Glucose Intolerance Reversed by Carnitine Supplement
Supplementing with the nutrient carnitine helps obese animals to clear the extra sugar in their blood, something they had trouble doing on their own, researchers at Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, report. A team led by Deborah Muoio, Ph.D., of the Duke Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center, also performed tests on human muscle cells that showed supplementing with carnitine might help older people with prediabetes, diabetes, and other disorders that make glucose (sugar) metabolism difficult. (Glucose Intolerance, Carnitine, Prediabetes) (Complete Article)

Diabetes May Solve Puzzles Of The Brain
Glucose and the glucose-regulating hormone insulin have long been studied by scientists looking for a cure for diabetes. Now the substances are increasingly coming under the study of brain scientists because it appears they might just be golden keys to brain health as we age. (Alzheimers, Insulin, Diabetic Complications) (Complete Article)

The Power of Natural Supplements
Some of the most exciting - and underutilized - advancements being made in the optimization of healthy blood glucose metabolism involve the use of natural supplements.  (Diabetes Research, Nutraceuticals) (Complete Article)

Nature's Sweet Benefits
Chalk up another one for Mother Nature. Most people with diabetes rely on drugs and lifestyle modifications to moderate their body chemistry. But a host of natural herbal supplements may further help them manage blood glucose levels, improve their vision, and alleviate a variety of diabetes-related health problems. (Complete Article)

Curb Sugar Cravings
Hunger suddenly strikes. You need food, and you need it now. You rummage for that long-lost candy bar buried somewhere in your desk - anything to get a sugar fix. That rapid rise in blood glucose, along with the attendant release of the "feel-good" hormone serotonin, may make you feel better temporarily, but when your glucose levels soon nose-dive, you'll return to your low-serotonin state - a prime candidate for yet more sugar cravings. (Complete Article)

Blood Sugar Control Impacts Stroke Risk
Impaired glucose tolerance, a precursor to full-blown diabetes, is associated with an increased risk of stroke in non-diabetic patients who have already experienced a minor or mini-stroke, Dutch researchers report. (Diabetic Complications, Mini-Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attack) (Complete Article)

Hitting A Nerve
Neuropathy is one of the best arguments to fight blood glucose control. It's a nerve disorder that can affect almost every system in your body. It results from bursts of high blood glucose that cause oxidative stress to the nerves. (Peripheral Neuropathy, Autonomic Neuropathy) (Complete Article)

Eye Disease In African Americans
Time and again, studies show that poor blood glucose control increases the risk of complications such as diabetic retinopathy, a common cause of blindness. Now, a new caveat-the risk is particularly high in African Americans. (Retinopathy, Diabetic Complications, Type 1 Diabetes) (Complete Article)

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is one of eight water-soluble B vitamins. All B vitamins help the body to convert carbohydrates into glucose (sugar) which is "burned" to produce energy. (Heart Disease, Neuropathy, Stress) (Complete Article)

How Stress Affects People With Diabetes
With people with diabetes, stress can alter blood glucose levels, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) notes. It does this in two ways. First, people under stress may not take good care of themselves. Second, stress hormones may also alter blood glucose levels directly. (Type 2 Diabetes, Stress) (Complete Article)

Zinc
Zinc, the second most abundant trace mineral in the body, plays critical roles in glucose regulation, the proper function of insulin, and weight control. (Syndrome X, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes Nutrition) (Complete Article)

Sorbitol: A Hazard For Diabetics
Conversion of glucose to sorbitol is greatly accelerated in diabetics, and that can cause dangerous complications over time. Since sorbitol can't exit from your cells very fast, and is not used in the body, it accumulates and attracts water. This causes the cells to swell, which can result in nerve, eye, kidney and blood vessel damage, as well as development of cataracts. (Sorbitol, Diabetic Complications, Type 2 Diabetes, Artificial Sweetener) (Complete Article)

Alpha-Lipoic Acid Improves Neuropathy Symptoms
In people with diabetes, alpha-lipoic acid appears to enhance insulin action and blood vessel circulation, protect against diabetic neuropathy (nerve disease), and inhibit protein glycation (a reaction between excess glucose and protein that impairs the protein's function and forms harmful end products in the body). (Diabetic Neuropathy, Alpha-Lipoic Acid) (Complete Article)

