Diabetes, like cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and others is primarily a disease of lifestyle. That lifestyle rests on a diet high in fat, sugar and higly processed food that lacks the essential nutrients for the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. Many people are severely lacking in essential nutrients; the vitamins, minerals and herbs that help maintain health and vitality.
According to the media and the medical establishment, all you need is eat a proper diet and et enough exercise. Unfortunately, this leaves out one key ingredient; supplementation. The simple fact is that the food we buy from our grocer’s shelves lacks essential nutrients as they come from farms where the soil has been depleted of essential vitamins and minerals. What comes to your table has little in the way of nutrition.
As many people in the developed world don’t meet the acceptable RDA levels as set by government health authorities, diabetics are particularly vulnerable as they lose nutrients. The kidneys, in order to rid the body of excess glucose, passes vitamins along with that sugar and out into the urine.
The lack of vitamins leads to more free radical damage and faster aging. Clearly what’s needed is to replace what goes out and into the toilet bowl.
Some of the most important vitamins for the diabetic are: Vitamin C; E and B-complex. Besides these, vitamins A, D and K can also prevent the onset of diabetic complications.
But supplementing with vitamins are only the first step. Taking a few vitamins will not reverse or cure your diabetes unless you take a full approach to changing the lifestyle that has made you sick. That includes losing excess weight and exercising regularly.
Here are some of the most important vitamins and what they do for the diabetic:
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a molecule similar to glucose and like glucose it needs insulin to get into your cells. Even if you
take adequate amounts of this vitamin, as a diabetic you still have a deficiency of vitamin C. You need to take much more than the average person.
Lack of this vitamin leads to scurvy-like symptoms: Poor wound healing; less immunity to infections; excessive bleeding; elevations in cholesterol and a depressed immune system.
Vitamin C is required for immune system function and the manufacture of collagen, the main protein substance of the body. Taking vitamin-C helps maintain the elasticity and functioning of the blood vessels and maintains proper blood pressure control. It has a mild effect on improving blood sugar control.
Supplementing with Vitamin-C is an absolute necessity for diabetics. A supplement of 2000 mg (milligrams) has been shown to reduce the glycosylation of proteins in the blood and helps avoid the toxic accumulation of sorbitol inside the cells. Citrus fruits are good sources of vitamin-C as are vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
Vitamin E: This important vitamin acts as an antioxidant to protect against the dangers of damage to cell membranes and nerve cells. The delicate nerve cells in the eyes, hands and feet are particularly vulnerable to damage. With no feeling in the feet, infection can set it. In severe cases, amputation and blindness are the result. Vitamin E has been shown to:
-prevent free radical damage from LDL (bad) cholesterol.
-Improve the function of blood vessels and the cell lining.
-Increases magnesium concentration within the cells.
-decreases levels of C-reactive proteins and other inflammatory compounds.
-Increases levels of glutathione, important for the antioxidants within the cells.
-Improves the rate of electrical impulses in the nervous system.
-Improve blood flow to the eyes
-Improve kidney function and normalizes creatine clearance.
If you choose to supplement, make sure you use the natural form of the vitamin. The natural vitamin has a “d-” designation (as in alpha tocopherol). “dl-” is the synthetic form. Your body only recognizes the natural form.
Vitamin B-3: Niacin helps in the burning of calories and, like the mineral chromium, is an essential component of GTF (glucose tolerance factor) that helps move glucose through cell membranes. It has been shown to lower the need for insulin in type 1 diabetics, improve pancreas beta function and improve blood glucose regulation. The best form of niacin is inositol hexaniacinate which helps reduce fats in the blood and has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels by 18%, triglycerides by 26% and increase the good HDL cholesterol by 30% when 1800 to 3000mg is used daily. Niacin and niacinamide make up part of B-3. Niacinamide plays a role in energy production.
Vitamin B-6: Also called pyridoxine, it plays a part in the chemical transmitters in the nervous system, red blood cells and prostaglandins. Supplementation with B-6 help fight nerve damage. Most diabetics are deficient in B-6. It also is beneficial for gestational diabetes, brought on by pregnancy.
These are just a few of the most important vitamins and can help you maintain health and control your blood sugar levels. But ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Take an active approach now before you experience the result of years of neglect.
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The author has been a diabetic for over 9 years. Like many he experienced the symptoms. He has since tackled the disease by losing weight and normalizing his blood sugar through natural means. He has recently written an ebook on the right way to diet for diabetics. You can get a copy at: http://stores.lulu.colm/mrmagica
