The study by the University of Minnesota was done on 60,000 people in Singapore and published this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. As Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent health care, doctors believe that the results readily apply to other industrialized nations. It appears that as insulin is made in the pancreas, soda interferes with insulin levels, then contributing to cancerous cell growth in the pancreas. Similarly, diabetes, a disease in which the body’s insulin production is compromised, is also known to increase pancreatic cancer risk.

Natural sugar in fruit juice did not create the same cancer risk.

Dr. Mark Pereira, the study’s lead researcher, believes a possible explanation is that soda drinkers usually have other poor health habits which also increase their risk level, such as smoking and eating red meat, two lifestyle factors already linked to cancer.

230,000 people are diagnosed each year with pancreatic cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that only 5% survive for 5 years. Identifying risk factors such as the soft drink correlation could save thousands of lives. Other known causes of pancreatic cancer (in addition to diabetes, smoking, and eating red meat) include:

• genetics
• ethnicity
• old age
• obesity
• excessive alcohol consumption

Where should you draw the line with sugar consumption?

A single can of soda contains 13 teaspoons of sugar. The American Heart Association says women should have less than 6 ½ teaspoons of sugar a day and men 9 1/2 teaspoons.

Excerpts from:
Soft Drink and Juice Consumption and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: The Singapore Chinese Health Study
Sugar Fuels Tumor Growth, Says Major New Study

I recently came across a comment on someone’s webpage about olive leaf extract solving digestion issues.  After some research around the web, I wanted to post for you excerpts from 2 of those articles as I was amazed at what I found. 

According to the Nutritional Supplement Educational Centre, the use of olive leaf extract for health benefits has been common to the Mediterranean culture, though more recently popular in the nutritional supplement industry. Olive leaf extract gained international attention when studies showed it to have an antioxidant capacity almost double green tea extract and 400% higher than vitamin C. (2)

Here is a sampling of olive leaf extract benefits listed by the NSEC:

1.  Boosts weakened immune system by neutralizing free radical cell damage.

2.  Naturally kills pathogens such as bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi, by preventing them from reproducing.

3.  Lowers blood pressure.

4.  Lowers high cholesterol.

5.  Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia patients report it boosts their energy.

6.  It has been used to treat cold and flu viruses, yeast infections, Epstein-Barr disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and shingles.

7.  As with other herbal supplements, NSEC recommends not to use if pregnant or nursing. (1)

Olive Leaf Extract is also an effective detox agent.

Detoxing is a necessary and beneficial process to improve one’s health.  If one has chronic levels of harmful pathogens, a person may experience some symptoms from the detox such as fatigue, diarrhea, headaches, muscle and joint aches, pimples, rashes, and flu-like symptoms when starting on olive leaf extract. These symptoms are due to the number of dead microbes being so high that the kidneys and liver are temporarily overloaded.  If this is your situation, NSEC suggests drinking 4 glasses of water between doses. (1)   It is rare for people to have any symptoms, as Dr. Ray Sahelian states in his article (below).  I and my spouse have been on 1500mg, a high mg extract, and have not had any negative side effects.

How to choose a good quality extract

NSEC says be sure your supplement is produced using only standardized herbal olive leaf extract so it has the highest amount of oleuropein possible.  

Dr. Ray Sahelian also advocates olive leaf extract as a widely beneficial nutritional supplement.

Dr. Sahelian has numerous pages of valuable health-related research on the web; we have referenced his pages several times in past posts.  A couple of additional points that he mentions is that olive leaf extract has been tested for health benefits in studies with rats in years past but has just, in recent years, started being studied in humans.  In his research, he has not come across any side effects from olive leaf extract.

Here is a list of the main health benefits of olive leaf extract as provided by Dr. Sahelian.

1.  Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol- A 2008 study on humans receiving 1000mg per day for 20 weeks showed significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as cholesterol. 

2.  Anti-inflammatory

3.  Immune System Support

4.  Improvement for Diabetics – Studies have shown olive leaf extract to have anti-diabetic qualities at 16mg per kg of weight per day.

