the rate of basal insulin absorption. Instead, pick a different spot within the same area (injection site) for the subsequent injections, and only return to the original spot once it’s healed.

But remember to stay consistent with injecting into the same injection site because your body is used to basal insulin being delivered from there. Abruptly changing to a completely new injection site leads to a greater variation in your basal insulin levels.

However, if you’re about to go play tennis and you usually inject into the back of your arm, then you should choose another injection site that’s not going to be used during any activity or exercise you’re about to undergo. The same is true for any activity and the injection site affected.

One of the biggest factors in basal insulin absorption is the actual injection site. Experts say the best absorption site is the abdomen – two inches away from the belly button. This area has the quickest rate of absorption. The buttocks is the injection site with the slowest rate of absorption.

The back of the arm, between the shoulder and the elbow, is the second best injection site with a fast rate of absorption, but it’s difficult to pinch the skin there – which means injections may be more painful.

The outer thighs are the third best injection site with a slightly lower rate of absorption. Choose a spot at least four inches above the knee, but not above four inches from the top of the leg. Also make sure you do the outer thighs and not the inner thighs because they’re filled with more blood vessels and nerves, which would mean more pain when basal insulin needles penetrate the skin.

A Few Final Reminders

If basal insulin needles are lifelong partners for you, staying consistent can be a struggle in the long run. But people are creatures of routine, and incorporating your basal insulin needles into your daily routine can lessen your chances of misdosing.

You can make injection time the same time you do other routine things – like brushing your teeth, flossing, before your daily jog, or other daily activities. You can also set your cell phone alarm to remind you of upcoming doses – the beauty of smartphones is you can keep them on you at all times and they can have multiple alarms set with minimal effort.

To make sure you’re getting the proper dose, inject at a 45-degree angle and keep the basal insulin needle in for a few seconds before pulling out. Doing both ensures less leakage.

Start following these important guidelines to make your basal insulin needle injections more pleasant. You’ll also boost your rate of basal insulin absorption. You can also talk to your doctor and insurance provider about increasing your basal insulin needles coverage because you’d like to feel less pain everyday (and explain that chronic pain can lead to lower mental wellbeing and other negative health consequences).

References:
wcu.edu/WebFiles/PDFs/Insulin_Injection_Pro_Tips_AADE.pdf
joslin.harvard.edu/info/how_to_improve_the_insulin_injection_experience.html
diabeteswellbeing.com/insulin-syringes/
diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/medication/insulin/insulin-storage-and-syringe-safety.html
July 22, 2017
2 Tricky Codes You Should Know in the Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 ICD 10 Medical Coding System

If you’re a diabetes mellitus type 2 patient wondering what some codes mean on your charts and medical records, or if you’re trying to learn diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10, here are some nuances you’ll be interested in.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 is a medical coding system that can be tricky because of the subtle differences in the designated codes. These nuances give the information on your medical charts both more detail and more room for interpretation error. But if you’re inputting these codes into patients’ medical charts, not knowing these nuances can give the attending physician an inaccurate snapshot of the patients’ medical history.

Here are a few notable nuances between these similar diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 codes:

1. Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 ICD 10: E11.620, E11.622, E11.628

If your diabetes mellitus is causing a skin condition, you may see diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 code E11.620, E11.622, or E11.628 on your chart. Even though their descriptions overlap, all three are surprisingly specifically different.

E11.620 stands for a diabetes mellitus type 2 diagnosis with diabetic dermatitis, which means skin inflammation caused by diabetes mellitus type 2. Although skin ulcers and shin spots technically fall within the wide-reaching spectrum of dermatitis, it would be wrong to use this code for either of these skin conditions caused by diabetes mellitus type 2.

If skin ulcers arise from diabetes mellitus complications, E11.622 is the specific diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 code for it. It’s exclusive for skin ulcers and no other dermatological complications arising from diabetes mellitus type 2.

On the other hand, diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 code E11.628 is designated exclusively for special dermatological diabetes mellitus type 2 complications, like skin tags, shin spots, skin fungal infections, and other specific conditions.

Be careful when simply slapping on E11.620 when a patient comes in with a dermatological condition arising from diabetes mellitus type 2 because you might be grossly misrepresenting the diagnosis.

2. Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 ICD 10: E11.21, E11.22, E11.29

If you’re developing kidney damage because of your diabetes mellitus type 2, you’re likely to see one of these three diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 codes in your chart: E11.21, E11.22, E11.29.

Nephropathy is another blanket condition that means kidney damage or disease. E11.21 stands for nephropathy caused by diabetes mellitus type 2. E11.21 also specifically applies to intercapillary glomerulosclerosis, intracapillary glomerulosclerosis, Kimmelstiel-Wilson disease, persistent proteinuria, and other kidney conditions.

