Diabetes - A 21st Century Scourge: Nutrients for Weight Loss in Diabetics

Every excess pound above your ideal body weight makes developing diabetes or pre­diabetes extremely easy and reversing the condition exceedingly difficult. There are several imperatives regarding diabetes and weight loss. One, movement equals improvement. In order to reduce inflammation and burn off glycogen released when stress hormones are present you must exercise moderately (when able) otherwise weight management will not happen. Second, your meal plan must meet the demands of reversing diabetes. Finally, taking the right supplements in adequate amounts will help you on your way.

Keep in mind that there is no magic bullet out there to get you where you need to go. Depending solely on supplements is a sure way to not meet your goals. Be sure to think of these recommendations as Sherpas helping you up the mountain of diabetes reversal.

The goal here is to nourish the body in such a way as to trigger your body’s natural ability to reduce fat storage and induce fat cell destruction. Supplement recommendations will be divided into sections: Fat burning, appetite suppressants, increased satiety and energy production.

Thermogenic (fat burning):

●      Green tea (or green tea extracts): used for thousands of years for a range of health benefits green tea and its extracts profoundly increases thermogenic activity in the body. This helps your body increase fat burning over a sustained period of time with no side effects (unless you are extremely sensitive to caffeine). 3-­4 cups of green tea daily and/or 100 milligrams of green tea extract is recommended.

●      Fucoxanthin: a component of fucoidan it is derived from edible seaweed. Asian cultures have used and consumed seaweed full of fucoxanthin for thousands of years and have experienced wonderful health benefits as a result. In recent years it has been gaining more and more interest for its thermogenic powers with new human studies supporting this claim. It is also noted for its ability decrease the body’s ability to store abdominal and liver fat. 5 milligrams three times daily is recommended.

Appetite Suppressants:

●      L-­tryptophan and 5­-hydroxytryptophan (5­-HTP): these amino acids help to control carbohydrate and sugar cravings by helping the body produce more serotonin which naturally deters these cravings. 50­-100 milligrams one to three times daily or 100-­300 milligrams before bed. Serotonin Max may be a good place to start. *Special note: if you are taking a SSRI antidepressants or triptans for migraines please consult with your physician before taking these supplements.

●      N­-acetyl L-­tyrosine: a naturally occurring amino acid that helps the body increase

dopamine and norepinephrine which decreases appetite and improves mood. 500-­2,000 milligrams daily taken on an empty stomach usually does the trick. Avoid taking in the late afternoon as it may interfere with sleep.

Increase Satiety:

●      Fiber: fiber does so many wonderful things for the body like help control sugar levels through various mechanisms but the focus here will be on feeling full. Both soluble and insoluble fiber play a significant role in this process.  It is recommended that most people consume at least 30 grams per day (most only get about 14 grams per day). A high quality fiber supplement split up over the course of the day (10 grams 3x daily) will assist with feeling full, reduce cravings and moderate blood sugar levels.

Increase Energy:

●       Acetyl L-­carnitine: supports, protects and regenerates mitochondria and mitochondrial functions. It is also able to cross the blood­-brain barrier to support and energize brain cells and increase the number of neurotransmitters in the brain. Increased energetic output and mitochondrial function (where energy is produced) helps to reduce weight through desiring to move and then doing so!

*Before beginning any supplement regime it is best that you consult your primary healthcare practitioner or doctor.

The Story of Cholesterol: A Supplemental on Supplementals

In the last article (which was supposed to be the last article in this series) we covered the miraculous and beneficial effects of CoQ10 on heart health and energy. If you or a loved one ever had a heart attack CoQ10 supplementation is a must. 

As far as supplements go the story is a bit more involved than just CoQ10 as wonderful as it is. There are a few other supplements that can greatly improve cardiovascular health and increase energy in the process. The news gets even better when you consider that, along with CoQ10, anyone can benefit from a boost of energy and vitality when the following supplements are added to a healthy lifestyle. Just as before in the previous article it is necessary to point out that nothing written here should be construed as medical advice and that any supplemental regimen should be discussed with your trusted (and open minded) healthcare professional. With that caveat established let's take a look at some of the other supplements that you may or may not be familiar with.

D Ribose

We are energetic beings and our bodies need plenty of energy. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is how our body gets things done energetically speaking. One of the main constituents of ATP is D-ribose. No D-ribose means there can be no way to produce ATP. Without ATP there can be no energy. D-ribose is generated by the body mostly on the as-needed basis and there is no way to store it. This is an important factor to consider because when tissues are under stress they cannot produce D-ribose and thus the body is robbed of energy. The combination of poor heart function leading to oxygen deprivation and the inability to produce energy can leave you feeling quite poor in deed.

A prominent German physiologist by the name of Heinz-Gerd Zimmer established a connection between heart function and D-ribose. He found that people who had hearts deprived of nutrients and oxygen sometimes due to blockages fared better when given D-ribose.  Zimmer also found that the administration of D-ribose had restorative powers for energy and helped bring about normal diastolic heart function. In a 1992 clinical study D-ribose was also shown to have increased the ability to do exercise in patients that had severe coronary artery disease.

Magnesium

One of the main culprits of poor cardiovascular health is actually the inability to properly absorb calcium which is found in plentiful amounts in most western diets. When calcium is ill-absorbed it remains in the blood stream longer where it has a greater chance to interact with free radicals increasing the rate of calcification that often occurs in arteries and other blood vessels. At this point blockages are sure to happen given enough time. This is where magnesium comes in to help. Magnesium, along with vitamin D, helps to convert calcium into a more absorbable form before it calcifies keeping blood vessels clear. If that was not important, or impressive, enough magnesium is also great at keeping platelets from aggregating (sticking together) and forming blood clots while it also acts as a vascular dilator reducing blood pressure. It should be noted that people suffering from renal insufficiencies should not supplement with magnesium without medical guidance.