5.  Anti-viral benefits (inhibits reproduction of virus) (3)

Benefits We’ve Experienced

Our relatives who have recently started on olive leaf extract have noticed almost immediate benefits of:

-increased energy
-improved digestion
-less joint pain

Recommended Dosage

Dr. Sahelian offers his own line of olive leaf extract (The NSEC article has recommended brands as well.), suggesting two 835mg pills per day.  That is how we chose the dosage we are using.  The Vitamin Shoppe locally has their own brand of liquid extract for $11.99.  The eye dropper in the bottle will equal 1500mg if you take 4 a day (two in the morning and two at night).

If you know that you have chronic illnesses or have a high level of toxins, you may want to ease into the recommended dose over a period of several days due to the detox response mentioned above by the NSEC.  As with beginning any supplement, you should check with your doctor, especially if you are on prescriptions. 

 1. Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract by Nutritional Supplement Educational Centre
2.  Dr. L. Stevenson, Report on Olive Leaf Australia’s Olive Leaf Extracts, Southern Cross University, 2005 (footnote 5) 3.  Olive Leaf Extract supplement benefit and side effects by Dr. Ray Sahelian

Table of contents for Diabetes: Easy Help at Last!

1. Easy Activity Tips for Diabetes Prevention & Improvement
2. Easy Weight Tips for Diabetes Prevention and Improvement
3. Safe Exercise Tips for Diabetics

Let’s answer some questions as to what is safe exercise for diabetics, on checking with your doctor, and adjusting your glucose level. Information is based on article excerpts by Karen Kemmis, footnoted below.

What Exercise is Best?

Don’t groan about this one. In Part 1, we covered all kinds of common ways to increase activity in your daily life, but the truth still remains that aerobic activities are the most beneficial for people with diabetes and, more specifically, type 2 diabetes. Aerobic exercise should last more than 10 minutes and uses multiple muscle groups – preferably arms and legs – in a continuous movement. Aerobic activities should not make you short of breath.(1)

Should I Check First with My Doctor?

If you have not had a stress test, you should only do low-level physical activities until a stress test is done. Then, the level of exercise should be based on stress test results and what you are comfortable with. A good exercise program is 20 to 60 minutes, 4 to 7 days a week. If you are not in good enough shape to exercise this long, you can do several 10-minute sessions throughout the day to reach your exercise time.(1)

What Are My Exercise Choices?

If you did not read Part 1: Easy Activity Tips for Diabetes Prevention & Improvement, please use the above link for a great list of ordinary ways to add physical activity to your daily life.

Kemmis says that walking, stationary bikes, and swimming or water exercise are some of the good choices. Water exercise is popular because it is less stress on your joints. Another interesting choice Dr. Kemmis makes is exercise DVDs for walking, dancing, and even sitting! Sitting exercises, which many people do not know exist, are a great option for people with lower extremity disorders. They actually accomplish an aerobic workout. (1)

How do I Exercise and Regulate my Glucose?

A. Realize that different activities will affect you differently. Blood glucose drops a little after walking but a lot after lifting weights, due to the number of muscles working and how long.

B. Keep track of your blood glucose when you do different activities and write down any changes you made with snacking and insulin. This helps you develop a plan for different activities.

C. Your doctor may suggest that a certain time of day is better than others for you to exercise.

D. You will need to prevent lows by eating a snack or taking less insulin. Keep a few snack choices on hand: sports drinks, juice, glucose tablets, skim milk, and raisins.

E. Most diabetics who exercise do blood glucose checks before, during, and after exercise. It can drop several hours after exercise, so be sure to check it before going to bed.

F. Try checking your glucose level 15 to 30 minutes after you’re done exercising. It’s best not to take insulin right away after exercise; that will cause it to be very low later on. However, there can be times when blood glucose goes up after hard exercising. If this happens to you, talk to your health care professional about what to do. (2)

1. Increasing Physical Activity Without Increasing Pain in Diabetic Patients, Karen Kemmis, PT, DPT, MS, CDE, Physical Therapist and Exercise Physiologist for Joslin Diabetes Center, Syracuse, Syracuse, NY

2. A-F are paraphrased excerpts from “The Ups and Downs of Exercise,” by Karen Kemmis, PT, DPT, MS, CDE, Diabetes and You, Fall 2008

Table of contents for Diabetes: Easy Help at Last!

