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Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
By Stephen Bucaro
Type 2 diabetes is a non-insulin-dependent form of diabetes that often develops as we
age. Although not as serious as type 1 diabetes, it can still lead to damage to many
organs, including the cardiovascular system. The Centers for Disease Control has characterized
the increase in type 2 diabetes in the US and the developed world as an epidemic.
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that
transports blood sugar (glucose) into muscle cells. Glucose provides fuel for your brain
and muscles. Insulin resistance causes the glucose level to build up in your blood,
instead of getting into our muscles. When the glucose level builds up in your blood, it
causes damage to almost every part of your body.
Your blood provides oxygen, nutrients, and the removal of waste products for all the
cells of your body. Insulin resistance causes the blood to get so thick with glucose that
it can't get into the tiny blood vessels called capillaries. This cuts off circulation to
parts of the body that need capillaries to get their blood supply.
When the capillaries of the eyes get blocked, vision is damaged. When the supply of
blood to the arms and legs is restricted, there is damage to the muscles and nerves. When
the supply of blood to the muscle of the heart is restricted, heart disease is the result.
When the blood is thick with glucose, the kidneys can't do their job of filtering the
blood, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality.
Because diabetes is associated with high blood sugar, many people think that cutting
out sugar is going to prevent type 2 diabetes. The real cause of type 2 diabetes is a
high-fat diet. It is now known the fat in the blood blocks the cells insulin receptors.
Secondly, fat contributes to obesity or being overweight, which causes additional strain
on the heart and kidneys.
There is a whole slew of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. Some work by reducing
liver function, others by increasing insulin secretion by the pancreas, others by
increasing in cellular uptake of glucose in body tissues. However, all drugs have side
effects, and many type 2 diabetes treatment drugs have been withdrawn from the US market.
The best way to manage type 2 diabetes is by eating the same healthy diet that is
recommended for everyone, and by engaging in exercise.
Most diabetes dietitians recommend a diet that is high in fiber, which means eating a
range of fruit and vegetables and avoiding fat, especially saturated fat. The way to avoid
saturated fat is to NOT eat animal products. The difference between plant foods and animal
foods is the presence of saturated fat in all animal products - including fish. In
addition, animal products have absolutely no fiber content.
An effective exercise program can also help manage type 2 diabetes. Exercise makes
muscles more receptive to glucose. In 2007, a joint randomized controlled trial by the
University of Calgary and the University of Ottawa found that either aerobic or resistance
exercise alone improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, but the improvements are
greatest with combined aerobic and resistance exercise.
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