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The Essential Toolkit to Managing Diabetes

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Essential Toolkit to Managing Diabetes Introduction …………… Page 3

Eating half a cup yoghurt every day can help you manage your blood sugar! …………… Page 4

A Natural Sugar that can help LOWER blood sugar, STABLISE blood pressure, and FIGHT obesity! …………… Page 7

This tiny ancient Egyptian seed extract helps lower blood sugar …………… Page 10

Losing the battle of the bulge? Don’t lose the war against obesity! Here’s how to switch off your insatiable appetite for high/calorie fatty  foods …………… Page 12

Is your Is your low carb diet making you feel tired and disoriented? Don’t give up! Do THIS one thing, to reap the benefits without feeling lousy! …………… Page 14

Could a bacterial infection be the reason you can’t lower your blood sugar? …………… Page 16

Replenishing your levels of this mineral can do more than just lower your blood sugar for your health …………… Page 19

 

CHAPTER ONE 

Eating half a cup of yoghurt every day can help you manage your blood sugar…

A study, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, highlighted how low levels of an unsuspecting vitamin could contribute to high blood sugar…

The link between vitamin A and diabetes…

Yoghurt contains vitamin A, which plays an important role in the development of beta cells in the pancreas.

These cells enable the organ to produce insulin, which keeps your blood sugar in check.

Scientists knew that a deficiency in vitamin A during foetal development interfered with the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, but they weren’t sure if this was the case in adulthood as well.

So, researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York set out to investigate this in a controlled lab test…

They genetically modified one group of mice so that they were no longer able to store vitamin A from food.

In the study, this group of mice experienced beta cell death and were unable to produce insulin.

Then, the researchers went one step further… They removed vitamin A from the diets of another group of healthy mice.

This group also experienced significant beta cell loss, which in turn resulted in their bodies making less insulin.

When the researchers began feeding this group of mice vitamin A again, their pancreas were able to make beta cells and insulin normally again, returning the mice’s blood sugar levels into the normal range.

This breakthrough study suggests that if you’re not getting enough vitamin A, it could play havoc on your blood sugar levels. People most at risk are those who don´t eat meat and fish, Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers, and those who get frequent infections.

In fact, another study, published in the medical journal Diabetlogia, found that simply eating yoghurt every day could reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes as much as 28%…

There are lots of sources of Vitamin A – so, why Yoghurt? 

There are two types of vitamin A: The first type is preformed, also known as retinol, which you get in yoghurt and other dairy products, meat, poultry and fish. The other type of vitamin A, known as provitamin A, is found in fruit and vegetables.

The preformed type is the active form, which your body can use as is, while the body must first convert the inactive provitamin type before it can use it. So that’s the first reason yoghurt is more useful when it comes to helping the pancreas make insulin – it’s in an active form the body can use as is, and especially if you don´t eat meat and fish.

But that’s not all… Yoghurt goes through a fermentation process.

The bacteria that form during this fermentation process are known as probiotics, and they can help improve the profile of your gut bacteria…

These helpful gut bacteria enable the body to form new metabolites that decrease insulin resistance in cells.

So, not only does yoghurt help the pancreas make insulin, it helps the cells in the body recognise the insulin so that glucose can be used as energy, instead of remaining in the blood – which causes high blood sugar.

Improving the health of your gut bacteria may also reduce chronic inflammation in the body – which is a major risk factor for diabetes.

Before you stock your fridge with yoghurt, here’s what you should know…

To enjoy the full health benefits of yoghurt, you will need to read the labels of the tubs before you buy them.

Look for yoghurt that contains live and active cultures of probiotics.

Choose yoghurt that contains less than 10g of sugar and a total carbohydrate content of less than 15g per serving.

Greek yoghurt is a good option because it contains up to twice the protein and half the carbohydrates of regular yoghurt.

Choose plain yoghurt and add healthy toppings yourself, like nuts, seeds and fruit, rather than buying premixed yoghurt – as these generally come with added sugar.

Don’t add artificial sweeteners as these may affect the gut bacteria negatively, according to some research.  If you must have a sweetener, opt for a natural sweetener, like xylitol or stevia.

How much yoghurt? A review of studies showed that 80-125g per day of yoghurt lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by at least 14% – that’s about half a cup of yoghurt.

How to make your own yoghurt containing live cultures

Yoghurt containing live and active cultures can be a bit expensive to buy, especially if you eat it daily…

So, if you have a bit of spare time, you can make your own. It’s quite easy and lasts up to two weeks in the fridge.

