How To Prevent Hypoglycemia

Today's tip is on hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Hypoglycemia affects both non-diabetics as well as diabetics.It has been considered an early sign of adult onset diabetes, although I am not completely convinced that this is always true. If you have ever felt weak at the knees, sweaty and somewhat disoriented about two hours after eating something sweet, you probably have had an episode or two of hypoglycemia. It is a very unpleasant feeling and if your blood sugar gets low enough you can get into serious trouble.

Brief synopsis of the biochemistry.

Most hypoglycemia is a result of eating table sugar (sucrose). Human biochemistry can handle complex carbohydrates very well like the potato and rice. But it does not do so well when the sugar is refined / extracted and processed into a molecule like sucrose from sources such as sugar cane. The molecule sucrose is one glucose molecule hooked up to one fructose molecule.

The other way to become hypoglycemic is to be on a low carbohydrate diet. However, these symptoms are usually not the acute hypoglycemia symptoms that one gets from eating simple sugars. They more often manifest as chronic depression from insufficient blood glucose for the brain.

Fructose short-circuits glycolysis.

When the body attempts to digest sucrose the fructose short circuits the glycolytic pathway for the glucose. Glucose is not metabolized as fast as it would be if there was no fructose in the bloodstream. Because of this, the body perceives more glucose than is really present and excretes more insulin than is necessary. Soon all the fructose is metabolized, followed rapidly by the metabolism of the glucose. Then, because of excessive insulin, the blood glucose is lowered more than it should be and you really begin to feel disoriented, clammy and weak at the knees.

What to do on the immediate basis.

Ingestion of some readily absorbable sugar such as found in orange juice, is standard therapy for hypoglycemia. This will raise your blood sugar and you will begin to feel better. Eating more sucrose will also raise your blood sugar but doing so only starts the whole cycle all over again. Best not to get low blood sugar / hypoglycemia in the first place.

What to do to keep from getting hypoglycemia.

The simple answer is to avoid sugar. I know this is easier said than done. When I quit meat and dairy it was easy and I have never missed it. When I quit Pepsi and candy such as Mike and Ikes, it was very difficult. Sugar is extremely addicting. I felt so much better without it however, that it has really been worth it. I don't miss the extra weight from the sucrose nor the episodes of hypoglycemia. Also, it is much easier to keep my running mileage high since I quit sugar.

One more thing I don't miss is the ongoing destruction of my vascular system caused by sugar. Adult onset diabete smellitus is a polite and very confusing term for sugar toxicity.

Today's Health Tip:

To avoid hypoglycemia stop eating any simple sugars.

Be sure to read the labels of any processed foods carefully. While whole grain brown rice is no problem, refined products like brown rice syrup can cause hypoglycemia.

Reference:

Biochemistry Fourth Edition Lubert Styrer

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http://www.DrMericle.com is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change. Dr. Mericle brings together a unique blend of formal medical education, 29 marathons, 3 Hawaii Ironman competitions and a lot of practical real life experience.

New Treatment for Diabetes

While new treatments for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are being developed all the time, none of these have withstood the ultimate test ? of time.

Treatments offered for diabetes are dependent on a number of factors:

? The type of diabetes diagnosed

? The length of time an individual has been diabetic

? In the case of women ? pregnancy

? Whether insulin has already been used in significant amounts, to treat the condition

Type 1 diabetes sufferers have only one treatment at the time, the injection of insulin. In type 1 a diabetic who do not take the insulin they need and who allow high levels of glucose to build up in their blood, risk their lives.

Insulin is still usually injected into the subcutaneous fat layer of the skin, implantable insulin pumps are now available, from where it is absorbed into the blood stream for immediate use. However, research is ongoing to try alternative treatment forms and ways of delivering the insulin to the body, one of them is the the delivery of insulin through inhalation. The insulin is prepared in a dry micro fine powder form which is inhaled directly into the lungs from where it is absorbed into the blood stream, but this nor any form, as yet, widely available.

Type 2 diabetes is different. Type 2 usually develops in older individuals and there appears to be a correlation between obesity, and there is a great increase in developement of type 2 in younger childeren who are obese and who don't exercise. This connection gives the first clue to the simplest form of treatment for type 2 diabetes ? diet and exercise.

Type 2 diabetics may find that the only treatment required to control their diabetes is a change in their diet and increase the amount of exercise in their lives. This is more likely if the diabetes is diagnosed at an early stage before insulin levels have dropped too dramatically or tissue has become too resistant to insulin uptake.

