There are currently over 20 million people in the United States alone, who have diabetes. That’s 7% of the total population. Unfortunately one third of these people don’t even know it yet. Even scarier is the fact that this number climbs by one million per year. Another astounding fact is that diabetes kills one American every three minutes. That adds up to 480 people every day. These people are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, family, and friends. Every one of us has been touched by someone with diabetes. The fact that makes this such staggering information is that these people will have diabetes for the rest of their lives.

Diabetes is an ailment that affects the pancreas. There are two basic types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, or juvenile onset diabetes, is insulin dependent and is usually diagnosed before the age of 20. In type 1 diabetes the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin because the beta cells have been damaged. It is necessary for people with type 1 diabetes to get insulin from injections in this case.

Type 2 diabetes, or adult onset diabetes, is a result of a number of different factors including decreased insulin sensitivity, diminished insulin production, and increased glucose released from the liver. This can be the result of one or a combination of many different triggers. Poor dietary habits, lack of exercise, genetics, and, according to recent research, damage to the pancreas similar to that seen in type 1 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes and pre-diabetes are also forms of diabetes but these cases can be treated in most cases. Gestational diabetes is a case when a pregnant mother becomes diabetic due to the extra work required of the body from carrying the baby. In most cases this goes away after the pregnancy. But almost 50% of mothers who develop gestational diabetes end up developing type 2 diabetes down the road. Pre-diabetes is a case where a persons blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet diabetic. This can also be treated in most cases with proper diet and exercise.

Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the United States, a fact that affects almost everyone. Side affects from diabetes include heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputations, and depression. Some of the signs of diabetes are thirst, frequent urination, feeling tired, weight loss, losing eyesight, tingling in limbs, and slow healing wounds.

Many people think insulin is the cure for diabetes but they don’t know that there is no cure. Diet and exercise are the best ways to help your body keep the affects of diabetes at bay. Unfortunately this isn’t always possible so there are treatments. There are pharmaceutical treatments with side affects such as liver damage, nausea, diarrhea, rashes, respiratory infections, weight gain, and headaches.

But there are also natural remedies. Insul-Opt has combined centuries of research and wisdom to formulate a state-of-the-art product line with incredible results and no side affects. The professionals on our advisory board and the team at the Samaritan Diabetes Research Center have helped put together a product line that includes the most powerful herbs and nutrients in the world. A portion of every purchase goes to the Samaritan Diabetes Research Center to further the fight against diabetes.

Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Diabetes

What is diabetes”?
When we use the word “diabetes, we’re actually using shorthand. It would probably be more accurate to use the full term “diabetes mellitus” in order to make a clear distinction from those conditions that also include diabetes in their name but which have nothing to do with blood sugar. But it seems to be human nature to contract phrases and names. “Diabetes” comes from the Greek word for “siphon” and “mellitus” derives from the Greek word for “honey” and means “sweet”, hence, “diabetes mellitus” is the “sweet siphon”. This is a reference to the observation in ancient times that suffers produced huge amounts of urine, siphoning fluid from their bodies, and the urine was obviously sticky and attracted ants, flies, and bees in the days before modern plumbing. I think this little bit of history highlights the most important part of the definition of diabetes, and that is, no matter what the cause; “diabetes” is the name that we give to any condition in which there is a metabolic disturbance that causes persistent or recurrent elevations in the blood sugar level. As we will see, there are several types of diabetes, and we will take a brief look at what characterizes each one.

What is insulin?
Insulin is a protein hormone that is produced by special cells located in the pancreas (beta cells). It has many metabolic effects, but the most important effect is to turn on transport pathways in cells that carry glucose from outside the cell to inside the cell, where it can be oxidized as fuel.

My doctor talks about blood sugar and blood glucose. What’s the difference?
There is no difference. “ Blood sugar” is medical slang for “blood glucose”. Glucose is a type of sugar, and it is the only type of sugar that our bodies can use directly as fuel to produce energy to do all the things that our cells must do to keep the complex machine of our bodies running.

What does glucose do?
Glucose is the energy fuel for the cells in our bodies, and the chemical reaction that releases the energy stored in the glucose molecule is pretty much the same as the chemical reaction that releases the energy from the hydrocarbon molecules that make up the gasoline that your car burns, the gas that your furnace burns, and the wood that your fireplace burns. We call it oxidation in your cells and burning in your fireplace, but the chemical reaction is in all significant respects the same.

