Diabetes Socks – Could They Work For You?

Another addition to the information last week on preventing and reducing the impact of diabetes is a product that can help with the poor circulation that often accompanies the condition and relieve swollen and painful feet. It could also help anyone who is struggling with heavy, tired legs which as the average person takes between 8,000 and 10,000 steps daily which mount up to an amazing 100,000 miles in their lifetime could mean all of us. Also if anyone accuses you of not exercising, try throwing those statistics at them and rejoice in the fact that help is at hand and in the everyday guise of a pair of socks!

Rx Incredisocks are for more than keeping your toes toasty, in this case they are very specifically designed and been proven to increase circulation quickly. This results in an increased blood flow and so gets a greater amount of oxygen to the tissues. You will notice two effects of this: inflammation is reduced, and secondly the oxygen gives the skin tone a healthier colour.

They are a one-of-a-kind medical design with a patented technology and have a thermo-regulating function through a unique infared-emmitting thread which provides the required increase/decrease in temperature in as little as five minutes. Startling technology in itself – and that is all important – but how comfortable are they? With a 200 thread count and their unique 3-D weave design they do provide incredible cushioning for your feet as well as keeping them absolutely dry. That is vital, because did you know that your feet contain about 250,000 sweat glands and release half a pint of moisture daily? Not sure where all that liquid is going, but I am now looking more suspiciously at the suede base of my summer sandals.

If that’s not enough, they also have a natural anti-microbial that kills the odour causing bacteria (smelly summer feet take note) and are made from bamboo charcoal that helps with foot fatigue by releasing negative ions into your body, ensuring your feet never tire.
Well that sounds like something to pack for my next salsa holiday, and as well as benefitting diabetics they have also proved a boon to those who are suffering from circulation problems in their legs.

To find a list of stockists of Incredisocks (diabetic or normal version) near you contact Steve at Vital Life on: 0207 7201441 or email him [email protected]

Testosterone Replacement Could Decrease Deaths in Men With Type 2 Diabetes

A new study reported at the Society for Endocrinology by Professor Hugh Jones shows that men with low levels of testosterone may die sooner unless they are given testosterone replacement therapy.

Professor Jones’ team conducted a six year study of 587 men with type 2 diabetes, splitting them into three groups: those with normal and low testosterone levels and those with low testosterone levels treated with testosterone replacement therapy for two years or more during the follow up period.

The findings show for the first time that low testosterone puts diabetic men at a significantly increased risk of death. 36 of the 182 diabetic men with untreated low testosterone died during the six year study, compared to 31 of the 338 men with normal testosterone levels (20% vs 9%). Furthermore, only 5 of the 58 diabetic men that were given testosterone replacement therapy died during the study (8.6%), meaning they showed significantly better survival compared to the non-treated group.

It is well known that men with type 2 diabetes often have low testosterone levels, so it is important that we investigate the health implications of this. We now need to carry out a larger clinical trial to confirm these preliminary findings. If confirmed, then many deaths could be prevented every year.

This is the first study to show testosterone treatment can improve survival in men with type 2 diabetes and testosterone deficiency. Further studies now need to be carried out to fully investigate the potential therapeutic benefit of testosterone replacement in diabetic men with low testosterone but such men might well consider looking at natural testosterone supplements in consultation with their doctor.

Chamomile tea helps diabetics control blood sugar

Chamomile, also known as manzanilla, is believed to contain more antioxidants than nearly any other natural dietary source. It is a long-established herbal remedy for relieving stress and anxiety, improving sleep, and many other common complaints.

Now it seems it may also be able to help diabetics control their blood sugar and prevent serious complication. Just by having a cup of chamomile tea with meals could help prevent the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications is the conclusion of a study jointly undertaken by the University of Toyama in Japan and Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Chamomile appeared to reduce the activity of an enzyme called aldose reductase, which plays an important role in sugar metabolism. Aldose reductase helps turn glucose into sorbitol, a different sugar. In diabetics, the build up of sorbitol has been directly linked to neuropathy and blindness, as this sugar moves across cell membranes less freely than glucose and thus has a tendency to build up in nerve and eye tissue.