1. Easy Activity Tips for Diabetes Prevention & Improvement
2. Easy Weight Tips for Diabetes Prevention and Improvement
3. Safe Exercise Tips for Diabetics

This is Part 2 of easy, practical tips for preventing or improving your diabetes in your every day life.

In the first post, we discussed why simple daily changes can make a big difference in improving your diabetes or lowering your risk, as well as gave you 10 really easy ways to add movement and activity into your day. If you missed the first post, please click the above link for Part 1: Easy Activity Tips for Diabetes Prevention & Improvement.

Here are 15 easy-to-implement tips which will help you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight, whichever you are in need of.

Notice for healthy weight you want a combination of food and activity tips. These are paraphrased excerpts from info by the National Diabetes Education Program.(1) My comments are in parenthesis.

1. Be physically active in some way for an hour every day. (It doesn’t need to be things we normally think of as exercise. It can be yard work, dancing, walking through the mall, vacuuming or other brisk housework, swimming, walking farther through a parking lot, etc.)

2. Choose mainly healthy foods.

3. Eat smaller amounts during both meals and snacks.

4. Don’t supersize your meals. Order a smaller size or split a large size with a friend.

5. Eat slowly and wait about 15 minutes before deciding if you are still hungry. It takes 15 minutes before your brain can tell if your stomach is full.

6. Top healthy cereals with bananas, apples, blueberries, or strawberries. (Read the label. If the ingredients contain a long list of items you do not recognize or have large amounts of sugar or corn syrup, it is not a healthy cereal. For example, our favorite cereal contains whole grain wheat, cinnamon, and cane juice.)

7. Eat a good breakfast. Have 1 or 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with 1 T. of peanut butter, a hardboiled egg, or low-fat cheese along with low-fat or non-fat milk. (Ezekiel bread is even better; it is a sprouted grain bread in the freezer section.)

8. Have a sandwich with turkey or lean beef on healthy bread with mustard or low-fat mayonnaise.

9. Fill half your dinner plate with vegetables.

10. Drink water or low-fat or non-fat milk instead of drinks with sugar. (If you do not like water, add a little bit of lemon juice to your water; it will taste better and boost your immune system.)

11. Walk for 30 minutes of the time you would normally watch TV; walk with a friend or a pet.

12. Walk or bike to stores or friends’ houses when safe.

13. Use the stairs when possible.

14. Dance to your favorite music. (Like the old saying – Work like you don’t have to, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching!)

15. Spend less than 2 hours per day total in front of TVs and computers.

1. Excerpts are paraphrased from “Stay at a Healthy Weight! You Can Do It!”, Diabetes and You, Fall 2008 Issue and National Diabetes Education Program.

Table of contents for Diabetes: Easy Help at Last!

1. Easy Activity Tips for Diabetes Prevention & Improvement
2. Easy Weight Tips for Diabetes Prevention and Improvement
3. Safe Exercise Tips for Diabetics

Reading Level: Leisurely

There are easy, practical tips for preventing or improving your diabetes in your every day life.

Most people cringe or feel hopeless at the mention of preventing or improving their diabetes through increased exercise or weight loss. However, various national diabetes organizations have put together very simple daily practices which anyone can implement to significantly prevent or improve his or her diabetes. So remove from your mind the images of having to turn yourself into a professional weight lifter, marathon runner, or strict vegetarian to better your life!

This is Part 1 in a 3-Part Series to give you some concise information to easily improve your diabetes or greatly lessen your risk.

Why try to prevent or improve your diabetes? Because it can work!

