Bottom Line Health
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| Some carbs raise blood sugar levels sharply. Others have little effect.
To gauge a particular food's effect on blood sugar levels, scientists use what is known as the glycemic index. At the top of this 100-point scale is glucose. Consumption of glucose causes the sharpest rise in blood sugar. Other foods fall lower on the scale. The higher a food's glycemic index, the greater its effect on blood sugar levels.
The chief determinant of the glycemic index of a particular food is the speed at which it is digested. Carbs that break down into glucose quickly raise blood sugar sharply. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 However, glucose is the body's primary fuel, so how can you provide that fuel in a form that won't cause unhealthy fluctuations in blood sugar levels? The easy answer ties in with the previous recommendation: eat carbohydrates in the form of whole foods: whole grains, whole-grain products, vegetables, and fruits.
To understand why choosing the right carbohydrates can help keep blood sugar levels more even, let's take a step back and look at carbohydrates as a whole. There are two different types of carbohydrates. |
Jack Challem
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 When blood sugar levels don't go up and down like a roller coaster, people are less likely to have hunger jags and to overeat.
In a study at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, researchers placed men on a high-fat, moderately high-protein, and low-carb diet for five weeks. The men's blood-sugar levels decreased by more than a third, and their HbA]c (glycated hemoglobin) levels dropped by 22 percent. The researchers calculated that if the men had stayed on the diet longer, their HbA)c levels would have dropped by half. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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 APDS has been shown to block the breakdown of insulin by the liver and possibly to stimulate insulin production by the pancreas, thus increasing the amount of insulin and reducing sugar levels in the blood.8 Several uncontrolled human studies9'10 and at least one double-blind clinical trial11 have shown that large amounts of onion can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes (page 152). Onion does not reduce blood sugar levels in healthy nondiabetic people. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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| Sugar and refined carbohydrates create uneven blood sugar levels that can disrupt your sleep in the middle of the night. Another side effect of excessive sugar consumption is insulin rebound, in which the body is overwhelmed with an influx of simple sugars and as a result cannot digest food properly. This condition causes an stress reaction in the body that prevents sleep. It can also result in food addictions, a vicious cycle of bingeing on sugary foods or beverages and foods that contain caffeine, that keeps blood sugar levels and sleep patterns out of balance. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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 A study of285,705 American veterans with diabetes measured seasonal differences in their blood sugar levels. Sure enough, the veterans' blood sugar levels climbed dramatically in the colder months and bottomed out during the summer. More telling, the contrast between summer and winter was even more pronounced in those who lived in colder climates, with greater differences in seasonal temperature. Diabetes, it seems, has some deep connection to the cold. we don't know enough today to state with certainty that the predisposition to Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes is related to human cold response. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 Protein drinks that have low sugar levels can be consumed. Protein helps smooth out blood-sugar levels. Many people with diabetes benefit from increasing the relative amount of protein in the diet.
Focus on quality fats. Fish such as salmon is excellent, as are nuts and seeds. Use olive and flaxseed oil with your salads.
Instead of eating three large meals, have several smaller meals throughout the day to keep your insulin and blood-sugar levels steady. Or have three main meals with healthy snacks in-between. Do not go longer than three hours without eating. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 Stress causes excessive blood sugar levels for some, while causing low blood sugar levels for others. Adaptogens help to normalize these and other body functions and to keep the body's systems in balance. This amphoteric effect, that is, the ability to promote homeostasis, is a very important quality of adaptogens. If there is hypoactivity (deficient functioning), adaptogens will strengthen and increase function; if there is hyperactivity (excessive functioning), they will gently reduce and normalize activity.
Table 6. |
| In one, holy basil was found to help reduce asthma symptoms, and in another, patients with type 2 diabetes had significant reductions in blood sugar levels (17.6 percent) while fasting and smaller decreases in blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels after eating.
In my clinical practice I use holy basil to enhance cerebral circulation and memory. It is used in ayurvedic medicine to relieve "mental fog" caused by chronic cannabis smoking. |
Bottom Line Health
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| The higher a food's glycemic index, the greater its effect on blood sugar levels.
The chief determinant of the glycemic index of a particular food is the speed at which it is digested. Carbs that break down into glucose quickly raise blood sugar sharply. Slow-digesting carbs keep blood sugar levels on an even keel.
