Posts Tagged ‘Diabetes’
Diabetes Patients, Natural Insulin.
Bitter gourd/Melon
Momordica charantia, called bitter melon, bitter gourd or bitter squash in English, Karavella [1] in Sanskrit and Karela in Hindi and Urdu, Karla in Marathi, Pavakai (பாகற்க்காய்) in Tamil, Hagala kayi in Kannada, Kakarakaya in Telugu, kudhreth narhy(kudret narı) in Turkish, is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of allfruits. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit. This is a plant of the tropics.
Karela originated in India and it was carried to China in the 14th century.[2]….
Antihelmintic
Bitter melon is used as a folk medicine in Togo to treat gastrointestinal diseases, and extracts have shown activity in vitro against the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans.[4]
[edit]Antimalarial
Bitter melon is traditionally regarded in Asia as useful for preventing and treating malaria.[citation needed] Tea from its leaves is used for this purpose also in Panama and Colombia. In Guyana, bitter melons are boiled and stir-fried with garlic and onions. This popular side dish known as corilla is served to prevent malaria. Laboratory studies have confirmed that species related to bitter melon have antimalarial activity, though human studies have not yet been published.[15]
[edit]Antiviral
In Togo, the plant is traditionally used against viral diseases such as chickenpox and measles. Tests with leaf extracts have shown in vitro activity against the herpes simplex type 1 virus, apparently due to unidentified compounds other than the momordicins.[4]
Laboratory tests suggest compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection.[16] As most compounds isolated from bitter melon that impact HIV have either been proteins orlectins, neither of which are well-absorbed, it is unlikely that oral intake of bitter melon will slow HIV in infected people. Oral ingestion of bitter melon possibly could offset negative effects of anti-HIV drugs, if an in vitro study can be shown to be applicable to people.[17]
[edit]Cardioprotective
Studies in mice indicate bitter melon seed may have a cardioprotective effect by down-regulating the NF-κB inflammatory pathway.[18]
[edit]Diabetes
In 1962, Lolitkar and Rao extracted from the plant a substance, which they called charantin, which had hypoglycaemic effect on normal and diabetic rabbits.[19] Another principle, active only on diabetic rabbits, was isolated by Visarata and Ungsurungsie in 1981.[20] Bitter melon has been found to increase insulin sensitivity.[21] In 2007, a study by the Philippine Department of Health determined a daily dose of 100 mg per kilogram of body weight is comparable to 2.5 mg/kg of the antidiabetes drug glibenclamide taken twice per day.[22] Tablets of bitter melon extract are sold in the Philippines as a food supplement and exported to many countries.[22]
Other compounds in bitter melon have been found to activate the AMPK, the protein that regulates glucose uptake (a process which is impaired in diabetics).[23][24][25][26][27]
Bitter melon also contains a lectin that has insulin-like activity due to its nonprotein-specific linking together to 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.[citation needed]
[edit]Anticancer
Two compounds extracted from bitter melon, α-eleostearic acid (from seeds) and 15,16-dihydroxy-α-eleostearic acid (from the fruit) have been found to induce apoptosis of leukemia cells in vitro.[28] Diets containing 0.01% bitter melon oil (0.006% as α-eleostearic acid) were found to prevent azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis in rats.[29]
Researchers at Saint Louis University claim an extract from bitter melon, commonly eaten and known as karela in India, causes a chain of events which helps to kill breast cancer cells and prevents them from multiplying.[30] [31]
Related articles
- Health Benefits of Bitter Melon (refreshingnews99.blogspot.com)
Diabetes Patients Prefer Medicines over Lifestyle.
Image via Wikipedia
It is assumed that people who suffer from chronic diseases will listen to Doctors advice,at least the informed.
But recent survey confirms what I have been saying, that people with such diseases do not take Doctor’s advice seriously under the mistaken impression that the medicines shall take care of Diabetes.
I have seen people eating sweets and other sugar rich food stating that they shall take additional tablet to offset the effect of additional sugar intake.
Diabetics must remember that Diabetes is manageable,an euphemism by Doctors that it is not curable.
Diet and change in Lifestyle is the answer.
Please read my blogs under Health.