Step # 1: 

Visit your local health shop and buy a tub of organic yoghurt containing live bacteria, including the Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus and Bifidobacterium species.

You may find that different brands of yoghurt contain different strains of cultures. So, to get you started with a comprehensive microbial range, choose two or three tubs that contain different strains.

You can also buy a Natural Yoghurt Starter Culture kit from some health shops.

Step # 2: 

Pour one litre of milk into a saucepan over a low heat. Stir gently the whole time until the temperature reaches 91C, which is just below boiling point.

Remove the milk from the heat and rest it until the temperature falls to 46C.

Pour the milk into a sterilised bowl and whisk six tablespoons of the yoghurt you bought into the milk.

The bacteria will start to work on the fresh milk and convert it into yoghurt.

Pour the mixture into a wide-mouthed thermos flask and seal it. Leave it overnight. If it’s still runny in the morning, leave it for a couple more hours.

When the consistency is right, pour it into a sterilised container or jar with a lid and store in the fridge. Home-made yoghurt is slightly more runny than store-bought Greek yoghurt, if you want to get that same thick consistency, strain the yoghurt through a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl for a few hours.

There you have it – a simple way to make your own probiotic yoghurt to enjoy daily. It keeps in the fridge for about two weeks, and you can use your home-made yoghurt to make your next batch when it starts to run low.

References:

 

CHAPTER TWO 

A Natural Sugar that can help LOWER blood sugar, STABLISE blood pressure, and FIGHT obesity!

These health conditions may seem like they’re all isolated and individual health problems…

Your doctor may have diagnosed them at different times…

And, you may take different prescriptions for each of them…

But the reality is, high blood sugar, elevated blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, abdominal fat and lower levels of the good kind of cholesterol, known as HDL, can all be grouped into one major condition called metabolic syndrome.

These conditions put you at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke… and ultimately increases your risk of early death!

About three in ten people in South Africa are estimated to suffer from metabolic syndrome, and these stats are on the rise, thanks to our modern lifestyles.

While it’s not entirely your fault, thanks to the ingredients in processed foods, misleading food labels, time pressures, the effects of stress and genetics, to name a few reasons… It IS ultimately up to you to try and curb this killer syndrome to minimise its effects on your health…

Combating metabolic syndrome calls for a multifaceted approach, including following a healthy diet, losing weight, increasing physical activity, and managing your blood sugar and your blood pressure levels.

And that´s why you need to know about this single ingredient which could help combat metabolic syndrome…

The sugar you want more of in your diet!

There’s hardly an isle in the supermarket that doesn’t stock disease-provoking products containing sugar…

And normally, you´d want to avoid sugar…

But this sugar I´m about to tell you about is different…

You’ll find it tucked away, high up on the top shelf, of the sugar isle…

It’s called Stevia and it’s extracted from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) shrub, a plant related to the daisy, and native to Paraguay and Brazil.

It’s been used since the 1800s to sweeten dishes, and thanks to modern extraction methods, you can buy it in powder form so you can even add it to the most decadent of your dessert recipes!

You see, stevia has a unique benefit based on what it DOESN’T do…

It doesn’t add calories, so it won’t add to your weight problem – this despite being more than 200 times SWEETER than table sugar!

And it doesn’t affect blood glucose levels either…

The reason for this is that stevia contains diterpene glycosides, which can’t be broken down during digestion, or absorbed by the digestive tract.

And that’s only the beginning of its list of benefits…

Stevia isn’t just a sweetener – it may have health-improving properties…

Studies have shown it can also help manage your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thanks to the hundreds of bioactive phytochemicals it contains, and its antioxidant properties.

PLUS, it doesn’t come with side-effects! (That’s no toxicity, teratogenicity, mutagenicity or carcinogenicity).

In a major recent review of all studies done on stevia, published in the International Journal of Clinical Research & Trials, the researchers confirmed this by presenting past and current evidence from cell cultures, as well as animal and human studies, which also provided evidence of the health benefits of stevia on glucose homeostasis, markers of inflammation, lipid profiles and blood pressure.

Blood sugar:

Apart not raising blood sugar levels, which typically happens after an hour after consuming sugar and carbohydrates, a 2010 study showed that stevia does the opposite – it significantly reduces blood sugar levels with longterm use.

