Researchers believe nutrition may reverse and prevent type 2 diabetes

By Peter Braun, Executive Director of the American Diabetes Association Los Angeles.

This year, the fastest-growing segment of the population – the baby boomers – will reach 65, an age when recent studies indicate diabetes is five percent more likely to develop. In fact, studies show that between 1997 and 2007, the percentage of older adults 65-plus diagnosed with diabetes in California increased from 14.3 percent to 19.2 percent.

Older adults in particular are being impacted by the disease, not just because of their advancing age, but also due to extra weight and lack of exercise. A full one-third of baby boomers qualify as obese, based on their height-to-weight ratios, according to a poll conducted for the Associated Press and LifeGoesStrong.com. Even worse is that an additional 36 percent of boomers are overweight, which greatly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Make healthier lifestyle choices

Those impacted by diabetes will tell you that the disease forces you to examine your eating and exercise habits and to make a commitment to regular preventative care. For some, it can also be a great motivator for positive health changes, such as quitting smoking.

When you add the complications of diabetes to the already difficult issues of aging, such as overall health, dwindling finances and mobility, the results can be daunting. It’s not surprising, then, that many people living with diabetes also face emotional and psychological issues such as depression and denial.

The good news is that even minor lifestyle improvements, such as adding 30 minutes of exercise to your daily routine, can pay off big by lowering your blood glucose levels and significantly slashing your risk of diabetic complications.

For more information and support on dealing with and defeating diabetes, contact the City of Los Angeles Department of Aging at (213) 252-4000 or the Los Angeles County and Community and Senior Services at (213) 738-2600. You can also contact the American Diabetes Association of Los Angeles for information at (888) DIABETES or (888) -342-2383 or online at www.diabetes.org

NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE LEADS THE CHARGE TOWARDS REVERSING AND PREVENTING TYPE 2 DIABETES

By Anthony Blackmon

For more than thirty-one million Americans, diabetes is a devastating and life-altering reality. Its impact extends to the lives of countless friends and family members who share the pain of their loved ones in need. And the news isn’t good. In a few short years, diabetes is projected to afflict more than double its current number of sufferers worldwide. Hope is on the horizon, however, and excitement is growing through the pioneering work of researchers.

A new understanding of type 2 diabetes is paving the way for a revolutionary approach to reversing and preventing this devastating illness. Researchers at New Jersey’s Ehrhardt Center for Integrative Medicine recently discovered a unique biochemical signature among study participants with the disease. The findings showed that chemical profiles of the study participants mirrored almost exactly those of people suffering from malnutrition. Advanced laboratory testing uncovered this unexpected commonality which, at first, left researchers puzzled.

As the team continued to investigate the findings, their true implications and magnitude became clear. Systemic malnutrition, commonly referred to as starvation, is a function of ingesting too little food. On the other hand, functional malnutrition is caused by a localized nutrient deficiency, often times exacerbated by toxifying dietary agents that block the distribution of vital nutrients throughout the body. This more-complicated and insidious form of malnutrition is particularly difficult to diagnose because it affects certain people differently than others and can take years to develop.

Even with sufficient caloric intake, functional malnutrition starves organ systems of specific vital nutrients and often causes damage that begins much sooner than the earliest symptoms of disorder appear. Despite their distinct precursors, systemic malnutrition and functional malnutrition display a very similar chemical signature in the body, which the Ehrhardt Center researchers were able to recognize. These study findings steered researchers toward the revolutionary hypothesis that type 2 diabetes, long associated with obesity and dietary excess, is actually caused by malnutrition. The diabetic imbalances discovered among study participants relate directly to specific nutritional deficiencies. This exciting development has enabled researchers to link broad aspects of malnourishment to blood-sugar imbalances, metabolic disorders, and insulin resistance.

In recent months, this seemingly counter-intuitive hypothesis has revealed surprising truth and promise. As the Ehrhardt Center team had quickly adjusted its research focus to include and address functional malnutrition, the team was astonished to find that blood-sugar levels among study participants began to normalize. Many participants began to notice lower body-fat levels and regained healthy insulin production. In fact, over the following eight weeks of observation, the participant pool experienced an average three percent drop in body fat and 15 pounds of weight loss. More incredibly, average Hemoglobin A1C levels dropped dramatically from 7.1 percent to 5.9 percent. Hemoglobin A1C testing currently confirms diabetes diagnosis at levels of 6.0 percent and above. Hence, the drop in A1C levels to below 6 percent suggests an exciting opportunity to develop treatments for diabetic reversal and prevention. The Ehrhardt Center’s research has shed new light on the sequence of diabetic onset and reversal, and has opened the door for a new hypothesis that, until now, has yet to be considered.

