Health Conditions

Why do some people with type 1 diabetes remain free of diabetic retinopathy and other complications while others suffer from sight loss as well as kidney and cardiovascular problems?

Researchers publishing in Diabetes Care set out to answer this question by studying individuals who have been living with type 1 diabetes for over 50 years.  It seems that the sample group of 351 people with longterm diabetes diagnoses was mostly good at maintaining stable blood sugar levels, but blood sugar control did not seem to be the determining factor when it came to eye, kidney, and heart problems.
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The immune system can respond to the balance of intestinal bacteria.  Researchers find that stress is the main factor in the upset of that internal sense of balance.

According to scientists from Ohio State University “Stress changes the composition, diversity and number of intestinal bacteria… The communities of bacteria become less varied, and there are greater numbers of potentially harmful bacteria.”

A news release from the publishing journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity quotes lead researcher Michael Bailey, “When we reduced the number of bacteria in the intestines using antibiotics, we found that some of the effects of stress on the immune system were prevented.
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Another major study describes how some of the spices in your kitchen can help treat diabetes.

Garlic, ginger, and turmeric were found to have positive effects on diabetic rats.  The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition (2011), 105: 1210-1217, finds that ingesting these common spices helped the animals who suffered from metabolic syndrome and helped modulate oxidative stress levels.

Rats who took the spices in powder form mixed with water for 28 days showed a 80-97% reduction in metabolic syndrome symptoms.  The animals’ insulin production increased by 26-37% and their antioxidant defense systems were boosted by up to 52%.
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Importance of Eye Exams

Your eye doctor can help to detect whether you have diabetes.

When an optometrist dilates your eyes prior to an eye exam it makes it easier for her to look at the condition of your retina.  She can look for and readily detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy that indicate that you have diabetes.  Such signs include leaking blood vessels in the retina, swelling of the retina and deposits on the retina.   The retina is the only part of the body where blood vessels can be observed without looking through the skin.  This window into the state of your heath is a wonderful early detection system.
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There is more evidence supporting the power of the mind-body connection.

A new study finds that depression can cause an increase in the pain associated with arthritis of the knee.

A study in South Korea of 660 men and women over age 65 suffering from osteoarthritis of the knees were evaluated using X-rays.  They were also screened for depression.  Those with joint damage were more likely to report high levels of pain, which one would expect.  Researchers also discovered, however, that people with depression who seemed to have mild cases of arthritis based on the X-rays had much higher levels of reported pain.
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Whole Grains

Women with diabetes can cut their risk of death from a heart attack by eating more whole grains.

A study published in the journal Circulation discusses how women who are a diet rich in whole grains and wheat bran were 16-31% less likely to die over a 26 year period compared to women who did not eat those foods.   When researchers considered mortality risks specifically associated with cardiovascular problems, those who ate a whole-grain and bran healthy diet were 28-35% less likely to die of heart related causes during the study’s duration.
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