HIGH BLOOD SUGAR ? THE MOST EFFECTIVE REMEDIES

High blood sugar (glucose), or hyperglycemia , even in the range of borderline sugar levels, not diagnostic for diabetes, is a continuous and progressive risk factor for cardiovascular disease . To reduce blood sugar, in addition to a proper diet and to a healthy lifestyle , you can enlist the help of some nutrients , which can boast Health Claims authorized by EFSA in relation to glycemic control.

It is well known that type 2 diabetes is linked with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, especially of the coronary arteries, peripheral arteries and cerebrovascular system .

Scientific evidence indicates , however, that the alterations in blood sugar concentration that may precede diabetes - blood glucose borderline levels  ( 100/110 -125 mg / dl fasting) - show the clinical features of insulin resistance syndrome with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications.

It is not yet clear whether hyperglycemia is a direct cause of an increased cardiovascular risk or if it represents only a marker of a more complex metabolic condition .

What are recognized as effective natural remedies for high blood sugar ?

The "fundamental pillar" for the management of hyperglycemia and diabetes is not any medication but an healthy lifestyle .

An healthy and balanced diet (low in simple sugars such as glucose, in high-fat foods and high glycemic load foods ) and regular physical activity, important in reducing an eventual overweight.

There are also nutrients for which the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved health- claims, namely health benefits-related informations that a product can claim on its label, related to blood glucose control .

The nutrients that proved to be beneficial for blood glucose control influence glucose metabolism at different levels.

The chromium in its trivalent form is currently the only nutrient recognized useful for the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels.

How do you explain its usefulness? 

Hyperglycemia is a common symptom of chromium depletion in humans, which is reversed by the administration of chromium.

But in which foods can we find significant amounts of chromium ?

The largest and the most common food sources of chromium are mussels , oysters, dried dates , pears, whole wheat flour, tomatoes and broccoli.

Other nutrients were recognised useful by EFSA for the reduction of postprandial glycaemic responses (postprandial blood sugar ), an important index of cardiovascular risk.

Postprandial blood glucose is a normal physiological response of our body that varies in entity and duration and can be affected by meal type and individual characteristics.

There are several nutrients that, if included and consumed in meals, were able to reduce the postprandial blood glucose .

One of these nutrients is the hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) , a food additive , which showed significant effects in both non-diabetic obese subjects and in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes . The effective HPMC dose for this purpose is 4 grams per meal.

Even soluble fiber (arabinoxylan , beta -glucans from barley and oats , pectin) can boast the claim concerning the reduction of postprandial blood glucose .

The mechanism by which these nutrients could exert the claimed effect is related to the 

increased viscosity of the meal bolus when soluble fiber is added. This determines a delay in the absorption of nutrients, including glucose, resulting in a lower postprandial blood glucose.

While for arabinoxylan the health claim may be used for a food that contains at least 8 g of fiber rich in arabinoxylan (AX ) from wheat endosperm (at least 60% of AX in terms of weight) per 100 g of available carbohydrates  in a portion quantified as part of the meal , in the case of beta-glucans from barley and oats the effective dose is of 4 grams of beta-glucans per 30 g of available carbohydrate in a portion quantified as part of the meal.

The dose of pectin which is considered to be effective is of 10 grams in the context of a meal.

Where to find soluble fiber?

In addition to foods "designed ad hoc" for consumers who are sensitive to the problem of high blood sugar and containing the above mentioned nutrients, it is important to remember what foods are naturally rich in soluble fiber : in order of importance (Source INRAN ) there are boiled artichokes , pearl barley, locust bean, dried plums , rye flour , oatmeal and many other foods including , among the most used, beans and breakfast cereals for children.

There are also other nutrients such as resistant starch and fructose that boast claims related to blood glucose control, but considering the different use and mechanism of action, we'll discuss in the next article.

Sources:

http://www.ausl.pr.it/page.asp?IDCategoria=626&IDSezione=5899&ID=429149

"Diabete e corretti stili di vita"

EFSA Journal 2011

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindrome_metabolica

http://www.eufic.org/article/it/malattie-legate-alimentazione/diabete/artid/Il-cromo-nella-dieta/

Reppas C, Dressman JB., Viscosity modulates blood glucose response to nutrient solutions in dogs., Diabetes Res Clin Pract., Aug;17(2), 1992

www.inran.it

http://www.giornaledicardiologia.it/

Cristina Bianchi, Stefano Del Prato, Roberto Miccoli, "Iperglicemia e rischio cardiovascolare" - Il pensiero scientifico editore

Image Courtesy of Praisaeng/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

GOJI BERRIES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND SIDE EFFECTS

Goji berries are new to the western countries and constitute nowadays a real " nutritional mass phenomenon “.  Considering the high price of these berries and some controversial opinions on their properties, it is essential to define health benefits and side effects of Goji berries .