In a rat study, those treated with 100mg/kg of stevia per day for 28 days, reduced their mean blood glucose levels by an average of 54mg/dL.

Human studies also showed it’s beneficial for blood sugar control, and in one study, insulin secretion levels increased in the body, ONLY when blood sugar levels were high in the blood, which shows it works selectively.

This is good news for people who struggle controlling the seesaw spike-and-dip movements in their glucose levels.

In another human study, participants could eat as much as they wanted three times per day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 20 minutes before the meals, they were either given stevia, aspartame or sucrose. Those that took the aspartame and the stevia had a lower total daily calorie intake compared to the sucrose group due to the zero-calorie properties of the sweeteners.

Chronic inflammation:

In other animal studies, stevia reduced low grade chronic inflammation after just one month. This kind of toxic inflammation is a result of obesity and contributes to the onset and aggravation of diabetes and heart disease.

Cholesterol:

In mice studies, the stevia-treated animals had lower total cholesterol, as well as LDL (the bad kind), over a 12-week period. They also had higher levels of adiponectin – a hormone that protects against type 2 diabetes.

Blood pressure:

In a human blood pressure study, after three months the mean systolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 166.5 mmHg to 152.6 mmHg, and mean diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 102.1 mmHg to 90.3 mmHg…

Participants maintained these readings for the duration of a year while the study ran.

Similar results were noted in a 2-year double-blind placebo-controlled trial study, where again, stevia was shown to work selectively on high blood pressure. When people with normal or low-normal blood pressure took stevia, their blood pressure didn’t dip.

The investigators found that after only 3 months, mean systolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 166.5 mmHg to 152.6 mmHg, and mean diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 102.1 mmHg to 90.3 mmHg.

Liver protection:

And in other studies, the liver of the rats administered stevia were protected and showed an improved degree of functionality, while the liver of those that didn’t get stevia suffered more damage.

Where to get stevia and how to use it…

No hypersensitivities or allergies have been reported for the use of stevia since 2008, but it’s always a good idea to test any new ingredient you add to your diet by starting with a small dose.

The FDA has approved the consumption of stevia in doses up to 4mg per kilo of body weight per day, but rats administered stevia for 90 days in doses of up to 2000mg per kilo per day showed no signs of toxicity or adverse changes in body chemistry – still it´s never a good idea to overdo anything, and because it´s so much sweeter than cane sugar, you´re unlikely to need to overconsume stevia.

Just a pinch of stevia is equal to about a tablespoon of table sugar.

You can buy stevia at just about any supermarket or discount pharmacy.

Look for organic stevia for best results.

You can also find it in liquid form.

Unlike xylitol, another natural sweetener available in supermarkets, stevia is not toxic to pets, including dogs, but overconsumption can lead to diarrhoea so don’t leave it within easy reach.

Pure stevia doesn’t raise blood sugar. But stevia products sold in stores that use dextrose, maltodextrin, or other high glycemic additives may raise your blood sugar.

References:

 

CHAPTER THREE 

This tiny ancient Egyptian seed extract helps lower blood sugar…

Its scientific name is Nigella sativa but it´s more commonly known just as ‘black seed’, ‘black cumin’ or ‘black caraway’.

These seeds were a favourite in Egyptian royal circles, among them, Nefertiti and Cleopatra, both for their health benefits and for their ability to keep your skin silky and glowing. 

In fact, they were so treasured in Egypt, that they were found in the young King Tutankhamun’s tomb to aid him in his afterlife…

Today, they’re used in Indian and Middle-Eastern culinary dishes, and in science labs, researchers are also discovering just how useful they can be when it comes to keeping blood sugar in check…

In a review, published in the British Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, these seeds were effective in enhancing the body’s production of insulin, improving glucose tolerance, and they increased the availability of beta cells which play an important role in maintaining blood sugar levels in the healthy range.

This review also found that Nigella sativa seeds reduce diabetes-related complications such as neuropathy, kidney damage and atherosclerosis. 

Comparable with metformin:

In one study on obese, pre-diabetic participants, Nigella sativa (450mg taken twice per day), produced similar results to the diabetes drug, metformin (for full-blown diabetes, it´s recommended as an adjuvant).

The seeds helped with weight management, improved blood sugar levels as well as cholesterol and triglycerides, and they also reduced systemic inflammation.

Repairs insulin function:

In one study, published in the Global Journal of Pharmacology, researchers fed type 1 diabetic rats either low dose or high dose Nigella sativa for 30 days.