What are ketones?
There is a back-up fuel that all of the tissues in our bodies can use, with two major exceptions. The fuel is a family of chemicals called ketones, and they are released by the breakdown of fat. The two tissues in our bodies that MUST have glucose as fuel are the brain and the heart muscle. All of the other tissues in our body can adapt to deriving their energy from using ketones as fuel. However, the process is a lot like trying to run your Italian sports car on regular gas. It will run, alright, but it won’t run the way Enzo had in mind. Endurance athletes know all about burning ketones for energy. They call the point at which their bodies shift from burning glucose for energy to burning ketones “THE WALL”. The rest of us have our own “WALL” that we encounter when we have a bout of the stomach flu or food poisoning. Six or eight hours of interruption of adequate intake and accelerated losses due stress, vomiting and diarrhea is usually enough to exhaust the stored glucose and start the breakdown of fat. We’ve all had that feeling. Mark Twain said it best, I think. One of his characters said, “It ain’t so much that you’re afraid you’re gonna die. You’re afraid you ain’t gonna die in time!” That said, the success of the Atkins diet (which intentionally stimulates the production of ketones in order to mobilize fat and lose weight) provides graphic proof that humans are nothing if not resilient, and eminently capable of convincing ourselves that we feel fine, even when we don’t.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 Diabetes is the condition that results from the destruction of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Lacking enough insulin prevents glucose from gaining access to the cell and results in an accumulation of glucose in the body. This accumulation results in elevation of the blood sugar. In addition, the inability to transport glucose from outside the cell to inside the cell results in the cells experiencing starvation in spite of the enormous intake of food that is typical of Type 1 Diabetes at the time of diagnosis. The destruction of the insulin producing cells is brought about by an inappropriate attack of the type of immune cells normally involved in fending off viral infections. There is no infection present in the insulin producing cells, but these near-sighted immune cells react as if there is indeed an infection. The destructive process is usually slow, taking a matter of years to destroy a sufficient number of cells to render the victim incapable of making enough insulin to meet the body’s needs. The lack of insulin also tends to stimulate the breakdown of fat, producing ketones. So, the signature of emerging Type 1 Diabetes is elevation of blood glucose with the presence of ketones. Because the pancreas can’t make enough insulin to supply the body’s needs, the only treatment option is insulin replacement therapy along with coming as close to eliminating concentrated simple sugar as possible. .

What is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes is the name that we give to the condition that results from a combination of a genetically determined resistance to insulin and an array of lifestyle factors that amplify the genetic insulin insensitivity such that the resulting metabolic disturbance is sufficiently severe to result in an inability to transport glucose from outside the cell to inside the cell. The genetic link in Type 2 Diabetes is much clearer than in Type 1 Diabetes. But the most important difference between the two types of diabetes is the retention of insulin secretion in the vast majority of people who have Type 2 Diabetes. This plays a major role in determining the best therapeutic approach. Treatment starts with effective nutritional management and efforts making the patient’s body leaner, and may progress to include oral medication of several types. Eventually, if conventional therapy is ineffective, it may be necessary to begin insulin therapy in order to supplement a patient’s own production. Treatment philosophies vary, but the usual sequence of treatment options is: diet and exercise, oral medications (sometimes in combination), and insulin as a last resort.

What is hyperglycemia?
Hyperglycemia is the technical term for high blood glucose (sugar) values.

What is hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia is the technical term for low blood glucose (sugar) values. Sometimes the term is used to refer to the symptoms that a person typically has when blood glucose is low: tremulousness, jitteriness, irritability, pallor, clammy skin

I hear a lot about something called “reactive hypoglycemia”. Some doctors have told me it is the “forerunner of diabetes”. What does that mean?
“Reactive hypoglycemia” refers to the type of low blood sugar that occurs in response to ingesting concentrated simple sugar. The root cause is insulin resistance or insensitivity, which produces an exaggerated insulin response to the stimulus of sugar being absorbed into the blood stream from the digestive track. The timing of the low blood sugar after a meal that is rich in concentrated sugar is typically 1-2 hours afterward. The reason that this condition is sometimes called “the forerunner of diabetes” or “pre-diabetes” is that the insulin resistance that is the root cause of the condition is also the basis for the metabolic disturbance that leads to Type 2 Diabetes. Certainly, reactive hypoglycemia could be seen as an early warning signal that changes in nutrition and lifestyle should be put in place in order to avoid the eventual development of overt diabetes.