Most type 2 diabetes patients are well informed about their disease and have good access to health care, though they still choose to live unhealthy lifestyles, according to a study from SHIELD, The Study to Help Improve Early Evaluation and Management released Tuesday.
In the largest nongovernmental study of its kind, researchers found that while awareness surrounding diabetes has increased in the last decade, preventative measures have not been taken more seriously.
Almost one in five people with type 2 diabetes said they preferred to take medicine for their health problems instead of changing their lifestyle.
Researchers found that 87 percent of 3,867 type 2 diabetes respondents in the baseline survey said they knew obesity could add to the beginning of chronic disease.
Specifically, 63 percent of the participants reported that their health professional had recommended an increase in exercise in the last year, but 87 percent said that they had been inactive for the past week before the study.
Salt Intake-Good Or Bad For Health?
Image via Wikipedia
Salt consumption is vital for Health.
While it is necessary for the metabolism ,some times it is reported to be responsible for health problems like heart ailments,Hypertension ,Renal Disorders and Diabetes.
Contradicting Study results have been obtained regarding Salt intake and cardiac,hypertension and diabetes.
It is better not to meddle with salt intake excepting in the case of Renal Disorders.
“ A high salt diet isn’t bad for you, it’s good for healthy people, European researchers suggest.
Jan A. Staessen, MD, PhD, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, led a study that measured urinary sodium levels in 3,681 healthy, 40-ish people and then followed their health for about eight years.
Their finding: People with the highest sodium levels had a significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease than did people with the lowest sodium levels.
“Our current findings refute the estimates of computer models of lives saved and health care costs reduced with lower salt intake,” Staessen and colleagues conclude in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “They do also not support the current recommendations of a generalized and indiscriminate reduction of salt intake at the population level.”
These recommendations come from the American Heart Association (AHA), which advises everyone to limit their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day — a substantial cut from the 3,600 to 4,800 milligrams of sodium most Americans get each day.”
“
We now know conclusively that the U.S. government’s war on salt consumption will cause harm,” Lori Roman, president of the Salt Institute, says in a news release. “This study confirms previous research indicating that reductions in sodium lead to an increased risk of disease and death.”
Nothing could be further from the truth, says Ralph L. Sacco, MD, president of the American Heart Association and chairman of the neurology department at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
“We need to take this article with a large grain of salt,” Sacco tells WebMD. “There are major problems with it, and there is only this one article with these findings, which are contrary findings to what we and others have found.”
“
Sacco notes that the study looks only at relatively young, white Europeans, with no sign of high blood pressure or heart disease, over a relatively short period of time. He suggests that the measure on which the study is based — collection of all urine output over a 24-hour period — is subject to large variation if even one sample is missed during the collection period.
More to the point, Sacco notes a long string of studies linking high salt intake to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
“The AHA recommendation to reduce salt intake is based on strong science, not just extrapolations or complex math,” Sacco says. “There have even been randomized trials, the strongest evidence we have that show people who follow lower-sodium diets have lower blood pressure and fewer heart attacks and strokes.”
Staessen and colleagues note that blood pressure did go up a bit in people with the highest sodium levels. They agree that people with high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure by lowering their salt intake. But they suggest that previous studies have overestimated the effects of salt intake on healthy people who are not oversensitive to sodium.”
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110504/study-shows-salty-diet-good-heart-group-disagrees
“A modest reduction in the mounds of salt consumed by the typical American each year could lead to 155,000 fewer heart attacks and strokes annually, according to a new analysis.
The benefit would come from reductions in blood pressure that would result from cutting about 3 grams of salt a day.
The average man and woman now consume 10 grams and 7 grams a day, respectively.
That’s about 8 pounds of salt a year for a man.
While some groups such as African-Americans, older people and those with high blood pressure would benefit the most, reducing salt would lower blood pressure throughout society, said lead author Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco.
“Everybody benefits to some extent,” she said. “Everybody has slightly lower blood pressure when they reduce salt.”
http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/82218417.html
Diabetes and Salt:
“Having diabetes puts you at greater risk for high blood pressure. High levels of salt (sodium) in your diet can further increase that risk. So your doctor or dietitian may ask you to limit or avoid high-salt foods”
http://diabetes.webmd.com/diabetes-understanding-salt
Cirrhosis and Salt Intake:
“If you have cirrhosis, you may need to reduce your sodium intake by eating less salt. You’ll feel better and lower your risk of fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites) and legs (edema) and other complications by following the suggestions in this Actionset. You may also want to visit with a nutritionist (registered dietitian) to help you get started or find more ways to cut down on salt and eat a healthful diet.”