Chinese and American researchers found that diet and exercise programs for people at high risk for diabetes can delay the development of the disease. Over a 6 year period, 577 adults with high blood glucose levels who followed a diet and exercise program reduced incidences of diabetes by 51%. Even though diabetes risk normally increases with age, the study showed that over a 20 year period, good diet and exercise still reduced incidences of diabetes by 43%. (1)

Here are 10 Simple Ways to Increase Your Activity Level in Your Daily Routine:

1. Walk to places you need to go that are close by instead of driving (at times and to places that are safe to walk.). You may even want to wear a pedometer to keep track of your steps each day and challenge yourself to keep improving.

2. If you do drive, park as far away from the door as is safe.

3. Find a physical activity that you enjoy which you can do daily, such as dance, bicycling, sports, or any other activity in which you move instead of sit.

4. Take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible.

5. When you are working or playing on your computer, take a 10 minute break every hour to walk around. The break will also increase your productivity.

6. Do the same when watching TV; take a break to walk around during commercials and between shows.

7. When you talk on the phone, walk around.

8. Find a type of exercise class that you like. It doesn’t have to be regular aerobics, it can be a stretching class.

9. When you do household chores such as vacuuming, scrubbing, raking, shoveling, or anything else that you put effort into, do them in a vigorous manner; it is good exercise.

10. It’s can be more fun to make an exercise date with a friend. Instead of just going to the mall to shop or eat, use it as a place to walk together and enjoy each other’s company. (2)

Part 2 will be: Easy Weight Loss Tips for Diabetes Prevention and Improvement

1. Study results from Diabetes and You, pg. 12, Fall 2008 Issue.
2. Paraphrased excerpts from www.yourdiabetesinfo.org

If you have a wide variety of health issues and have not been able to locate the source, you may want to check your B12 levels.

B12 is a vitally important nutrient in many bodily functions, yet studies show that 1 out of 4 adults in the US are B12 deficient, and nearly ½ the population has sub-optimal B12 levels. Most people over 50 are likely you are to have a vitamin B12 deficiency, as you absorb less with age. Strict vegetarians and vegans are at risk as the only dietary source are animal products. Studies in India show about 80% of adults there are deficient in vitamin B12.

Today’s research are excerpts from a newsletter by Dr. Joseph Mercola. Click here to read his full article. His B12 article is very lengthy, but if, after reading these excerpts, you feel that the info applies to you, you will probably want to read his article in its entirety.

B12′s Work in the Body

Take a look at this extensive list of B12′s involvement in your health.

• Proper digestion, food absorption, iron use, carbohydrate and fat
  metabolism
• Healthy nervous system function. B12 builds the myelin which
  insulates and protects your nerve endings, allowing them to
  communicate.
• Promotion of normal nerve growth and development
• Help with regulation of the formation of red blood cells
  cell formation and longevity
• Proper circulation
• Adrenal hormone production
• Healthy immune system function
• Support of female reproductive health and pregnancy 
• Feelings of well-being and mood regulation
• Mental clarity, concentration, memory function
• Physical, emotional and mental energy

Common Health Risks from B12 Deficiency

This is a partial list of health problems for which a B12 deficiency could create increased risk:

1. pernicious anemia
2. cancer, specifically breast and cervical cancer, due to B12′s role in DNA synthesis
3. heart disease and stroke, due to elevated homocysteine levels
4. birth defects, also due to elevated homocysteine levels
5. infertility and repeated miscarriages
5. dementia
6. Alzheimer’s*
7. Also, possibility of link to migraines
*(Research links B12 deficiency reversible dementia in the elderly. This type of treatable dementia differs from Alzheimer’s, though seniors with a lack of B12 do suffer more from brain atrophy or shrinkage – a characteristic of Alzheimer’s.)

Other General Symptoms of B12 Deficiency

Obviously, any health issues in the above areas could signify a B12 deficiency. Other general symptoms may include:

- mental fogginess
- mood swings
- lack of motivation
- feelings of apathy
- difficulty sleeping
- muscle weakness
- tingling in your extremities
- depression
- symptoms mimicking multiple sclerosis

Common Causes B12 Deficiency

Reading through the list below makes it becomes clear why so much of the population is B12 deficient. There is a wide variety of causes!