They then dissected and analysed their pancreases and found that the group taking the low dose Nigella sativa had less damage to their islets of Langerhans compared to the placebo group which didn’t receive any treatment…

But the cells of the group taking the high dose Nigella sativa (0.4mg/kg) were in a similar state to those of the control group – the non-diabetic rats!

What´s in black seeds that make them so effective?

These little black cumin seeds are super rich in the potent antioxidants thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone…

They’re packed with plant sterols which reduce inflammation and are especially beneficial for the heart, weight management and immune function.

They contain important harmonising minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and iron.

And, in addition to this, they contain essential fatty acids:

  • Palmitic acid – a powerful nutrient for metabolic health and skin health
  • Oleic and linoleic acids – reduce cholesterol and improve heart health
  • Stearic acid – keeps the skin hydrated

In combination, these nutrients also give Nigella sativa anti-microbial properties!

Where to get Nigella sativa…

You can buy the seeds and oil in the spice isles of specialised Asian culinary shops (don’t confuse them with the ordinary caraway seeds).

If you enjoy their peppery flavour, you can drizzle the oil on your salads as you would olive oil…

Or add to a warm glass of milk with a touch of honey before bed if it’s not your palate’s most favourite friend.

You can also buy the oil or softgel capsules containing the oil from discount pharmacies and health shops. 

Too much of the oil can cause stomach irritation, nausea and digestive issues so start with a lower dosage and work your way up to product label recommendations.

Always check with your doctor before starting on any new supplements, especially if you’re on blood-thinning medication, or other chronic medication. 

 

CHAPTER FOUR 

Losing the battle of the bulge? 

Don’t lose the war against obesity! 

Here’s how to help switch off your insatiable appetite for high-calorie fatty foods…

Losing weight can be an upstream battle…

And what makes it worse is when you get those unrelenting cravings for a juicy burger, delicious pizza or decadent brownie.

If only there was a “switch” to turn them off…

Well, there may be something that works in a similar way!

Inulin (note, not insulin) changes the bacterial make-up in your gut – which may make you want to eat less junkfood!

It’s a win-win solution…

Having the right kind and mix of bacteria in your gut is important for your immune system, to prevent low grade chronic inflammation which leads to disease, and now scientists have found it can help keep the fat off too!

It’s called inulin and it comes in the form of a supplement…

Studies have shown that when your body digests inulin, the bacteria in your gut release a compound called propionate…

And this tells your brain to reduce your appetite.

MRI scans taken after the ingestion of inulin show less brain activity when study participants are shown pictures of high calorie foods, like pizza, chocolate and cake.

These reward centres in the brain (medically known as the caudate and nucleus accumbens) just don’t light up as much when you have good bacteria living in your gut, compared to when you have bacteria that thrive on these unhealthy foods!

But don’t worry, you won’t ever starve…

Inulin doesn’t affect your appetite for healthy foods like salad, fish and vegetables!

It also enhances feelings of fullness because it contains short-chain fatty acids – and they’ve been shown to increase appetite-suppressing hormones.

Inulin has also been shown to be beneficial for blood sugar regulation and to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Plus, it helps your body absorb calcium from the food you eat!

Drink lots of water to keep hydrated when you take an inulin supplement.

You can buy inulin supplements from good health shops.

You can also up your intake of foods rich in inulin. These include:

  • 100% whole wheat grain
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Bananas
  • Artichokes
  • Leeks
  • Asparagus
  • Cinnamon
  • Parsley
  • Red chilli peppers
  • Black pepper

Let the good bacteria in your gut fight obesity for you by feeding them the nutrients they need to flourish.

References:

 

CHAPTER FIVE 

Is your low carb diet making you feel tired and disoriented?

Don’t give up!

Do THIS one thing, to reap the benefits without feeling lousy!

There’s no mistaking, the keto diet has been shown to be effective for weight loss…

But it can leave you feeling lousy!

Thankfully, there’s an easy way to fix this – without giving up all the hard work you’ve put into your weight loss plan…

The fine line with the Keto diet…

When your body fluids contain too much acid, it’s known as acidosis, or ketoacidosis. It happens when your kidneys and lungs just can’t keep the pH in balance, and it slips below the ‘normal’ 7.4 to 7.35 range, into the acidic band.

Acidic blood causes extreme thirst, frequent urination, nausea, fatigue and sleepiness, headaches, blurred vision, confusion, lack of appetite, increased heart rate and shallow breathing or shortness of breath.

