DiaBEATes

Bitter Melon

2009-06-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Memordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all vegetables.

Bitter melon has been used in various Asia traditional medicine systems for a long time. Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion. While this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia and constipation, it can sometimes make heartburn and ulcers worse. The fact that bitter melon is also a demulcent and at least mild inflammation modulator, however, means that it rarely does have these negative effects, based on clinical experience and traditional reports.

Folk wisdom has it that ampalaya (Momordica Charantia Linn.) helps to prevent or counteract Type 2 diabetes. A recent scientific study at JIPMER, India has proved that ampalaya increases insulin sensitivity. Also, in 2007, the Philippine Department of Health issued a circular stating Ampalaya as a scientifically validated herbal medicinal plant, can lower elevated blood sugar levels. The study revealed that a 100 milligram per kilo dose per day is comparable to 2.5 milligrams of the anti-diabetes drug Gilbenclamide taken twice per day.

Bitter Melon Benefits

Also known as bitter gourd, the bitter melon is rich in iron, beta-carotene and potassium. Anecdotal references also indicates it can relieve constipation and improve circulation, thereby producing slimming effects on the body.

Bitter Melon and Diabetes

In addition, one of its oldest known medicinal effects is in regards to diabetes. It has long been recorded in Chinese medicine text as having medicinal properties that are beneficial for diabetes. On symptoms specifically related to modern day diabetes, the bitter melon was recorded in the ancient texts as being able to stop thirst and clear vision. A modern study with combined research by a Japanese and Thai university revealed that bitter melon can reduce blood sugar levels up to 25% in mice.

Bitter melon contains a lectin that has insulin-like activity. The insulin-like bio activity of this lectin is due to its linking together 2 insulin receptors. This lectin lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and, similar to insulin’s effects in the brain, suppressing appetite. This lectin is likely a major contributor to the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon and why it may be a way of managing adult-onset diabetes. Lectin binding is non-protein specific, and this is likely why bitter melon has been credited with immunostimularoty activity – by linking receptors that modulate the immune system, thereby stimulating said receptors.

Bitter melon’s powerful insulin lowering properties are currently being looked at as an effective treatment for Diabetes. Studies suggest that Bitter Melon may play a role in controlling the production of insulin by the body, thus promoting blood sugar control. The hypoglycemic effect is more pronounced in the fruit of Bitter melon where these chemicals are found in the highest quantity. Some of the documented studies show this bitter gourd to enhance cells’ uptake of glucose, to promote insulin release, and to make the effect of insulin more potent. Some even document Bitter Melon’s effect on total cholesterol reduction.

Scientists, natural health practitioners, and others are now focusing on the beneficial properties of this gourd with promising returns. In Ayurvedic medicine, bitter melon is seen as a ‘plant insulin’, and some studies show that, if administered correctly, it can behave similarly to slow-acting animal insulins which represents exciting potential for a more sustainable, vegetarian, source of insulin. It is not, however, advisable to substitute eating bitter melon for taking insulin.

In India, for example, some doctors are so confident about the anti-diabetic effect of Bitter Melon that it is sometimes dispensed in hospitals to people suffering from diabetes. Additionally, the department of Health in the Philippines has recommended Bitter melon as one of the best herbal medicines for treating diabetes.

There are three groups of compounds in Bitter Melon that scientists have found to be responsible for blood sugar lowering action:

Charantin: a compound of mixed steroids that has been found to be more effective than one oral hypoglycaemic drug, Tolbutamide.

Polypeptide P: An insulin-like plypeptide, which appears to lower blood sugar in Type 1 Diabetics. Alkaloids present in the bitter gourd are also noted to have blood sugar lowering effects but researchers are not yet clear on which of the compounds is most effective or if it is the combination of all which cause this effect.

Oleanolic Acid Glycosides: These compounds have been found to improve glucose tolerance in Type 2 Diabetics by preventing the absorption of sugar from the intestines. Bitter Melon has also been linked to effects of increasing the number of beta cells in the pancreas as well, and as a result improving the body’s capability to product insulin.

Gymnema Sylvestre

2009-06-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

Gymnema Sylvestre is a herb native to the tropical forests of southern and central India where it has been used as a naturopathic treatment for diabetes for nearly two millennia.

