Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts

Green tea may help lower starchy food blood sugar spikes

Monday, April 28, 2014




Mice fed an antioxidant found in green tea -- epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG -- and corn starch had a significant reduction in increase in their blood sugar -- blood glucose -- levels compared to mice that were not fed the compound, according to Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences.

"The spike in blood glucose level is about 50 percent lower than the increase in the blood glucose level of mice that were not fed EGCG," Lambert said.

The dose of EGCG fed to the mice was equivalent to about one and a half cups of green tea for a human.

Lambert, who worked with Sarah C. Forester, postdoctoral fellow, and Yeyi Gu, graduate student, both in food science, said EGCG was most effective when the compound was fed to the mice simultaneously with corn starch. For humans, this may mean that green tea could help them control the typical blood sugar increases that are brought on when they eat starchy foods, like breads and bagels that are often a part of typical breakfasts.

"If what you are eating with your tea has starch in it then you might see that beneficial effect," Lambert said. "So, for example, if you have green tea with your bagel for breakfast, it may reduce the spike in blood glucose levels that you would normally get from that food."

The EGCG had no significant effect on blood sugar spikes in mice that were fed glucose or maltose, according to the researchers who released their findings in the online version of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. Lambert said that the reason blood sugar spikes are reduced when the mice ate starch, but not these sugars, may be related to the way the body converts starch into sugar.

An enzyme called alpha-amylase that is produced in both the mouth and by the pancreas helps break down starch into maltose and glucose. EGCG may inhibit the enzymes ability to break down the starch, the researchers indicated, since they also found that EGCG reduced the activity of alpha amylase in the pancreas by 34 percent.

If the mechanism holds in humans, this may mean that people who want to limit the blood sugar spike should skip adding sugar to their cup of green tea.

"That may mean that if you add sugar into your green tea, that might negate the effect that the green tea will have on limiting the rise in blood glucose level," Lambert said.

Lambert added that the green tea and the starch would need to be consumed simultaneously. For example, drinking a cup of tea well after eating a piece of toast would probably not change the blood sugar spike.

For the study, researchers separated mice into several groups based on body weight. After a fasting period, the mice were given common corn starch, maltose, or sucrose. One group of mice received EGCG along with the feed, while a control group was not fed the compound.

The researchers then tested the blood sugar levels of both groups.

Lambert said the researchers next step is to test the compound on people.

"The relatively low effective dose of EGCG makes a compelling case for studies in human subjects," the researchers said.

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6 Ways to Wreck Your Blood Sugar Level What not to do if you have type 2 diabetes

Friday, April 25, 2014



Type 2 diabetes is a tough disease. It requires constant vigilance to keep your blood sugar level under control.

It also requires avoiding some common mistakes, many of which are the product of long-held bad habits.

Here are six mistakes that you can learn to avoid.
1. Not Knowing Your Disease

By that he means that you are the one watching your diet, making sure you exercise, and taking your medication on schedule. Understanding how diabetes works will help you make better decisions about how to monitor and manage it. Classes on coping with diabetes are an excellent but underused resource.

“Not enough patients seek them out, and not enough doctors send their patients to them,” Ahmann says.

That’s unfortunate, because not only do they offer essential information; they are often de facto support groups as well, bringing together people who are experiencing the same issues and difficulties and giving them a forum in which to meet and talk with each other.
2. Expecting Too Much Too Soon

One of the biggest hurdles in controlling your blood sugar is sticking to the necessary adjustments you must make to your eating and exercise habits. Many patients become frustrated and give up because they don’t see results right away, says endocrinologist Preethi Srikanthan, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.

“Most people expect something dramatic is going to happen right away,” she says. “But it has taken them a decade or two to get to this point, and it will take a while for them to even to get to that initial 5%-10% reduction in weight…These are challenges that must be taken in small steps.”

Expecting too much change right away is a mistake. So is doing too much before you are ready, especially when it comes to exercise, Ahmann says. He advises starting off slowly and easing into the habit.

“If they do more than they can tolerate, they will often quit,” he says. “Or they will do too much and hurt themselves.”

Be sure to talk with your health-care provider before starting a new exercise program, especially if you aren’t already active. He or she can help plan a routine that’s safe and effective, as well as set realistic goals.