What you´re aiming for by reducing the amount of carbohydrates you eat, is ketosis. This is when you have a higher than usual level of ketones in your blood or urine, but it’s not high enough to cause acidosis.

Ketones are a chemical your body produces when it burns stored fat. And, by reducing the amount of carbs in your diet, you’re forcing your body to burn fat for energy (because you’re not feeding it carbs to convert into energy).

But the reality is, your body DOES need some carbs…

Consume up to 100g of carbs per day to prevent ketoacidosis…

In a case report published in CPC Emergency Medicine, the researchers noted that acidosis can be prevented by including up to 100 grams of carbohydrates per day.

And an easy way to do this is to include a small portion of rice, pasta or a medium potato with your meals.

These are some useful numbers to know if you have type 2 diabetes and want to try the Keto diet…

Maintaining your ketone levels between low to moderate level won’t increase your risk for ketoacidosis if you keep your blood sugar within the normal range – below 240mg/dL (14 mmol/L).

Be extra cautious when you get sick with a cold or the flu, this may increase your risk of ketoacidosis.

You can buy blood sugar and blood ketone meter kits from health shops and online. Some blood glucose meters can read your ketone levels too.

Seek medical help if you ever get a Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA) reading as you may need intravenous insulin to bring your blood sugar levels down, as well as electrolytes.

If you manage your carb intake and your blood sugar levels, the Keto diet could help you manage your diabetes better – and even possibly reverse it…

Be sure to work with your doctor so he is aware of any changes you make to your diet.

And, if you don’t have diabetes, the keto diet can be a great way to help avoid it and lose excess weight!

References:

 

CHAPTER SIX 

Could a bacterial infection be the reason you can’t lower your blood sugar?

Have you been wracking your brain trying to figure out why you just can’t get your blood sugar to behave?

You’re eating like a rabbit, sweating away at the gym and taking health supplements… And STILL those numbers won´t budge don’t come down – or worse – they’re all over the show!

You’re exhausted and ready to give up, right?

Well, this information may be eye-opening!

The problem could be a bacterial infection in your GUT!

And, until you address it, your blood sugar just won´t stabilise!

Up to 60% of South Africans could suffer from this hard-to-treat bacterial infection without even knowing it!

For most people, this bacterium becomes a permanent resident in the gut from childhood.

It´s known as Helicobacter pylori – H pylori for short.

The immune system is quite good at resisting this pathogen so it can co-exist inside you – unnoticed for years…

But sometimes, your immune system becomes compromised, and that’s when you end up with an overgrowth of this bacterium…

Depending on how serious the overgrowth is and how quickly your immune system can restore itself and react to the infection, you may find yourself fending off ‘unexplained’ allergies, digestive issues, joint pain, inflamed eyes, rosacea (red skin), psoriasis…

Or, you could get a stomach ulcer, or gastritis – a condition in which the stomach lining becomes inflamed – which are both more easily linked to H pylori…

But now, a brand-new study has also confirmed the link between H Pylori infection and diabetes!

H Pylori could be the hidden link behind your out-of-control blood sugar levels!

Previous research has been mixed on whether H Pylori is implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes. But this new cross-sectional study, out of Cameroon, has clearly shown a distinct link between the two.   

The researchers at the Gastroenterology Departments of two hospitals in Douala studied 93 type-2 diabetic patients and 112 non-diabetic patients, all of which suffered from digestive issues.

The participants were screened for both type 2 diabetes and H pylori infection. The results were significant. They showed that 73.11% of the diabetic patients also had an H pylori infection, compared to 58.05% in the non-diabetic group.

In another earlier study, published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, the researchers noted that H pylori infection is known to cause insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Treating H pylori isn’t that easy but by combining allopathic and a natural treatments, you could fend it off…

If your doctor suspects you have an H Pylori infection, he will take your blood and send it to the lab to determine whether you have those antibodies. He could also give you a breath test, which checks the levels of urea in your breath. Other tests include a stool test and a stomach biopsy.

A single dose of antibiotics may not kill an H Pylori infection because of the way its evolved over time… So, your doctor is more likely to prescribe a “triple therapy” that could consist of a proton-pump inhibitor drug to reduce the amount of stomach acid your body produces, and two different kinds of antibiotics.

And this may require repeat scripts.