This herb has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels when used for an extended period of time. Additionally, Gymnema reduces the taste of sugar when it is placed in the mouth, thus some use it to fight sugar cravings. From extract of the leaves were isolated Gymnemic acids, which exhibit anti-sweet activity.

The effect, however, is short-lived, lasting a mere fifteen minutes. Some postulate that the herb actually reduces cravings for sugar by blocking sugar receptors in the tongue, but no scientific studies have supported this hypothesis. It is currently being used in an all natural medication for diabetes with other ingredients such as cinnamon, chromium, zinc, biotin, banaba, huckleberry and bitter melon.

The active ingredient is thought to be gurmenic acid which has structure similar to saccharos. Extracts of Gymnema is not only claimed to curb sweet tooths but also for treatment of as varied problems as hyperglycemia, obesity, high cholesterol levels, anemia and digestion.

In 2005, a study made by King’s College, London, United Kingdom, showed that a water soluble extract of Gymnema Sylvestre, caused reversible increases in intracellular calcium and insulin secretion in mouse and human β-cells when used at a concentration (0.125 mg/ml) without compromising cell viability. Henceforth, these data suggest that extracts derived from Gymnema Sylvestre may be useful as therapeutic agents for the stimulation of insulin secretion in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

What is Hypoglycemia?

2009-06-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hypoglycemia, also called low blood glucose or low blood sugar, occurs when blood glucose drops below normal levels. Glucose, an important source of energy for the body, comes from food. Carbohydrates are the main dietary source of glucose.

After a meal, glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the body’s cells. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the cells use glucose for energy. If a person takes in more glucose than the body needs at the time, the body stores the extra glucose in the liver and muscles in a form called glycogen. The body can use glycogen for energy between meals. Extra glucose can be changed to fat and stored in fat cells. Fat can also be used for energy.

When blood glucose begins to fall, glucagon – another hormone made by the pancreas – signals the liver to break down the glycogen and release glucose into the bloodstream. Blood glucose will then rise toward a normal level. In some people with diabetes, this glucagons response to hypoglycemia is impaired and other hormones such as epinephrine, also called adrenaline, may raise the blood glucose levels. However, with diabetes treated with insulin or pills that increase insulin production, glucose levels can’t easily return to the normal range.

Hypoglycemia can happen suddenly. It is usually mild and can be treated quickly and easily by eating or drinking a small amount of glucose-rich food. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can get worse and cause confusion, clumsiness, or fainting. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to seizures, coma and even death.

What is Hyperglycemia?

2009-06-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hyperglycemia is the technical term for high blood glucose (sugar). High blood glucose occurs when the body has too little, or not enough, insulin, or when the body can’t use insulin properly.

A number of things can cause hyperglycemia. For example, if a person has Type 1 diabetes, they may not have given themselves enough insulin. If they have Type 2 diabetes, their body may have enough insulin, but it is not as effective as it should be.

What forms of tests are available for Diabetes control?

2009-06-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

A. Fasting Blood Sugar

This is a common test because it is easy to perform. After fasting overnight, you have your blood drawn at an early morning doctor/s visit and tested to see if your blood sugar is in the normal range.

Normal result: 70 – 99 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL) or less than 5.5.mmol/L

B. Urine Glucose Test

The glucose urine test measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in a urine sample. The presence of glucose in the urine is called glucosuria.

C. Two-hour Postprandial Test

This blood test is done two hours after you have eaten.

Normal result: 70 – 145 mg/dL (less than 7.9 mmol/L)

D. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

A glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the administration of glucose to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood. The test is usually used to test for diabetes, insulin resistance, and sometimes, reactive hypoglycemia. With an oral glucose tolerance test, the person fasts overnight (at least 8 but not more than 16 hours). First, the fasting plasma glucose is tested. After this test, the person receives 75 grams of glucose (100 grams for pregnant women). Usually, the glucose is in a sweet-tasting liquid that the person drinks. Blood samples are taken up to four times to measure the blood glucose.

What does the glucose tolerance test measure?

The classic oral glucose tolerance test measures blood glucose levels five times over a period of three hours. Some physicians simply get a baseline blood sample followed by a sample two hours after drinking the glucose solution. In a person without diabetes, the glucose levels rise and then fall quickly. In someone with diabetes, glucose levels rise higher than normal and fail to come back down as fast.