3. Going it Alone

There are a lot of resources out there to help you manage your disease. Don’t ignore the fact that one of the most helpful might be right there at home. Spouses, partners, friends, and family members can all make excellent exercise buddies.

“One error that people make when it comes to exercise is that they try to do it on their own without help from other people,” Ahmann says.

There are other advantages to the buddy system. Enlist your spouse or significant other in your efforts to stick your medication schedule and to maintain a healthy diet.

“Eating alone can be a problem,” Ahmann says.
4. Neglecting Other Problems

In her practice, Srikanthan sees a lot of patients who are dealing with more than just their diabetes. Depression and stress are common among people with the disease, and both can have a negative impact on blood sugar levels.

Constant stress, for example, may produce hormones that hamper the ability of insulin to do its job. “Stress should be considered as a significant contributor to glycemic variation by both patients and physicians,” Srikanthan says.

Ahmann agrees.

“Anything to reduce stress will improve your blood sugar,” he says.

Exercise helps relieve stress and there’s evidence that meditation and massage will have benefits on blood sugar levels, says Ahmann.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to be depressed, and an estimated one of every three people with diabetes have symptoms of depression. The lethargy common to depression can be so discouraging that you might give up your efforts to take care of your diabetes. Not only will that make your diabetes worse, it may also intensify your depression, creating a vicious cycle.

There’s good news, though. According to a new study, treating depression in patients with type 2 diabetes improved their mental and physical health.

“You need to recognize depression and work with it,” Srikanthan says.
5. Misunderstanding and Misusing Medications

Ahmann says that many of his patients share a common misconception when it comes to the drugs used to control their disease.

“They think that medications are more powerful than diet and exercise,” he says.

That’s not necessarily true. In many cases, type 2 diabetes can be controlled by a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise without the need for medication.

Among patients who do require medications, Ahmann says, one mistake stands out.

“It’s surprising how many people miss doses,” he says.

That’s a quick way to wreck your blood sugar level, so it’s a problem that needs to be recognized and addressed.

“You need to be honest with your [health care] provider that this is an issue,” says Ahmann, who points out that often the solution is for your doctor to change your dosing schedule to one that better suits you. “There are options.”


6. Making Poor Food Choices

When it comes to food and blood sugar, the big mistake is not the single candy bar that you couldn’t resist, Srikanthan says. The bigger picture matters more; unhealthy eating habits, in the long term, will have a worse effect on your blood sugar.

“People think it’s a one-time diversion, but no, it’s a consistent problem that affects your test results,” she says.

The two biggest hurdles, Srikanthan says, are calories and carbohydrates. You have to control both in order to keep your blood sugar level steady.

“Try to be aware of what’s going into your mouth,” she says.

That means keeping a diet diary to keep track of what you are eating and reading nutrition labels so that you can calculate the proper amounts of the foods you choose to eat.
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Importance of sugar cane juice

Monday, April 14, 2014

Cane juice quick and easy absorption and useful in cases of thinness and strengthens bones and activates liver and resists constipation and increases the secretion of urine leads to purification internal body and expels more toxins as that drinking sugar cane juice earns one degree of psychological comfort, calm, explaining that the secret of it is due to be sugars in it works to increase the composition soothing natural substance formed by the brain is "serotonin" seratonin, which leads to increase the capacity of man to bear difficult situations, such as distress, anxiety and stress and fatigue, a feature of life now. Theore, a cup of sugar cane juice a day can bring to ones life a little calm to avoid pressure and adapt to a reasonable extent.

Also used in the production of molasses, which proved effective in the treatment of diseases of the stomach and fatigue resulting from a lack of lactic acid and carbonic in the tissues of the body. This rich molasses sugars, iron and potassium, which described him for heart patients and diuresis. As for patients with liver disease, sees expert food Egyptian that cup sugar cane juice gives human energy and vitality, because it is high calorie so described for the faint structure given in cases of fever associated with poor appetite, especially among children also uses sugar cane juice and other liquids sugary in feed acute hepatitis patient? cirrhosis?, because the patient feels relegation, wasting and often dizziness, but should take into account the patients liver, which also suffers from diabetes, you must adjust the insulin dose in this case
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