What determines the speed of digestion? A food's particle size. The smaller the particles, the faster the food is digested and the higher its glycemic index. |
| Men who had fasting blood sugar levels at the high end of normal—95 to 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood—had approximately three times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes as men who had blood sugar levels that were less than 81 mg/dL.
Men who had other risk factors, such as obesity, as well as high-normal blood glucose readings were even more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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| Protein drinks that have low sugar levels can be consumed. Protein helps smooth out blood-sugar levels. Many people with diabetes find benefit by increasing the relative amount of protein in the diet.
Focus on quality fats. Fish such as salmon is excellent, as are nuts and seeds. Use olive and flaxseed oil with your salads.
Instead of eating three large meals, have several smaller meals throughout the day to keep your insulin and blood-sugar levels steady. Or have three main meals, with healthful snacks in-between. Do not go longer than three hours without eating. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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 Bowden, noting that regulating insulin and controlling blood sugar levels are central to the theory of all carb-watching diets.
But Dr. Atkins's seemingly "heretic" low-carb plan did more than just alert Americans to the dangers of processed, "wrong" carbs. It also shook up the traditional medical establishment—a phenomenon brilliantly reported by science journalist Gary Taubes in a controversial, much-talked-about 2002 New York Times Magazine article titled, "What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?"
Essentially, Dr. |
Dr. Arthur Janov
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 The same imprint can, and does, affect the central nervous system, heart, and blood sugar levels, and can create chronic sweats. It can alter all of the survival functions because survival was at stake. Compounding our early pain with later experience makes symptoms manifest, giving rise to high blood pressure, diabetes, migraine headaches, hypothyroidism and/or Parkinson's disease.
The simple fact of chronically high Cortisol set up by the imprint can impact memory later in life, not to mention making us more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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| Studies have shown that when diabetics keep their blood sugar levels within normal range, they can cut their rate of health problems by 70 percent.
The bad news is that you don't have to be diabetic to experience the detrimental inflammatory response from sugar. Even a healthy body is damaged by sugar in a phenomenon known as glycation. Two decades in private dermatology practice and seeing thousands of patients, in conjunction with extensive study on the subject, has confirmed my belief that sugar is extremely damaging to the skin—in fact to all organ systems. |
| You'd expect that, growing up with a diabetic mom, I would learn how to moderate sugar intake and properly manage blood sugar levels. But that didn't happen.
Instead, given the bad advice diabetics were being given in those days, we didn't learn about the value and health benefits of limiting sugar intake. Doctors were wrongly teaching diabetics to eat a lot of sugary foods such as orange juice, cereal, breads, and flour. So that's what my mom ate. |
KC Craichy
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 The obvious implication is that their soft drink is not a health risk because of its sugar levels. But just the opposite is true. Orange juice is not a healthy drink because of its high sugar levels.
An 8-ounce glass of orange juice has almost the same amount of sugar in it as a regular Coke, a whopping eight to nine teaspoons of sugar. Guess how many teaspoons of sugar are necessary in your bloodstream? Only one. Your body and brain tightly regulate one tablespoon of sugar in the bloodstream for proper brain function. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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| Too many physicians send these people away with four or five different prescriptions to treat each problem separately when what they really need is to exercise regularly and change their diets—cut out the very foods that are causing their high blood sugar levels and insulin surges.
With any luck, I've been catching these patients early in the disease process. Over the years, the ones who followed my advice did really well. They lost weight, exercised, and quit or drastically curtailed their intake of simple carbohydrates. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 The researchers found that the papaya preparation induced a significant decrease in plasma sugar levels in both healthy subjects and those with type 2 diabetes. This hypoglycemic effect enabled patients with diabetes to reduce the dosage of their antidiabetic oral therapy and one patient to suspend his oral therapy altogether (Danese et al, 2006).
Immunomodulation
In a placebo-controlled study, the administration of a polyen-zyme preparation (Wobenzyme®) resulted in increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytotoxicity in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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| Fluctuating blood sugar levels are influenced not just by the foods you eat, but also by when and how much you eat, as well as skipping meals and snacking habits. Stress and exercise can also play a role. If you skip meals, your blood sugar level can get too low. Your body will respond by releasing sugars (stored in the liver in the form of the starch glycogen) into the bloodstream. This is one reason it's important to eat a good breakfast. After sleeping—and fasting—all night, your body needs to be refueled. |
| Once the sugar is metabolized, blood sugar levels can crash or fluctuate, and this can disrupt your sleep in the middle of the night as your body demands more sugar.
