Cashew Seed Extract Combats Diabetes
A study has found that cashew seed extract is an effective anti-diabetic and may be useful as a nutraceutical – a product that provides health and medical benefits – to combat diabetes.
Researchers concluded that the cashew seed extract significantly stimulated absorption of blood sugar into muscle cells.
Diabetic persons have high blood sugar because their body does not respond well to insulin or does not produce enough of the hormone. Insulin fuels the absorption of blood sugar into the body’s muscles.
Cashew products – leaves, bark, seeds and apples from cashew trees – have traditionally been alleged to be beneficial to diabetics. The new study found that of these products, only cashew seed extract lowered blood sugar. This confirms the traditional use for diabetes and points to possible future oral remedies. A summary of this study has been released early and will be published in a future issue of the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. Further details are available online with journal subscription at: http://bit.ly/bCfi4p
Predict the Risk of Diabetes II
A study has developed a simple measure to predict an individual’s risk of diabetes type 2.
Ordinarily, various factors give a general risk indication: for example, having a family member with diabetes, or having a large waist measurement. But researchers have found that using a “nomogram” that combines two readings is much more accurate, in addition to being quicker, easier and cheaper.
The two readings are the systolic blood pressure reading (the upper blood pressure number) and the waist-to-hip ratio, or WHR.
The higher the score on each, the higher is the risk.
A nomogram is a tool that shows three parallel lines on a sheet of paper with, in this case, the line on the left representing the systolic reading, the line on the right representing the WHR and the middle line representing the resultant risk. A line is drawn from the systolic reading to the WHR and where it intersects the middle line represents the risk of diabetes.
Details of this jus
t-released study won’t appear until a future issue of the journal Diabetologia. More info here: http://bit.ly/asW2q9
Resveratrol May Reduce the Risk of Diabetes
Wine may reduce the risk of diabetes.
Resveratrol – a compound found in wine, grapes and peanuts – has a positive effect on impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), also known as pre-diabetes.
A study found that resveratrol supplements taken at concentrations higher than those normally found in wine, grapes or peanuts, resulted in lower post-meal glucose levels and improved insulin sensitivity, which are both positive implications for those at risk of diabetes.
A separate study found that overweight and middle-aged individuals experienced a 40 percent improvement in insulin sensitivity. Both studies were presented at the June, 2010 annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.
Can Brown Rice Decrease Diabetes Risk?
A new study shows a greater risk of type II diabetes in men and women who eat white rice compared to those who do not.
Surprisingly, the study also found a reduced risk of type II diabetes in those who eat brown rice compared to those who do not regularly eat rice. 
Specifically, the risk of diabetes increased with five or more servings of rice per week; and the risk of diabetes was reduced with consumption of two or more servings of brown rice per week. Researchers estimated that replacing just one third of a daily serving of white rice with an equal amount of brown rice would decrease type II diabetes risk by 16 percent; replacing one third of the white rice with other whole grains such as barley or whole wheat could decrease the risk by 36 percent.
This brief abstract, or summary, was released June 14, 2010 by the Archives of Internal Medicine; the full-text version of the study is available with journal subscription at: http://bit.ly/cT5kvt.
What Do Diabetes, B-12 Deficiency & Heart Disease Have in Common?
Long term use of Metformin, commonly prescribed for treating type II diabetes, increases the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.
A deficiency of Vitamin B-12 raises levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood; higher levels are considered a risk factor for heart disease.
Metformin causes malabsorption of vitamin B12 and this negative effect increases over time.
The study establishing this link was posted online at the site of the British Medical Journal on May 20, 2010; the full-text version is now available at: http://bit.ly/aml8wr.
Air Pollution & Cardiovascular Risk
Evidence is growing that air pollution, especially fine particulate matter, can trigger cardiovascular death within a few hours of exposure among those who are at risk.
Long-term exposure can shorten lifespan by a few months to a few years. To cut the risk of pollution-triggered death, seek treatment for underlying heart risk factors: blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and smoking. Also, those with heart problems should monitor air quality reports and stay indoors or limit activity during high-particulate days.
For guidance, speak to your natural health practitioner.
For systemic environmental detoxification, visit our site on our Healthy Detoxification Kit: http://tinyurl.com/33nvhe5.
For detailed information, visit the American Heart Association article on Circulation: http://bit.ly/cQhl4g.
Good Fats Fight Heart Disease
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A study suggests foods rich in good fats may partly offset risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD). High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and aging are risk factors for IHD, a reduced blood supply to the heart. But IHD rates are low in Spain, where risk factors are high. So scientists compared blood levels of unsaturated fats in healthy people with those showing signs of IHD and concluded greater levels of oleic, alpha-linolenic and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids – found in olive oil, walnuts and fish, respectively – protected against IHD. This brief summary was released May 12 but details are withheld until a future issue of the online and print editions of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. |