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/eating-a-low-sodium-diet-when-you-have-cirrhosis
Abstract
“We have reviewed the role of salt intake in kidney diseases, particularly in relation to renal hemodynamics, renal excretion of proteins, renal morphological changes and progression of chronic renal failure. High salt intake may have detrimental effects on glomerular hemodynamics, inducing hyperfiltration and increasing the filtration fraction and glomerular pressure. This may be particularly important in elderly, obese, diabetic or black patients, who have a high prevalence of salt-sensitivity. Changes in salt intake may influence urinary excretion of proteins in patients with essential hypertension, or diabetic and non diabetic nephropathies. Moreover, high sodium intake may blunt the antiproteinuric effect of various drugs, including angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and calcium antagonists. Experimental studies show a direct tissue effect of salt on the kidney, independent of its ability to increase blood pressure, inducing hypertrophy, fibrosis and a decrease in glomerular basement membrane anionic sites. However, no firm conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between salt consumption and progression of chronic renal failure, because most information comes from conflicting, small, retrospective, observational studies. In conclusion, it would appear that restriction of sodium intake is an important preventive and therapeutic measure in patients with chronic renal diseases of various origin, or at risk of renal damage, such as hypertensive or diabetic patients.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12113591
Related:
Interactive Sites on Medical Information.Click On The Ailment.
The tutorials listed below are interactive health education resources from the Patient Education Institute. Using animated graphics, each tutorial explains the procedure or condition in easy-to-read and understand language. You can also listen to the tutorial.
JUST CLICK ON YOUR PREFERRED AILMENT
These tutorials require a special Flash plug-in, version 6 or above… If you do not have this in your PC, you will be prompted to obtain a free download of the software before you start the tutorial.
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
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- Angina
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- Prevention and Wellness
- Back Exercises
- Coumadin – Introduction
Is Eating Sugar Really That Bad for Us?
Use of Palm Sugar negates the adverse effects of the present sugar we are using.
Story:
A lot of things being sold as foods have low or zero nutritional value aside from calories,” says Joel Kimmons, a nutritional epidemiologist with the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. “From a health and culinary perspective, the foods that we feed our children, our families and ourselves need to have more than calories — they should include a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, protein, phytonutrients and fiber. The problem with sugar and other refined foods is that they dilute the nutritional content of your diet overall. It becomes more difficult to meet your nutritional requirements within your calorie limits every time you add sugar.”
Yet we add so much. Those 22 teaspoons a day — which comprises all sweeteners put into foods during processing and preparation by the manufacturer and the consumer — amount to 156 pounds per person per year, according to the USDA. This figure is “shocking,” avows Anticancer author Servan-Schreiber, railing against what he calls “the sugar boom” and noting that in 1830, the average American ate only 11 pounds of sugar a year.
Right, but it’s everywhere. (Every four grams of sugar, as listed on food labels, equals about one teaspoonful.) And it goes by so many names. Maltodextrin, rice syrup, dextrose, galactose — to choose from two dozen. Especially ubiquitous, in a country whose government subsidizes corn production, is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a lower-cost alternative to cane sugar that was first developed in the 1950s, entered the processed-food scene bigtime during the late 1970s, and now represents between 40 and 50 pounds of our annual 156.
Many food activists, including Michael Pollan, point damning fingers at the fact that the industrialized world’s recent rise in obesity coincides with the mainstreaming of HFCS. For this, many blame HFCS’s high fructose content: 55 percent as compared to white sugar’s 50 percent. Several studies, such as one performed at the University of Texas in 2008, suggest that fructose metabolizes differently than glucose does and transforms into body fat much more rapidly than glucose does. Yet many, including a 2007 University of Maryland project, argue the opposite. “Based on the currently available evidence,” reads the Maryland report, “the expert panel concluded that HFCS does not appear to contribute to overweight and obesity any differently than do other energy sources.”
http://www.alternet.org/story/145367/is_eating_sugar_really_that_bad_for_us