Aging - B12 absorption typically decreases with age.
Strict Veg Diet - B12 deficiency is extremely common in strict vegetarians and vegans.
Antacids – Both antacids and ant-ulcer drugs decrease stomach acid, a crucial ingredient for the body to absorb B12 .
Diabetes Medication - Metformin© (brand names Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Fortamet, Riomet, Glumetza) interferes with calcium metabolism needed for B12 absorption. The longer a person with Type 2 diabetes takes Metformin© and the higher the dose, the greater the risk for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Excessive coffee drinking - more than 4 cups per day
Bacterial infection - Infection with Helicobacter pylori, a common contributor to stomach ulcers
Gastric bypass surgery
Laughing Gas - ample evidence points possible destruction of the body’s B12 reserve by nitrous oxide exposure
Food-Cobalamin Malabsorption Syndrome - Your stomach lining loses its ability to produce protein that binds to vitamin B12 for absorption. Atrophic gastritis is the most common cause (chronic inflammation of mucous membranes in the stomach). Again, more common with age.
Prescription Drugs - A large variety can cause B12 deficiency. See Dr. Mercola’s full article for the list.

Natural Sources of B12

Vitamin B12 is present in natural form only in animal sources of food. Though seafood is a good source of B12, Dr. Mercola does not recommend it due to mercury levels. Other good sources are:

Beef and beef liver – preferably grass fed
Chicken – preferably organic
Milk – preferably non-pasteurized
Eggs – preferably free range (Omega-3 enhanced are less healthy than regular eggs.) Raw or soft-boiling gives the most health benefits.

Testing for B12 Deficiency

Blood tests for vitamin B12 deficiency aren’t as clear cut or helpful as they are for other nutritional deficiencies. Read Dr. Mercola’s full article for details. Though it is water soluble, B12 doesn’t exit your body quickly in urine. It is stored in your liver, kidneys and other body tissues. As a result, a deficiency may not show itself for a number of years, depending on your diet and your body’s ability to efficiently absorb B12. After about seven years of B12 deficiency, irreversible brain damage can result.

Since Vitamin B12 supplementation is completely non-toxic and inexpensive, Dr. Mercola recommends supplementing your diet with B12 and see if your symptoms improve.

Adjusting your diet can be helpful unless the cause of the deficiency is a digestion absorption issue. If you aren’t getting sufficient B12 in your diet, or you suspect your body isn’t able to efficiently absorb the vitamin, Dr. Mercola recommends you begin supplementation immediately with either an under-the-tongue fine mist spray or vitamin B12 injections.

Excerpts from “Potentially Life-Threatening Vitamin Deficiency Affects 25% of Adults,” Dr. Joseph Mercola.

Giving some guidance to your children or grandchildren about your diabetes can bring mutual benefit to your family.

I recently came across an article by Martha Funnell about the importance of informing your children or grandchildren about diabetes. Not only does it help to dispel their fears, but it develops a healthy support system within your family.

Here are the main points from Ms. Funnell’s article:

1. Answer their questions honestly. Not knowing answers usually causes more fear. They also may have heard misinformation from friends.

2. Explain diabetes in simple terms, such as your body has trouble handling sugar so you are taking medicine and eating healthy to take care of yourself.

3. Children sometimes fear they will get diabetes. Encourage them to stay physically active and maintain a healthy weight to prevent diabetes.

4. Reassure them that you are doing everything possible to stay healthy.

5. Explain that you may have mood changes due to changes in your glucose levels.

6. Explain that you may not feel as well on some days as on others.

7. Even very young children can learn to dial 911. Teach them to do so if you ever pass out or they cannot wake you.

8. Teenagers can learn to give glucagon if needed.

9. Use the opportunity to teach and develop the concept of support for individuals within the family. Teach by your example of love and support for them. Also teach them how they can be supportive of you.

10. Allow the situation of your diabetes’ affect on your family to be motivational for you. It should motivate you to teach them good health habits so that they can stay healthy. It should also be motivational for you to stay healthy so that you can watch your children and/or grandchildren grow up.

Excerpts from “Talking with Your Children About Diabetes,” by Martha Funnell, MS,RN,CDE, pg. 10, Diabetes and You, Fall 2008