Chamomile tea isn’t everyone’s favourite – I can’t stand it myself – but this might be worth a try. Some of the best teas with chamomile are from the American company Celestial Seasonings as they have a depth of flavour that others seem to lack, but experiment and see what you like – adding a squeeze of lemon might help too.

Teenage diabetics choose surgery

Any form of surgery is traumatic to the body, but sometimes it is necessary and unavoidable. My problem is when it’s being sought by the young and vulnerable with no real concept of the consequences. Diabetes is a disease that can be controlled, sometimes easily and sometimes not and the regime of regular medication can be very hard for teenagers – discipline not being a natural characteristic at that age. However a new trend in the USA is for teenage diabetics who are overweight to turn to the surgeon’s knife to help them .

Even more incredible is that this gastric bypass procedure is being suggested by Doctors, despite the fact that the US statistics show that 5 percent of people who have this surgery only survive a year. On the plus side, a study at Cinncinatti Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has shown that in most cases, the teenagers can lose one-third of their weight and come off diabetes medications with remission of their diabetes one year after bypass surgery. It sounds wonderful, but this has not been studied long enough, in my opinion, to suggest it as a viable alternative to diet, medication and lifestyle changes – or is that just me?

Another chinese breakthrough in diabetes treatment

Nothing to do with the Olympics, but Chinese medicine is known to be a very rich source for finding new therapies for diseases and for over 500 years have used bitter melon as a treatment for diabetes. However, anecdotal evidence – that is when you have seen hundreds of years with thousands of people taking some natural remedy that is effective – is anathema to the scientific and medical community. Herbal medicine has stepped up to the challenge to ‘prove’ their remedies work and, in a collaboration with an Australian research institute, the scientists have isolated four compounds in bitter melon that may account for why this treatment is so effective.

In addition to relieving the symptoms of diabetes, bitter melon is used in traditional Chinese medicine to promote digestion, brighten the eyes and cool the body. A spokesman for the Australian Chinese Medicine Association further claims that it helps people keep slim, lose weight and regulate cholesterol levels.

The researchers identified four compounds that appeared to stimulate the activity of a chemical known as AMPK, which is known to help regulate blood sugar levels.

In people with diabetes, the body is not able to move enough sugar from the blood and into the cells where it can be burned for energy, and exercise is normally prescribed as a part of diabetes treatment. This is because it activates AMPK, which is known to help move glucose transporters to the surface of cells, where they can then grab the sugar out of the blood..

In the current study, if bitter melon was taken before a meal, it helped by more efficiently removing glucose from the blood and had the same effect on AMPK as exercise.

As type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases in the world, with an estimated 171 million people currently so diagnosed, then anything that can help stem this could be invaluable and the researchers are planning on full scale trials on people next year.

The researchers want to develop new drugs based on these compounds, but if you want to stay with the natural route – and there isn’t much bitter melon in my local supermarket – then talk it over with your doctor if you already are on diabetes medication, then either consult a traditional Chinese herbalist, or consider taking it in supplement form as several companies now market it in this way.

Frog skin and lizard spit?

No it’s not an attempt to take you into Shakespearean realms with the Witches in Macbeth, but what is actually being touted as the latest treatment for diabetes. There is a growth market in diabetes because it has reached epidemic proportions, and the buzz word in all product areas at the moment is ‘natural’ but in this instance, happily for the frogs, the scientists have yet again identified an active natural ingredient and then set to and produced a synthetic version. No problem for that on the frog front, but this is exactly what happened with white willow bark whose active ingredient is salicylic acid and together with all its other component parts helps cure headaches. Science isolated the salicylic acid and gave us aspirin, but without the natural buffering ingredients that ensured that it didn’t upset the stomach.

So what’s so special about frog skin? Researchers found that a substance, called pseudin 2, secreted in the skin of the South American shrinking frog stimulates the release of insulin in the body. From there, they created a pseudo-pseudin that they claim has the same benefits and no side effects. The researchers also claim that the synthetic version of pseudin is actually better than the natural version.  Well that’s what they said about aspirin, and if this goes on that poor shrinking frog is going to shrink out of existence as they keep using it for research.

Type 2 diabetes can be handled through managing diet and lifestyle, unless you really want to kiss a frog or deprive it of its skin?