3 minute read
Diabetes: Being Aware
November is a world awareness month for diabetes, and the truth is that we should all be aware of type 2 diabetes, given its nature as a silent killer.
A person can have type 2 diabetes for years without any noticeable symptoms. Chronic insulin resistance results in longterm, high blood sugar levels, which damage the body over time and can lead to other serious health complications, such as kidney disease, vision loss and heart disease¹.
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Type 2 diabetes used to be called adultonset diabetes, but there has been a rise in cases among children, teens and young adults in the past few decades. This increase is connected to other worldwide increases: the prevalence of obesity and the consumption of ultraprocessed foods.
Diabetes and Diet
Globalization has introduced both positives and negatives into unique cultures around the world, including a sameness of goods and services.² The global marketing of unhealthy, ultraprocessed, fast foods has changed the dietary intake of populations in many countries and created a rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes cases where once previously rare³.
Even if a person’s diet is otherwise healthy, the consumption of ultraprocessed foods still increases the
References
1. bit.ly/SK_Symptomless\ 2. bit.ly/GlobalEffects 3. bit.ly/GlobalDiabetes 4. bit.ly/UPF_Diabetes 5. bit.ly/PB_Diabetes 6. bit.ly/Plant-BasedJunkFood 7. bit.ly/EatandWalk risk of type 2 diabetes.⁴ Adopting a primarily whole-food, plant-based diet is considered nutritional prevention of this disease, reducing the burden of type 2 diabetes and improving a person’s overall health5 .
It’s important to emphasize plantbased, whole foods because there are many junk foods among plantbased products that are actually ultraprocessed, including pre-packaged snacks, breakfast cereals and energy bars6 .
Awareness helps to make diseases such as type 2 diabetes preventable.
Healthy Tip
Walking for even two minutes after eating can help to lower blood sugar levels, so move right after a meal. The Minerals
About World Diabetes Day
It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries.
The Minerals and Herbs in
GlucoChrom
Two statistical ingredients that indicate a person’s state of health are blood glucose levels and body weight. And there’s a causative connection between the two. An unhealthy body weight can lead to the complications of high blood sugar.
GlucoChrom is formulated with four natural ingredients that support both healthy blood sugar levels and weight management in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
The Minerals
Chromium
This trace mineral acts like a facilitator for insulin, a hormone that regulates the transfer of glucose from blood into cells. Chromium is thought to be a cofactor of chromodulin, a chromiumbinding substance that enhances insulin sensitivity and the uptake and storage of glucose for energy. Furthermore, chromium plays a role in the breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
The Herbs
Bitter Melon
This edible, tropical fruit is a food that provides benefits for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Over 200 compounds have been identified in bitter melon, including bioactive carotenoids, flavonoids and phytosterols. A study published in 2022 focused on the peptides in bitter melon that prove to be effective for lowering blood glucose levels.
Vanadium
The activity of this mineral has an influence on the insulin signaling pathway that effects glucose uptake and storage. In the July 2020 Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, vanadium is called a partner of insulin in regard to metabolic regulation. Even though the body requires only a trace amount, vanadium’s biological action is extensive, right down to cellular metabolism.
Gymnema Extract
This herbal ingredient comes from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre, a woody climbing plant that is native to India, where its Hindi name means destroyer of sugar.“ Recent research indicates that gymnema enhances the secretion of insulin, lowers blood sugar and suppresses cravings for sweet foods and snacks, thereby reducing caloric intake and contributing to weight management.