But don’t be quick to assume this diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 code is used for all kidney conditions caused by diabetes mellitus type 2. If you’re suffering from long-term kidney disease, which means it’s been going on for longer than a month, E11.22 is used. It’s specific for chronic kidney disease caused by diabetes mellitus type 2.

E11.29 also complicates E11.21. It’s designated for renal tubular degeneration caused by diabetes mellitus type 2 and other specific kidney conditions. The nature of E11.29 is to cover kidney disease complications rather than the actual diseases.

If you’re placing these diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 codes on the chart of a patient suffering from a kidney condition caused diabetes mellitus type 2, then a good rule of thumb is to use E11.22 for long-term kidney diseases caused by diabetes mellitus type 2, unless they’re specific diseases covered by E11.21. But if the kidney disease has caused a specific renal complication, then you’re most likely going to want to veer toward E11.29. Any other nephropathy is covered by E11.21.

These are just a few nuances in the diabetes mellitus type 2 ICD 10 coding system! At least now you’ll know and appreciate the detail in your medical charts. But if you’re coding patient charts, you must be cautious of these nuances so that you don’t end up giving the attending physician the wrong information about the patients she’s about to see.

July 19, 2017
Could Diluting Basal Insulin Degludec Make It Safe for Use With Children?

Basal insulin degludec seems to be the answer to the issue of a stable basal insulin that lasts for 24 hours or more with a single dose. But because it’s fairly new, it’s still not permitted for use with anyone under the age of 18. But could dilution be the answer?

The manufacturer of basal insulin degludec states that it provides a steady supply of basal insulin for over 40 hours. It’s been found to lower the risk of hypoglycemia significantly compared with other current basal insulin alternatives. But currently, the diabetes mellitus medication isn’t approved for use with children. This is unfortunate because children with diabetes mellitus are more susceptible to hypoglycemia when on basal insulin therapy. Novel dilution preparations of basal insulin degludec are ideally the solution for pediatric diabetes mellitus patients.

Why Children With Diabetes Mellitus Are More at Risk for Hypoglycemia When on Basal Insulin Therapy

Basal insulin shots’ effectiveness can depend on when you take them. Some diabetes mellitus patients report that administering their basal insulin before sleeping causes hypoglycemia during the night – doctors and patients also report that other activities immediately before or after a basal insulin shot affect its activity. The problem is that children have very dynamic schedules and habits – they eat and sleep at variable times everyday and have random spikes in physical activity. They also fast for long periods at random times. All of these factors brew up a nightmare for basal insulin stability – and children below 6 years old have 250 percent higher risk of developing hypoglycemia than older children when on basal insulin therapy.

But children with diabetes mellitus are also under-treated with only about 20 percent of pediatric patients staying within the recommended normal range of blood sugar levels. Researchers say a major cause is the insufficient basal insulin medications available for children. It’s currently a challenge to formulate smaller doses of basal insulin shots of current FDA-approved brands with the accuracy and stability needed to keep steady coverage while avoiding the risk of hypoglycemia.

Diluting Basal Insulin Degludec Could Be an Ideal Solution for Children With Diabetes Mellitus

Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Elvira Isganaitis of the Joslin Diabetes Center says that diluted basal insulin preparations are kind of rare, but are in need by children and diabetes mellitus patients with increased insulin sensitivity. She says that Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of basal insulin degludec, has only released a U-200 version of the basal insulin shot, which is a more concentrated form rather than a diluted preparation.

The good news is that doctors and other healthcare professionals specializing in pediatric diabetes mellitus know how to dilute currently available basal insulin medications to achieve suitable doses for children, like the commonly used U-10 preparation for preschoolers.

The problem is that the necessary diluent solution for basal insulin degludec hasen’t been formulated. Pharmacists don’t even know what it is – which makes it very difficult for doctors to obtain. And when doctors do prepare a diluted basal insulin solution, it only lasts a few weeks. Parent can be trained to dilute basal insulin, but that’s assuming there’s diluent solution they can get at a pharmacy or hospital.

If Novo Nordisk formulates a ready-to-use U-10 or similar diluted concentration of basal insulin degludec, it would mean less hardship for both pediatric doctors and parents. The diluted basal insulin degludec would be superior in helping prevent hypoglycemia in children with diabetes mellitus, while also providing longer coverage – which means fewer unpleasant injections. If the company can boost the diluted preparation’s shelf life, it would make it cheaper, which means it would be more accessible.

Basal insulin degludec could play a significant role in curbing the under-treatment of diabetes mellitus in children. The key is creating a diluted preparation that can be mass produced for general accessibility.

July 19, 2017