Fatigue: Why Am I So Tired?
If you have diabetes, your pancreas either stops making insulin or doesn't use it efficiently. With insulin resistance, your body can't absorb glucose properly, which means you won't have any energy. In addition to feeling tired, signs of diabetes include being very thirsty and hungry, having to urinate frequently, and losing weight. How can you get your energy back? (Complete Article)

Stress
Stress results when something causes your body to behave as if it were under attack. When stress occurs, the body prepares to take action. This preparation is called the fight-or-flight response. In people who have diabetes, the fight-or-flight response does not work well. Insulin is not always able to let the extra energy into the cells, so glucose piles up in the blood. (Stress, Diabetic Complications, High Blood Sugar) (Complete Article)

Menopause and Blood Sugar Control
If you have finally figured out how to control your blood glucose levels through a combination of meal planning, exercise, and oral diabetes medications or insulin, you should realize that menopause can throw your diabetes management plan out of balance. (Women's Health, Diabetes Management) (Complete Article)

Diabetes and Neuropathy
Diabetic Neuropathy can affect virtually every part of the body. Diabetic nerve damage eventually affects some 65 percent of people with diabetes. As with other diabetes complications, poor blood glucose control lies at the root of neuropathy. Symptoms and types of neuropathy. (Peripheral Neuropathy, Autonomic Neuropathy, Focal Neuropathy) (Complete Article)

Pediatric Blood (Sugar) Glucose Test
Concerned that your child's blood glucose levels may not be normal? The most common use of the blood glucose test is to check for diabetes mellitus. The test is also used to see how well the body is metabolizing glucose and the function of organs involved in that process: the pancreas, the liver, and the receptors that bring glucose into cells. (Blood Glucose Testing, Juvenile Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Blood Sugar Level) (Complete Article)

Complications: An Introduction
Diabetes is a complicated disease--complicated to understand, complicated to treat. There are steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing complications, such as keeping your blood glucose and cholesterol levels in a healthy range.(retinopathy, diabetic neuropathy, diabetes management) (Complete Article)

Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Researchers say that alpha-lipoic acid is important for diabetics. It is possible that it not only prevents nerve damage from oxidation, but also promotes glucose metabolism. In a study published in Diabetes Care, patients with adult-onset diabetes who were given lipoic acid experienced slight nerve regeneration, while patients taking a placebo showed continued deterioration. (diabetic neuropathy, neuropathy treatment) (Complete Article)

All The Nerve
One of the most common long-term repercussions of high blood glucose levels is diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about two-thirds of those with diabetes have some form of this complication. (Diabetes Management, Neuropathy Symptoms, Preventing Neuropathy) (Complete Article)

Foot And Skin Related Complications Of Diabetes
For people with diabetes, having too much glucose (sugar) in their blood for a long time can cause some serious complications, including foot and skin problems, as well as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye damage, and other problems. (Diabetic Neuropathy, Diabetic Retinopathy,  Diabetes Complications) (Complete Article)

Hypoglycemia In Youth With Diabetes
Hypoglycemia (also known as an "insulin reaction," or just "low blood sugar") occurs when blood glucose goes too low. Hypoglycemia can be caused by many things: too much insulin, not enough food, too much exercise, eating late, or eating too little carbohydrate. It's important to recognize the symptoms that are unique to you so that you can treat it before it becomes serious. (Symptom Juvenile Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes) (Complete Article)

Waking Up With High Blood Glucose Levels
Morning readings can be so frustrating! Do you go to bed with a blood glucose of 120 mg/dL (6.6 mmol/L) and wake up with a blood glucose of 170 (9.4 mmol/L) or more? Is this happening in spite of following your diet, exercise and taking your medications as your doctor prescribed? Well, don't worry; all this may be happening due to the Dawn Phenomenon or the Somogyi Effect. (Diabetes Management and High Blood Sugar) (Complete Article)

Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur when you don't have enough insulin to meet your body's needs. Normally your body uses carbohydrate (glucose) for maintenance, but when there isn't enough insulin in your body, your cells can't access the glucose in your blood. Your body then resorts to burning fat in an unhealthy way. Your liver becomes involved in fat-burning, and the by-product is ketones. (Diabetic complications, High blood sugar level) (Complete Article)