People with glucose levels between normal and diabetic have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). People with IGT do not have diabetes.

How are the results of the glucose tolerance test evaluated?

Glucose tolerance tests may lead to one of the following diagnosis:

Normal response: A person is said to have a normal response when the 2-hour glucose level is less than 140 mg/dl.

Impaired glucose tolerance: A person is said to have IGT when the fasting plasma glucose is less than 126 mg/dl and the 2-hour glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl.

Diabetes: A person has diabetes when two diagnostic tests done on different days show that the blood glucose level is high

E. Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test (IGTT)

For the intravenous glucose tolerance test, glucose is injected into your vein for 3 minutes. Blood insulin levels are measured before the injection, and again at 1 and 3 minutes after the injection.

F. Glycosylated Haemoglobin Test (HbA1C)

The Haemoglobin A1c test, also called HbA1c, glycated haemoglobin test or glycohemoglobin, is an important blood test used to determine how well your diabetes is being controlled. Haemoglobin A1c provides an average of your blood sugar control over a six to twelve week period and is used in conjunction with home blood sugar monitoring to make adjustments in your diabetes medicines.

Haemoglobin is a substance within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. When your diabetes is not controlled (meaning that your blood sugar is too high), sugar builds up in your blood and combines with your haemoglobin, becoming ‘glycated’. Therefore, the average amount of sugar in your blood can be determined by measuring a haemoglobin A1c level. If your glucose levels have been high over recent weeks, your haemoglobin A1c test will be higher. The amount of haemoglobin A1c will reflect the last several weeks of blood sugar levels, typically encompassing a period of 120 days.

What’s a Normal Haemoglobin A1c test?

For people without diabetes, the normal range for the haemoglobin A1c test is between 4% and 6%. As studies have repeatedly shown that out-of-control diabetes results in complications from the disease, the goal for people with diabetes is an haemoglobin A1c less than 7%. The higher the haemoglobin A1c, the higher the risks of developing complications related to diabetes.

People with diabetes should have this test every three months to determine whether their blood sugars have reached the target level of control. Those who have their diabetes under good control may be able to wait longer between the blood tests but experts recommend checking at least two times a year.

Patients with diseases affecting haemoglobin such as anaemia may get abnormal results with this test. Other abnormalities that can affect the results of the haemoglobin A1c include supplements such as Vitamins C and E, and high cholesterol levels. Kidney disease and liver disease may also affect the result of the haemoglobin A1c test.

G. Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Test (SMBG)

To do SMBG, a tiny drop of blood is taken and a glucose meter is used to measure your blood glucose level.

What medications are available for Diabetics?

2009-06-19T01:57:00.000-07:00

I. Oral Medication

Oral diabetes medications help control blood sugar levels in people whose bodies still produce some insulin (the majority of people with Type 2 diabetes). These diabetes drugs are usually prescribed to people with Type 2 diabetes along with recommendations for making specific dietary changes and getting regular exercise.

II. Insulin

Inside the pancreas, beta cells make the hormone insulin. With each meal, beta cells release insulin to help the body use or store the blood glucose it gets from food. In people with Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin. The beta cells have been destroyed and they need insulin shots to use glucose from meals. People with Type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their bodies don’t respond well to it. Some people with Type 2 diabetes need diabetes pills or insulin shots to help their bodies use glucose for energy.

Insulin cannot be taken as a pill. The insulin would be broken down during digestion just like the protein in food. Insulin must be injected into the fat under your skin to get into your blood.

There are many different varieties of insulin for many different situations and lifestyles. These insulins differ in how they are made, how they work in the body, and price.

What is Pre-Diabetes?

2009-06-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but have not reached those of diabetes. This state is also referred to as borderline diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and/or impaired fasting glucose (IFG). These are associated with insulin resistance and are risk factors for the development of Type 2 diabetes.

Major Types of Diabetes

2009-06-19T01:53:00.001-07:00

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin in a hormone that is needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

Type 2 Diabetes

Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use the glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches in glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When the glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:

- Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.

- Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

What is Diabetes?

2009-06-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.