B Vitamin Complex (especially B5)

B vitamins in and of themselves provides the body with massive, sustained energy over a significant amount of time and that is simply awesome. For the sake of this article, however, we will cover vitamin B5 specifically in a slightly different light. Many people are unaware of the vital role B5 (also known as pantothenic acid) plays in limiting inflammation and oxidation of cholesterol. No less than 28 clinical studies have shown that vitamin B5 produced positive results regarding triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL levels. A literature review was conducted by Dr. Mark Houston and published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases helped establish pantothenic acid’s importance in cardiovascular health. The literature demonstrated after only four months of B5 supplementation total cholesterol was reduced by 15%, LDL cholesterol by 20% and triglycerides by 32.9% while increasing HDL by 8.4%. He also noted that studies of longer duration showed continued improvement in participants over the initial four month successes. Reduce inflammation and you reduce cholesterol…period!

We long to live lives enriched by the fragrance of energy and productivity radiating from every pore. Sometimes, however, devastating health conditions such a heart attack can rob us of that ability leaving one disturbed and down trodden. The beauty of nature and life is that even if we find ourselves in this lowered state of affairs we do not have to dwell there. An out is often provided if we look carefully and thoughtfully at our circumstances. There are, of course, many more supplements that could be considered but this is a healthy start (pun intended). Proper supplementation of the right nutrients can be the difference between slumming in the doldrums and soaring with the eagles after an adverse cardiovascular event. This article should serve as a great catalyst for conversation between you and your trusted healthcare provider.

Sources for this article include:

The Great Cholesterol Myth (Bowden and Sinatra)

The Story of Cholesterol: The Statin Drug Nightmare Part II

Before we delve further into the nightmare that is statin drugs I think a good dose of fairness is in order. One benefit of statin drugs is that they do tend to show antioxidative abilities, decreases blood viscosity and inflammation. These are good things indeed but the trade-offs are often stupendous and some times fatal. Also, there are better, natural ways to get anti-oxidants that will not disrupt your life.

Often people who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol experience mild to severe forms of muscle pain, fatigue, memory loss, sexual dysfunction, weakness, and cognitive dysfunction. Why is this so? It turns out that cholesterol serves many vital functions in the body and turning off production of it can lead to many serious problems as we will discuss below.

The Heart and Energy Production

Let's get to the heart of the matter. I hope you can pardon the pun but it seems to be the best place to start when discussing just how bad statin drugs tend to be. A very significant nutrient produced by the body is an enzyme called CoQ10. The highest concentrations of CoQ10 can be found in the heart because, as the most active muscle in the body, it requires much energy and CoQ10 helps to provide it. Without it the heart would cease to function properly in a relatively short amount of time. The (cruel) irony is the very drug that is meant to protect the heart can cause it the most damage.

When discussing fatigue, which can be chronic in some statin drug users, we are really discussing energy. Once again this is where CoQ10 comes in to play. Not only is the heart served by this important enzyme but all muscles in the body. It helps the metabolic processes of every cell which in turn produces energy. Limiting or eliminating production of CoQ10 can create states of fatigue that are misery inducing and life altering while at the same time weakening the heart.

The Brain

Memory loss and the inability to think clearly (cognitive dysfunction) is one of the most frightening side effects of statin drug use. Unfortunately, it is also the most frequently reported side effect. Sometimes the dysfunction is so intense it can mimic Alzheimer disease.  How does this happen? As it turns out the brain is composed of approximately 60% cholesterol. At night, as we sleep and slumber, our bodies help to repair and restore brain function with cholesterol being one of the primary ingredients. As cholesterol levels decrease so does brain function. In addition to repairs, cholesterol is a chief component in helping neurotransmitters function properly. This was conclusively demonstrated in 2009 by a Iowa State University professor by the name of Dr. Yeon-Kyun Shin. It turns out that cholesterol influences the shape and function of certain proteins in the brain that help stimulate thinking and memory.

Sexual Dysfunction

Depending upon who you ask proper brain and heart function are neck-in-neck when it comes to everyday quality of life while sexual function has its place somewhere in there. Regardless of how important sex is to you most would agree that proper sexual function is at least a close third in the three way race with the brain and heart. Cholesterol lowering medications have wrecked many sex lives with the most pronounced (and most noticeable) effect on men. All the major sex hormones are derived from cholesterol. The very hormones that causes sex lives to thrive are reduced in number and potency when cholesterol is indiscriminately cut and slashed. The hormone that is most affected is testosterone. Testosterone is a key component for proper erectile function in men and libido support for men and women (women produce small amounts of testosterone and is vitally important to all). Not to put too fine a point on the subject but mood and performance for both men and women can be adversely affected when cholesterol levels decrease. A 2009 study titled "Statins and Erectile Dysfunction: Results of a Case/Non-case Study using the French Pharmacovigilance System Database" found that men taking Crestor were two to seven times more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction! Low testosterone levels have also been associated with decreased life expectancy and increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.

A bad heart, fatigue, cloudy thinking and judgement and a sex life that is left weak and uninviting is what many people have to suffer with while on statin drugs. Unfortunately, this is not all of the side effects. The others may be less troubling than what has already been mentioned here but there is one more that rarely makes the news and it has to do with our immune systems which will be addressed in the next article.

Sources include:

The Great Cholesterol Myth (Bowden and Sinatra)