Multiple courses of antibiotics, especially in combination form, could put you at risk of an antibiotic resistant infection at some point in your life, so it’s not ideal. But, given the alternative, you and your doctor may choose to risk this. 

You’ll need to take probiotics to help restore your gut biome – they encourage the growth of healthy bacteria.

Studies also show that H pylori are vulnerable to light, so you may benefit from phototherapy, which uses ultraviolet light in the stomach to kill the bacteria.

Help boost your chances of eradicating H pylori with this natural anti-microbial…                                                                                                       

There’s another natural antibacterial treatment that’s showing great promise for the eradication of H pylori. It’s a natural anti-microbial plant, called Artemisia. It’s such a powerful anti-microbial that it’s been developed into a drug against malaria – called artemisinin.

And now, pharmaceutical companies are developing another drug from this natural plant to fight H pylori, called β-artecyclopropylmether.

In studies, it’s been shown to be effective in fighting strains of this bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics.

In the meantime, until this new drug becomes available on the market, speak to your doctor about taking artemisia supplements along with the antibiotics he prescribes for you.

You can buy artemisia from good health shops or online.

References:

 

CHAPTER SEVEN 

Replenishing your levels of this mineral could do more than just lower your blood sugar…

A recent study has shown that if you’re low on this essential mineral, you’re unlikely to be doing well when it comes to keeping your blood sugar in the healthy narrow band…

And beyond bringing you reprieve from your endless struggles with your blood sugar, replenishing this mineral can also help protect your liver from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and systemic inflammation.

Elevated levels of zinc linked to lower risk of diabetes, reduced insulin resistance and less fat build-up in the liver…

Unless you´re a man and you´ve been concerned about your prostate, chances are nobody has advised you to check, or to boost, your zinc levels…

While it´s the most abundant mineral in the prostate, it has other important functions in the body, one of which is the regulation of your metabolism.

Without sufficient levels of this mineral, the body will struggle to make insulin and lower glucose levels in the blood.

This brand-new study, published in e-Life confirmed that people with pre-diabetes and diabetics could benefit from zinc supplementation.

The scientists discovered through a meta-analysis involving over 580,000 people from multi-ethnic groups, that people with a mutation in a specific zinc transporter protein, known as SLC39A5, which causes their circulating levels of zinc to remain high, have a reduced risk of diabetes, regardless of their diet.

To test this theory, scientists then genetically engineered mice, removing this key zinc transporter protein…

As expected, they had elevated blood and tissue levels of zinc.

And when the researchers fed them a high-fat and high fructose diet – which promotes obesity, there was a significant reduction in fasting glucose levels compared to the control group, which had been fed the same diet but hadn´t been genetically modified to lack the SLC39A5 protein.

The genetically modified mice also had reduced insulin resistance.

In addition to this, these same mice had less build-up of fat in the liver and in blood markers for liver damage.

They had lower levels of inflammation of the liver and less fibrosis (liver scarring).

This study was successful in confirming the protective role of zinc against high blood sugar.

To further prove this theory, a study published in the Journal Family Community Medicine in 2020, found that people with diabetes are more likely to have a zinc deficiency than non-diabetics…

And, people who struggle to control their blood sugar may also have lower zinc levels.

An earlier meta-analysis, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that zinc supplementation improves glycaemic control, and may help prevent or manage diabetes.

How to ensure you get adequate levels of zinc to help manage your blood sugar levels… 

It goes without saying that you still need to take care to follow a healthy diet, low in sugars and refined carbs, while increasing your zinc intake (if you don´t already take a zinc supplement or multivitamin).

There is a blood test your doctor can order to test your zinc levels, but it´s not very reliable for people with a mild deficiency.

The best is to see if you´re more successful at managing your blood sugar with zinc supplementation (under the supervision of your doctor).

Zinc is also a powerful antioxidant and is best known for its benefits in strengthening the immune system, so it can be an all-rounder beneficial option to add to your health strategy.

The daily recommended dosage for zinc is 12mg for women and 15mg for men, but studies have been done for diabetes using dosages of 30mg, 50mg, 100mg and even 660mg per day.

Check with your doctor especially if you decide to take over 50mg per day.

Too much zinc can be toxic. Signs to look out for include:

* Gastric irritation

* Vomiting

* Nausea

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) note that 150-450mg of zinc per day can deplete the body of copper, iron, the good type of cholesterol (HDL), and reduced immune system function.

But as long as you stay within the recommended dosages, you won´t need to worry about these hazards.

References:

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