Goji berries , also known as wolfberry, are orange - red berries that grow wild in the valleys of Himalayas , Mongolia , Tibet and China.

Goji berries are cultivated for thousands of years and are considered a key factor in traditional Chinese medicine. While in Asia these berries are eaten raw, dried or cooked for generations as a kind of elixir of long life, even to treat disorders and symptoms such as fever , hypertension, diabetes and age-related health problems, their arrival in Europe is recent.

Nonetheless, Goji Berries immediately attracted the attention of the health products market and consumer, so that by typing into Google the term " goji berries”, pages and pages of advertising and articles about health benefits of these berries,  sometimes described as miraculous,  appear in search results.

Given the considerable price of these berries ,that we can  found in herbalist’s shops but not only , and the large amount of information, more or less reliable, provided  to the consumer,  we need to make some clarifications.

While several studies on antioxidant effects of various " red fruit " have been conducted , we can count on the fingers of one hand published studies specifically on goji berries.

Some studies , however, showed that fruits such as blueberries , acai berries, cranberries, cherries and strawberries are healthy by virtue of their content of antioxidants, molecules that reduce free radical damage to cells and to DNA and cellular aging.

Even Goji berries are particularly rich in antioxidants , especially carotenoids .

Some preliminary studies on the properties of Goji berries have reported benefits in terms of mood and quality of sleep , athletic performance , and sense of well-being, but they need further confirmation.

Goji Berries, because of their high content of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin , protect the retina by the ultraviolet radiation and oxidative stress harmful effects .

But they can do much more…  on the basis of a study of Kansas State University on animal model  Goji Berries can improve diabetes-related retinal structure abnormalities (diabetic retinopathy) .

In conclusion, undoubtedly Goji berries are a rich source of antioxidants, however, it is not yet clear whether their health benefits are related solely to their antioxidant content, as in the case of other " berries " , or if Goji Berries, as a complex food matrix,  have additional health properties.

Finally, it is useful to recall the side effects of goji berries : they may interact with certain medications or anticoagulants used for diabetes and for pressure control .

Therefore, as for other herbal products and supplements, in the case of therapies it is recommendable to seek  medical advice.

Sources:

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database: "Lycium (Goji): Monograph."

Natural Standard: "Professional Monograph: Goji (Lycium spp.)"

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goji

Ling Tang et al., "Dietary wolfberry ameliorates retinal structure abnormalities in db/db mice at the early stage of diabetes" - Abstract. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) September 2011 vol. 236 no. 9 1051-1063

Image Courtesy of  Praisaeng/Freedigitalphotos.net 

GASTRITIS AND VITAMIN C : WHAT IS ITS ROLE ?

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is well known for its antioxidant properties, but not only. Vitamin C deficiency was associated with various forms of gastritis and studies on the link between vitamin C and gastritis highlighted an important role of this vitamin in protection of gastric mucosa .

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is known for its many biological functions: ascorbic acid is important for the proper functioning of the immune system and essential for collagen synthesis.

It is also an important antioxidant, that can reduce various oxidizing agents and inhibit formation of nitrosamines (many of which are carcinogens) in the stomach and intestine.

Vitamin C also appears to play an important role in the onset of gastritis and in its treatment.

The link between vitamin C, gastritis and peptic ulcer is by no means a new "scientific discovery ", but rather an old knowledge overshadowed by more recent scientific evidences resulting from the discovery of Helicobacter pylori.

In fact it has been in fact widely studied in the first half of the last century but most of the scientific literature pertaining to it has been lost, replaced by new studies.

Vitamin C deficiency was associated with all forms of gastritis (e.g., autoimmune, chemical, infectious gastritis) and that would be due in part to insufficient intake, in part to increased metabolic demand and partly to destruction of vitamin C within the gastrointestinal tract.

A diet rich in naturally occurring vitamin C ( ascorbic acid)  can have protective effect against gastric corpus atrophy and gastric cancer.