Eat Healthy - Diabetes
You can help control your blood sugar (also called blood glucose) and diabetes when you eat healthy, get enough physical activity and stay at a healthy weight. Using the Food Guide Pyramid helps you eat a variety of healthy foods. Variety means eating foods from each of the food groups every day. Read more about the six food groups. (Diabetic Menu, Diabetic Food List, Diabetes Diet) (Complete Article)

Explaining About Diabetes
Diabetes - or to give it its full name, diabetes mellitus - is a common condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is unable to use it properly. This is because the body's method of converting glucose into energy is not working as it should. Learn more about the two main types of diabetes. (Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Diabetes Symptoms) (Complete Article)

Diabetes: Fact or Myth?
Sugar has long had a bad reputation, especially among people with diabetes. People used to think that eating sugar would cause blood glucose levels to rise much more rapidly than eating other types of carbohydrates, such as bread or potatoes. It turns out that sugar's bad rap is not entirely deserved. Researchers are now finding that simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, and complex carbohydrates, such as bread and potatoes, are digested at the same rate. (Diabetes Diet and Recipes) (Complete Article)

Sleep Apnea and Diabetes
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the throat muscles relax during sleep, obstructing the airway a causing brief but frequent breathing interruptions. Obesity-a common problem for people with type 2-is a major risk factor for developing this sleep disorder. Also, previous research has shown that sleep apnea is independently linked to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance-the primary characteristics of type 2.  Find out more about this interesting research. (Diabetes Research and Sleep Apnea) (Complete Article)

Diabetes - The Inflammation Syndrome Connection
Many nutritional supplements can lessen the inflammation in diabetes, but it is essential that the underlying diet be corrected. That said, a key objective of supplementation should be to lower glucose levels and improve insulin function, which should in turn reduce inflammation. Helpful supplements include chromium, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and the omega-3 fatty acids. (Diabetes Nutrition, Inflammation, Arthritis, Heart Disease) (Complete Article)

Sustained High Blood Glucose May Damage Brain's Key Memory Center
An inability to quickly bring down high levels of sugar in the blood is associated with poor memory and may help explain some of the memory loss that occurs as we age, according to a new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers. The study raises the possibility that exercise and weight loss, which help control blood sugar levels, may be able to reverse some of the memory loss that accompanies aging. (Diabetes Research and High Blood Sugar) (Complete Article)

Why You Need the Bs
B-complex vitamins are essential for your body to convert sugar and starches to energy, a chemical process called carbohydrate metabolism.  A shortage of any one of them can cause problems.  Vitamin B6 deficiency has been linked to glucose intolerance, which is an abnormally high rise in blood sugar after eating. (Diabetes Nutrition and Diabetes Management) (Complete Article)

A Quick Primer on Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohol is neither a "sugar" nor an "alcohol." Sugar alcohols affect the blood glucose levels less dramatically than regular table sugar which is why some diet plans allow a certain amount of them. In most people, they quickly add up to too many carbs. (Diabetes Diet, Diabetic Nutrition, Low Carbohydrate Diet) (Complete Article)

Glucose and Immunity
Eating sugar also reduces the body's ability to fight infections. In 1908, researchers noted that diabetics were more susceptible than non-diabetics to infection. It took researchers until 1942 to discover that the bacteria-engulfing white blood cells of diabetics were essentially sleeping on the job. (Blood Sugar and Glucose and Diabetes Diet) (Complete Article)

Healthy Skin Made Easy
Diabetes can add to skin problems. High glucose levels are one reason; many bacteria thrive on sugar, making infections easier to get and harder to cure. Diabetic nerve disease and blood vessel disease are two other reasons; both can interfere with blood flow to the skin. In addition, nerve damage may dampen your ability to sense irritations and wounds, making it easier to injure yourself and not even notice. (Diabetes Education and Diabetes Management) (Complete Article)

Diabetes and Colorectal Cancer
People with diabetes may be three times more likely to develop colorectal cancer, a recent study shows. Almost 10,000 adults between the ages of 45 and 79 were tested for a marker in the blood sugar, then were followed up six years later. Researchers found that those with diabetes or abnormal glucose metabolism were more likely to develop bowel cancer. (Diabetes Research) (Complete Article)