What is “borderline diabetes”?
I think that this is meaningless term. It certainly has no standard definition, so it means different things to different people. Further, my experience in practice has been that it seems to give people permission to continue to ignore a looming problem. “I don’t have to do anything yet, because I only have borderline diabetes. I’m sure going to deal with it when it becomes real diabetes.” Most of the time, what your doctor means when she uses this phrase is that you have a recognizable abnormality in your regulation of carbohydrate metabolism. The issue that is being skirted is that you need to do something effective right now to correct the imbalance.

My doctor told me that I have “insulin resistance”. What does that mean?
“Insulin resistance” is a deceptively simple sounding term. At the most basic level, the term describes a condition in which a person does not respond to insulin as well as a healthy person is expected to do. Usually, the implication is that blood glucose values are normal, but that insulin levels are driven higher than would normally be seen in a healthy individual in order to maintain control over carbohydrate metabolism. However, there is an array of other metabolic characteristics that is associated with this basic physiologic state, which includes increases increased risk of obesity, elevated cholesterol,
increased risk of hypertension, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and, of course, the likely eventual development of Type 2 Diabetes if conditions are not altered.

My doctor told me that I have “carbohydrate intolerance”. What is she talking about?
I had waffles for breakfast, pasta salad with my lunch, and fettuccine alfredo for supper, and I didn’t feel sick all day. My friend with “lactose intolerance” feels terrible if she consumes any dairy products at all.
“Carbohydrate intolerance” (also called impaired carbohydrate tolerance) actually has a fairly specific definition. It doesn’t mean that carbohydrates make you sick. It means that you have a significant increase in how high your blood glucose rises after a meal or snack that contains carbohydrates. For practical reasons, the definition that most professional groups have agreed upon has involved fasting blood glucose values. (Check with your doctor for the specific values.) But don’t be misled. The important point is that if you have this condition, you are not handling normal loads of carbohydrates associated with appropriate meals and snacks in the way that you should, and, more importantly, you are on your way to developing diabetes.

My doctor told me that I have Type 2 Diabetes and that I need to start treatment. What are my options?
Treatment options for Type 2 Diabetes start with nutrition. It is critical to come as close as you can to eliminating concentrated sugar. It is also important to control your total calorie intake and to limit your intake of saturated fats. The next element is exercise. Any exercise is better than no exercise, but to maximize your chances of success you must incorporate regular exercise (daily is best) that is sufficiently intense to produce an effect on your body’s energy economy. Though any kind of exercise is better than no exercise, aerobic exercise is generally considered to be the best for management of diabetes. Talk to your primary care healthcare professional or endocrinologist about what kind of exercise would be best for you. Lastly, medication may be appropriate for you. Generally, the first choice would be oral medications, administered either singly or in combinations. Sometimes, insulin therapy may be necessary.

My doctor told me that I have Type 1 Diabetes and that I must start insulin injections. Why can’t I take oral medication?
When you have Type 1 Diabetes, it means that your immune system has attacked and destroyed the insulin producing cells in your pancreas. As a result of this destruction, you have a critical shortage of insulin. Effective treatment requires that the missing insulin be replaced. The oral medications that are available for treating diabetes act in one of three ways: 1) they stimulate the secretion of insulin from healthy insulin producing cells; 2) they block the rise in blood sugar that occurs after eating; or, 3) they enhance the sensitivity to the effects of insulin. None of the three classes of available oral medications are capable of replacing the missing insulin. Oral insulin would be a great idea for a number of reasons that go beyond not having to take injections, but insulin is a relatively large protein molecule and the drug delivery technology that is available today does not allow large proteins to be given orally. We are limited to the relatively primitive technology of poking a hole in the skin with a hollow needle (although it is a very, very small needle these days, not much bigger than one of your eyelashes) and squirting the insulin into the subcutaneous tissue. That bad news is that this is what is necessary. The good news is that it works awfully well.

What role does nutrition play in managing Type 1 Diabetes?
Even though modern technology has revolutionized the day to day management of Type 1 Diabetes, there are still only three things that we can manipulate in order to maintain control of the blood sugar. And make no mistake; controlling the blood sugar is the name of the game. Long term complications of diabetes of either type are completely preventable if blood glucose is controlled adequately. What are the three things that you can control? First, you can control the food that you eat. Second, you can control the amount of exercise that you get. Third, you can control the amount of insulin that you take. That’s it. And successful management of Type 1 Diabetes largely consists of making those three things match. No matter what the insulin regimen, these three things have to match up well for blood glucose to be controlled. Effective management requires that carbohydrates must be counted. And, if you have Type 1 Diabetes and you consume concentrated sugar, your blood glucose is going to go higher than it should. This is the result of the simple fact that putting insulin into the body through the skin is not as efficient as the natural release from the pancreas. The two critical elements in the nutritional management of Type1 Diabetes are counting