The progression of type 2 diabetes can be clearly identified through the objective assessment of specific biochemical patterns, and these measurements can be used to determine the preliminary risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the nutritional modifications necessary to reverse and prevent the disease.

This revelation marks an unprecedented advancement toward a cure for the disease and underlies the hope and promise of the integrative medical model. Where conventional approaches have settled on medication as a best hope for treating diseases such as diabetes, integrative medical models continue to inspire a paradigm shift toward healing and regenerative modal ties. It is from this relentless drive to understand disease at its absolute inception that researchers are now closer than ever to creating an effective treatment for diabetic reversal and prevention.

Even as the Ehrhardt Center’s research shows true promise, it carries new responsibilities for researchers to capture their finding’s true potential. To do this, research must push forward to investigate how functional malnutrition affects diabetic disease states. Researchers must identify the individual nutrient deficiencies that affect common diabetic imbalances, and how their effect is influenced by age, gender, ethnicity and hereditary factors. They must discover the sequence of diabetic malnutrition in order to accurately identify the specific stages of disease, developmental timelines, and the appropriate steps for reversal. Researchers must also develop simpler and more cost-effective testing procedures to make their treatments more accessible among all socioeconomic demographics. Further clinical investigation is needed to give researchers the best opportunity to test promising hypotheses, gather vital information, and refine an effective treatment protocol to permanently change the landscape of type 2 diabetes.

To support their important research, The Ehrhardt Center team has joined forces with other local organizations to create the Take 2 for Type 2 Foundation. This non-profit initiative aims to support the development of effective treatments to reverse and prevent Type 2 diabetes. Its founders are dedicated to bringing awareness to the most effective treatments currently available, as well as forwarding advancements that will broaden the effectiveness and accessibility of future treatments. The Take 2 for Type 2 Foundation’s team enthusiastically professes a keen and unwavering focus on reversing diabetes now and preventing the disease in the future. The

organization, founded in 2011, is set to kick off its community outreach with an inaugural fundraising event, scheduled for this coming November. Its organizers hope to introduce the unique science behind recent advancements and garner support for its development as an optimal approach for those in need.

The Ehrhardt Center research team and its fledgling non-profit partner are poised to deliver true health and healing for the many millions of Americans living with type 2 diabetes. The Take 2 for Type 2 Foundation, like its research partner, stands on the principle that effective approaches to reversing diabetes can and must be available among all socioeconomic demographics. Its founders, however, stress the real need for financial support and increased awareness of this novel medical approach in order to make treatment accessible to all. With enough support and activism, The Ehrhardt Center researchers estimate that effective and accessible treatment options for diabetes could be only two years away.

To find out more information or to support this research, contact Lindsey Wells at lwells@ehrhardtcenter.com, or call (908) 766-0992

AMERICA’S DIABETIC SAVINGS CLUB

America’s Diabetic Savings Club offers free products to diabetics nationwide and the best news is that if you are a diabetic, you can join America’s Diabetic Savings Club at no cost. That’s right, membership is free and you will receive a free diabetic bracelet just for joining. With your enrollment, you may also receive other free items like a testing meter upgrade, diabetic socks, cookbooks and other publications and great deals on numerous products and services. Call (877) 879-0126 right now and start your free membership today.

ORANGE COUNTY RESEARCH CENTER

Having trouble managing your type 2 diabetes with your current medication or diet and exercise alone? Are your blood sugars high? If you answered ‘yes,’ are under the age of 75 and taking Metformin (Glucophage), you may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial for an investigational drug for diabetes. To qualify you must have uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Participation in the study may last four months and you will not be charged for the study-related medication, exams, lab work, diabetic and nutritional counseling you receive. For more information call the Orange County Research Center at (888) 574-9464. By participating in a clinical trial, you will gain access to research treatment and also may help others by medical research.