Gymnema Sylvestre, Bitter Melon, Cinnamon Extract, Vanadium & Chromium
If you are trying to get your carbohydrate-craving and weight-storing chemistry under control, gymnema may be of benefit. Bitter melon can help by improving blood sugar balance and reducing the amount of sugars in the blood. A compound in cinnamon bark has been shown to increase glucose metabolism. Research on vanadium indicates that it may produce insulin-like activities in the body, making it of potential value for those with diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Chromium is thought to stimulate fat metabolism and to have a lowering effect on cholesterol and triglyceride levels. (Diabetic Nutrition, Diabetic Product) (Complete Article)

Eating Healthy on $7 A Day or Less
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. Diabetes is an expensive disease. When a family member has either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the family's income has to cover medications or insulin and syringes, monitoring equipment and strips, medical visits, diabetes books and magazines, and, of course, healthful foods. No wonder it's tempting to shortchange the last item. But healthful foods are actually a blue chip investment. Good nutrition will help keep your blood glucose in balance now and will likely help prevent costly complications and expensive medical care later. (Diabetes Meal Planning and Diabetes Menu) (Complete Article)

Talking About Sex
No question about it: Blood glucose fluctuations, poorly controlled diabetes, and related complications can all affect sexual interest and ability. But when problems arise, don't assume that a long-feared complication is here to stay. Sexual problems can happen for a variety of reasons and often are temporary or easily resolved. (Diabetes Education) (Complete Article)

Causes of Type II Diabetes
Unlike people with type I diabetes who become unable to produce insulin, people with type II diabetes produce insulin. But, either the body does not respond to insulin's action-it's resistant-or there is just not enough insulin to go around-there's too much body for the amount of insulin that's made. Either problem leads to the same outcome: high levels of glucose in the blood. (Type 2  Diabetes and Diabetes Education) (Complete Article)

Diabetes-Related Skin Problems
Skin problems are common in people with diabetes. High levels of glucose in the blood provide an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, and can reduce the body's ability to heal itself.  Diabetic dermopathy, digital sclerosis, vitiligo, acanthosis nigricans and bullosis diabeticorum (diabetic blisters) are among the conditions discussed in this article. (Diabetes Information)   (Complete Article)

Balancing Blood Sugar Metabolism
Scientific evidence continues to mount regarding the effectiveness of natural substances in normalizing blood sugar in diabetics. Gymnema Sylvestre, Bitter Melon and Cinnamon Extract show significant impact on normalizing blood glucose levels. (Insulin Resistance) (Complete Article)

Glucosamine & Diabetes - News Update
Recent Diabetes news reports that oral glucosamine supplementation does not result in clinically significant alterations in glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.(Diabetic Nutrition) (Complete Article)

Vitamin C: Important for Diabetics
Vitamin C protects against Syndrome X, diabetes, and their accompanying disorders in many different ways. It works most directly by blocking many of the deleterious effects of elevated glucose and insulin. Important information for diabetes management and diabetes nutrition. (Diabetic Nutrition) (Complete Article)

Exercise and Diabetes
Exercise is very important in managing diabetes. Exercise improves your body's use of insulin. Blood glucose levels are affected by exercise, so be aware of general exercise guidelines and precautions for diabetics as you begin your fitness program. (Diabetes Information) (Complete Article)

Slight Weight Loss Reduces Diabetes Risk Dramatically
When a person is overweight, insulin cannot work as effectively to keep blood glucose levels normal because the body becomes resistant to the action of its own insulin. Lifestyle modification can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 58% in people at high risk for the disease. (Type 2 Diabetes Diet) (Complete Article)

Men and Diabetes
Complications of diabetes in men can include sexual dysfunction, heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, intermittent claudication and neuropathy. Diabetes research has brought to light the importance of prevention;  including improved blood glucose control, blood pressure control and improved control of cholesterol and lipids. (Complete Article)

Blood Sugar Levels - Guidelines for Diabetes
Whether you have type 1 or type II diabetes or gestational diabetes, the goals of achieving control of blood glucose levels are similar: to keep blood glucose as close as possible to that of a person without diabetes. (Complete Article)