What role does nutrition play in managing Type 2 Diabetes?
Nutrition plays multiple roles in managing Type 2 Diabetes. As in Type 1 Diabetes, it is critical to avoid concentrated simple sugar. If you have Type 2 Diabetes, eating (or drinking) concentrated sugar in amounts greater than a few grams will make your blood glucose rise to levels higher than your target range. The more often you indulge in concentrated sugar, the more frequently your blood glucose will rise above your target range, undermining your other efforts at maintaining control. In addition to counting your carbohydrates and avoiding concentrated sugar, people who have Type 2 Diabetes generally need to keep track of total calories, as well as fat intake. This is because weight loss is almost always a goal in any regimen aimed at the successful management of Type 2 Diabetes and all of the metabolic disturbances that go with it (high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, increased risk of atherosclerosis)
.

What role does exercise play in the management of Type 1 Diabetes?
In addition to the role that exercise plays in the maintenance of general health, it plays a critical role in the effective management of Type 1 Diabetes. Anaerobic exercise, the kind of exercise produced by weight training, stimulates muscle development, but it has very little impact on the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates. The kind of exercise that has the greatest benefit for people who have Type 1 Diabetes is moderately intense aerobic exercise. The usual definition of “moderately intense” is exercise intense enough to raise the heart rate to 60-80% of the calculated maximum heart rate. This kind of exercise increases the efficiency of the transport of glucose from outside the cell to inside the cell both through the pathways that require insulin to open the gates as well as the pathways that do not require insulin.

What role does exercise play in the management of Type 2 Diabetes?
Regular, moderately intense exercise helps to decrease body fat, which increases sensitivity to insulin. Increasing insulin sensitivity is always a good thing where Type 2 Diabetes is concerned. In addition to weight loss, moderately intense aerobic exercise increases sensitivity to insulin in essentially all tissues in the body. Moderately intense aerobic exercise is generally defined as a bout of exercise that will raise the pulse rate to 60-80% of the calculated maximum value, estimated by subtracting the patient’s age in years from 200. Of course, it is always essential to check with your primary care physician regarding he advisability of engaging in this kind of exercise.

Why do I need to check my blood sugar?
Keeping careful track of your blood sugar pattern is the only way to assess the effectiveness of your regimen. In addition to monitoring patterns of blood glucose to assess the effectiveness of your routine, some regimens require that you respond to fluctuations in your blood glucose in some way immediately upon recognizing them. Maintaining accurate records of your blood sugar values is a critical part of the process. Of course, it is also vital that you review your blood sugar records regularly.

My doctor orders something called a Hemoglobin A1C (or glycohemoglobin). What is it and why do I need to have it measured?
A hemoglobin A1C (glycosylated hemoglobin or glycohemoglobin) is a measurement of the percentage of the hemoglobin molecules in your red blood cells that have a glucose bound to them. The number that is reported doesn’t sound like a blood sugar. It’s expressed as a percentage, e.g. 7.3%. But it correlates to your average blood sugar value over the three months prior to the time that the blood was drawn. Imagine that you could measure a blood sugar once a minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, over a three month period. If you took all of those numbers and averaged them, you would get a pretty good idea of how your blood glucose has been running over a three month interval. That’s how the hemoglobin A1C works, and in general, the lower the average the better. However, like all averages where lower is better, there are two ways to get a good value: the blood sugar values can be predominantly in the target range, or there can be equal numbers of highs and lows. Clearly, the former is better than the latter. In adults, the target range for hemoglobin A1C is less than 7%. In children and adolescents, the target range is a little more complicated.

Why don’t we talk about “juvenile diabetes” and “adult-onset diabetes” anymore?
Identifying the type of diabetes by the age at onset is making less and less sense. It is no more sensible to describe the condition in terms of the treatment required (insulin dependent versus non-insulin dependent). Rather than referring to the age at onset or the method of treatment, it seems to make more sense to use terminology that identifies what is going on in a physiologic sense. However, the metabolic derangements in the two predominant types of diabetes are so complex, we are forced to use short hand. The type of diabetes that used to be identified as “juvenile diabetes” is now called Type 1 Diabetes. The type of diabetes that was formerly pegged as “adult-onset diabetes” is now designated as Type 2 Diabetes.