How ? By reducing oxidative damage to the gastric mucosa by scavenging carcinogenic compounds and free radicals, but also by attenuating the inflammatory cascade induced by infectious agents such as Helicobacter pylori.

Furthermore, considering pharmacologic doses of vitamin C, they may improve the effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori-eradication therapy.

Given that vitamin C is a molecule with multiple properties, it is useful to remember, whether or not you suffer from gastritis, the richest food sources of vitamin C: guava, currants , peppers, kiwi , cauliflower and cruciferous vegetables , lettuce, strawberries , oranges, lemons , tomatoes , etc. . ) .

This is an example of how, even in the field of science, it is important the quote “Never forget the past…”.

Sources: 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22543844

Dig Dis Sci. 2012 Oct;57(10):2504-15. Epub 2012 Apr 28.

Vitamin C, gastritis, and gastric disease: a historical review and update.Abstract

Aditi A, Graham DY Departments of Medicine, Washington University School of 

Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. 

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acido_ascorbico

Image Courtesy of Maggie Smith/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

GREEN TEA AND DEPRESSION: FUTURE TREATMENT ?

Green tea is known all over the world for its antioxidant properties and is preferred by many consumers over other teas , maybe more tasty, in virtue of its health benefits.
On the basis of several clinical and preclinical studies, green tea, if consumed regularly,  could have also antidepressant properties. 

A recent double-blind study on healthy subjects showed why .

The regular consumption of green tea for five weeks has been proven to be helpful in preventing depressive symptoms. 

How?  Increasing the so-called "Reward learning", an important mechanism for survival and adaptation : its function is to let us learn through experience to make predictions and create expectations about consequences of events and behaviors. 

Reward learning is a form of almost automatic learning of "approximate" predictive associations between certain events or behaviors and some of their possible rewarding consequences, that are therefore satisfying for the individual.

A deficiency in reward learning contributes to the development of anhedonia, an inability to experience pleasure and to perceive satisfaction, which is a key symptom of depression.

Therefore green tea , for its effect on reward learning, is very promising for the future development of natural remedies for prevention and treatment of depression.

And now, let’s have green tea!

Sources:

Effect of green tea on reward learning in healthy individuals: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Qiangye Zhang, Hongchao Yang, Jian Wang, Aiwu Li*, Wentong Zhang, Xinhai Cui and Kelai Wang

Nutrition Journal 2013, 12:84 doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-84

www.ilgiorno.it -" Lo psicologo: "Piccole vincite, l'illusione che porta al disastro. Parla il professor Cherubini" Luca Zorloni

Image courtesy of Zirconicusso/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AGAINST INSOMNIA... DOES IT WORK ?

Insomnia and poor quality sleep can affect many areas of your life and health, included work performance.

To fight insomnia without resorting to drugs, it is very important to perform regular physical activity. However, this is a “sweet” remedy, with long-term effects: benefits of physical activity in fact begin to be evident after at least four months ... A time span that may seem too long for those affected by the problem of "white nights" ... almost .. 

So, we give an advice to all the insomniacs: don’t discourage yourself if, after having joined a fitness club, instead of sleeping better, it is even harder to fall asleep…

It is a physiological fact, especially in the case of physical activities carried out in the evenings. 

Indeed, it is very important that, even though you feel tired, you persevere with your plan ... it will take a bit of time ... but then “the road will be downhill”!

Source:

Paddock,Catharine. "Insomnia helped with exercise - eventually." Medical NewsToday. MediLexicon, Intl., 18 Aug. 2013. Web.

7 Feb.2014. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264904>

Imagecourtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

CAFFEINE AND LONG-TERM MEMORY: GOOD NEWS !

Caffeine intake of 200 mg /day can enhance long-term memory ...

Again good news about caffeine, a molecule already known both as a cognitive enhancer and as a neuroprotectant.

According to a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, a 200 mg dose of caffeine after a learning session would be able to strengthen long-term memory .

Assuming that an espresso contains an average of 60-120 mg of caffeine, consumption of 2-3 cups of coffee a day may therefore be useful to strengthen our long-term memory .

But just be careful ... an" overdose " of coffee , as well as being able to cause unpleasant side effects, do not make us monsters of memory: memory effects are not enhanced by increasing the dose of caffeine from 200 mg to 300 mg .

In addition, the assumption of caffeine only an hour before a memory test showed no improvement, therefore caffeine can not be considered a “rescue remedy” for those people who wish to enhance their short-term memory after a night spent on the books just before an examination.