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar (glucose), is a condition often associated with diabetes. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include anxiety, weakness, sweating, rapid heart rate, dizziness, headache, irritability, and poor or double vision Although glucose is the primary source of fuel for the brain, too much glucose in the blood can create health problems. |
| In healthy people, the release of insulin acts to keep blood sugar levels fairly constant; when the pancreas produces too much insulin, however, blood glucose levels drop suddenly, depriving the brain of needed fuel.
A diet high in simple sugars and refined carbohydrates can lead to nighttime hypoglycemia. Blood levels of glucose drop and the body releases adrenaline, Cortisol, and other hormones to stimulate the brain and indicate that it is time to eat. This can awaken you or prevent you from entering a deep sleep state. |
| Chromium
Chromium is essential for regulating the production of the hormone insulin, which is responsible for stabilizing blood sugar levels. Although the body requires only small amounts of this important mineral, Americans are more likely to be deficient in chromium than any other micronutrient. Chromium is found in the outer bran portions of grains, but much of it is lost in the milling and processing of white flour, the primary ingredient in most refined bread and pasta products. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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| When our blood sugar levels get too high, we have higher insulin. And I believe that the number-one cause of the hardening of the blood vessels is excess insulin. The most important way to prevent coronary disease is to keep your insulin levels down, and that means eating fewer refined carbs and sweets. And yet this valuable piece of information is largely overlooked by members of the medical community.
A bit of history is in order. |
Marshall Editions
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 Studies show that, compared to managing the condition through medication, lifestyle modification more successfully controls sugar levels and the complications of diabetes. Following the diet above, keeping the body mass index under 28, exercising, reducing stress, and keeping alcohol intake to a minimum are usually enough to ensure prevention. At the first signs of insulin resistance, begin a weight loss program, swap carbs for complex, low glycemic index foods (whole grains and fruits and vegetables), and exercise (for example, fast walking) at least 20 minutes a day. |
Too Profitable to CureBrent Hoadley, Ph.D.
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| Two days after that, my blood sugar levels were under control, and I was out of the hospital, and back on beef and pork insulin.
My Doctor emphatically denied that it was the Humulin that caused the episode. He blamed it on perhaps a viral infection. But just to be safe, he recommended I stay on the non-humulin type insulin, since I appeared well under control with that, and it was still in production.
Now, 3 years later, my original doctor retired, and my new doctor told me I had no choice — synthetic insulin was the only insulin I could take.. .but there was a type he recommended... |
| Warning symptoms of impending low-blood sugar levels range from sweating, weakness, or tiredness, to seizure and coma. How any diabetic who lives and works outside in a hot humid area could be expected to recognize "sweating" as a symptom of hypoglycemia is questionable. At the other extreme, though, is the ridiculous warning that instructs diabetics to take precautions while in the throes of seizure or unconsciousness. A comatose diabetic has a great deal of difficulty walking to the refrigerator for a glass of orange juice! Diabetics might not be protected, but pharmaceuticals certainly are! |
| Ale is a test for glycosylated hemaglo-bin — a measure of average blood sugar levels over a three-month period.) Because faster-acting, less predictable insulins were used in the DCCT, diabetics quickly became human pin cushions. Early results from Europe showed the frequency of monitoring necessarily increased in order to maintain tight control.
What a perfect ruse! Of great benefit to the drug manufacturer, the study deceptively hid the shortcomings of tight control and/or dangers of the product (insulin), while demanding increased usage of management tools. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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| One recent study showed that about 60 percent of obese five- to ten-year-olds already exhibited at least one major risk factor for heart disease—high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or high sugar levels. Of those kids, 25 percent had more than one risk factor. A 2005 report in The New England Journal of Medicine said that the epidemic of childhood obesity is the critical element in a gathering storm that could produce the first modern decline in American life expectancy—dropping life expectancy as much as five years. |
| On top of daily insulin doses, Type 1 requires vigilant attention to blood sugar levels and a su-perdisciplined approach to diet and exercise.
In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces insulin—sometimes even at high levels—but the level of insulin production can eventually be too low or other tissues in the body are resistant to it, impairing the absorption and conversion of blood sugar. |
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