When diet and lifestyle changes alone are not enough to control the diabetes, medication will needed. This is often in pill form and is sometimes in a combination of pills. There are basically two kinds of by-mouth medication ? those that stimulate the pancreas to produce and release more insulin and those that block or inhibit the release and absorption of glucose into the blood stream. It is important that these drugs are taken exactly as advised ? with the instructions often differing between types and brands.

As with all health conditions in the twenty first century, there are an increasing number of alternative and complementary therapies now being promoted which, while interesting, need to be approached with caution.

One of the new treatments now being made available is a drug based on the saliva of a venomous lizard ? the Gila Monster. The drug containing this new treatment is delivered by injection in much the same way as insulin but early trials have seen many participants withdraw because of an increase in side effects when compared to those caused by insulin. All research so far undertaken has been sponsored by the pharmaceutical company that produces this drug.

In 2005 researchers reported some success in treating patients with type 1 diabetes with an antibody called ChAglyCD3 that appears to preserve some of the valuable beta cells within the pancreas to permit some insulin production and release. Treatment with this antibody slows the progression of the autoimmune response and the associated destruction of the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. As with all treatments side effects have been reported and the treatment has yet to be proven as safe.

Genetic research continues into the causes of diabetes with some researchers claiming success in identifying the gene responsible for the development of type 2 diabetes. Geneticists hope that further research will assist diabetics through the development of the following possible treatments:

A diabetes vaccine. Experiments are already being carried out on animals to test a vaccination against the autoimmune response that causes type 1 diabetes.

Scientists have already used genetic engineering to make liver cells that produce insulin. Unfortunately, although insulin is produced there is no internal control mechanism as there is with the pancreas, so the insulin levels from such cells remains constant regardless of the body's requirement for this hormone.

There is an enormous amount of research into the therapeutic use of stem cells. Stem cells are the very basic building blocks of the human body and have the ability to develop into any kind of cell.

It is possible that researchers will find a way to use stem cells to make insulin producing cells to replace those that have been damaged by the autoimmune problem that causes type 1 diabetes.

As with the other treatments, these need much more research.

All new treatments offer hope for the future but the effectiveness of any of them will not be fully appreciated until they have been tested over time.

Of course one of the best treatments remains eduction, To that end, there are numerous sources for you to get the information you need about the disease, how to treat it, and any other questions that you may have.

The National Diabetes Education Program is a great example of a place to get accurate information about this disease.

Located online at www.ndep.nih.gov, this institute represents a coalition of public and private organizations, partnered with the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This site is a great resource for learning about diabetes and what it means to your health. That being said, here is some basic information regarding diabetes.

Come Get More Life Improving Information About Diabetes Including Symptoms, Signs, Dietary Information and Treatments.

Diabetes Diets

Diabetes is a disorder of the body?s sugar-absorption and utilization abilities, and hence the only possible way to bring sugar levels back to normal may be by avoiding sweets. But it is not necessary that you sacrifice your favorite dishes or sweets. If a balanced meal, specific for the person is planned, the sugar levels can be controlled. If such a diet is maintained on a regular basis it can even reverse the signs of diabetes. And it does not mean that the food has to be bitter or flavorless. There are many options to choose from, but the main idea is to choose the right food.

Do not think of this as a big task. With the help of a doctor or dietician the right meal plan can be arranged for you. And there is good news, because you will be choosing healthy food. Your overall health will be improved, protecting you from obesity, cancer, heart disease and hypertension. The various options that help you follow and keep up with your meal plan are the food guide pyramid, rating your plate, carbohydrate counting and exchanges lists. Any one of these will be suitable for you.

The other ways to be sure you maintain your diet is by keeping a diary and noting your daily food intake. Be consistent in your diet, and do not eat bad food on one day thinking you can compensate for it on another day; this will only weaken your plan.

For those who love sweets there is no reason to worry, as there are many healthy food options that are sweet. For example, a slice of fruit could be taken along with the meal. Also, you do not have to completely avoid sweets. Taking sweets in very small portions may help. You could also use sweeteners like honey, brown sugar, molasses and cane sugars. Reduced-calorie sweeteners like mannitol or sorbitol can also be taken as a substitute for normal sugar.

If all these points are followed on a regular basis you could start living a normal life even though you are diabetic.

Diabetes provides detailed information on Diabetes, Symptoms Of Diabetes, Diabetes Supplies, Diabetes Diets and more. Diabetes is affiliated with 1200 Calorie Diabetic Diets.