Maybe this evidence is the first step towards a profitable use of caffeine against diseases that seriously affect memory ... we hope !

Source:

Whiteman , H. (2014 , January 13). " Caffeine may boost long- term memory . " Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270963 .

Image Courtesy of Witthaya Phonsawat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

WHY ARE ADDED SUGAR FROM LIQUID SOURCES SO DANGEROUS FOR OUR HEALTH ?

Consumption of soft drinks with added sugars is linked with insulin resistance and impaired glucose homeostasis among youth at risk of obesity.

How many times did we heard this? "Better to avoid or limit soft drinks and beverages with high content of sugar ...

Even more than bread and sweets ... But why?

Because "added sugars" in liquid sources such as soft drinks and beverages are quickly assimilated and determine a "sudden" rise in blood glucose concentration after their intake.

It 's because of their high glycemic index , higher than in solid foods with the same sugar content, that sugary drinks or soft drinks have been demonized as the cause of an increased risk of diabetes.

In addition, a recent study examined the effect of added sugars, from liquid or solid sources, on a sample of youth at risk of obesity for a period of 2 years. The intake of added sugars from both liquid and solid sources was not related to increased indices of adiposity (fat mass , body mass index , or waist circumference) .

Unfortunately, however, an higher consumption (10 grams / day) of added sugars from liquid sources such as beverages and soft drinks was linked to higher fasting glucose and insulin, to insulin resistance, and to a lower insulin sensitivity ... factors that are not only predictive of risk of diabetes but also of cardiovascular risk .

Added sugars from solid foods did not elicit this effect.

If we want to sweeten our day ... better to choose a good slice of cake rather than all those fizzy drinks that are so popular, unfortunately, even in schools ... Drinks that contain from 27 to 31 grams of sugar in just 250 ml (one full glass )...

Sources:

Consumption of Added Sugars from Liquid Sources Predicts Solid but Not Impaired Glucose Homeostasis and Insulin Resistance Among Youth at Risk of Obesity . Abstract

Wang J , Light K , Henderson M, O'Loughlin J , Mathieu ME, Paradis G , Gray- Donald K.

J Nutr . 2014 Jan ; 144 (1) :81 -6 . doi: 10.3945/jn.113.182519 . Epub 2013 November 6 .

Image Courtesy of Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

BREAKFAST AND METABOLIC SYNDROME: THERE'S A LINK !

As a child did you skip breakfast ? 

You have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

This is the result of a swedish reasearch that confirms once again the importance of an adequate breakfast for our health.

How many of us have turned their noses up hearing not to skip breakfast because it is the most important meal of the day? Yes, sometimes you prefer to minimize the time spent on eating breakfast so as to sleep a little bit more.

But the benefits of a proper breakfast are not urban legends ... there are many studies  which support the thesis that breakfast is really the most important meal of the day.

An healthy, balanced breakfast would help to boost fertility in women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension.

Moreover, if you are searching for an effective way to lose weight, many studies show that regular consumers of breakfast have a lower risk of overweight and obesity, while skipping breakfast with the intent to lose weight would be counterproductive as it increases the appeal of high-calorie foods.

In addition to these findings, we have now a new swedish study that showed a link between a poor or inadequate breakfast and metabolic syndrome, a clinical situation linked to an high cardiovascular risk, characterized by the association of three or more cardiovascular risk factors in the same individual (abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low level of HDL cholesterol , hypertension, hyperglycemia or diabetes).

This study showed that, who skipped breakfast or ate insubstantial breakfasts in childhood was 68% more likely to have in adulthood metabolic syndrome than their peers who ate substantial breakfasts, showing an higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia.

The mechanism underlying the link beetween poor breakfast habits and incidence of metabolic syndrome is still unknown, but there are many studies that have shown a link between poor breakfasts and altered blood sugar regulation.

So, it's better to get up earlier and to begin every new day with a rich, substantial breakfast that will provide approximately 15-20% of daily caloric needs (15% if breakfast is coupled with a mid-morning snack , 20% otherwise). Let's do it for our health, and .. why not... our taste!

Sources:

McNamee , David. "Metabolic syndrome linked to poor breakfast habits in childhood . " Medical News Today. MediLexicon , Intl , Jan. 31, 2014. Web Jan. 31, 2014. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271979

Umea University, via EurekAlert news release , 30 January 2014.

Guidelines INRAN 2003

Image Courtesy of Serge Bertasius / FreeDigitalPhotos.net