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• Hypoglycemia: Piecing together the diabetes puzzle

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It is vitally important for the body to maintain blood sugar levels within a narrow range. If the blood sugar level falls too low, energy supply to all tissues, and particularly the brain, is impaired. If the blood sugar level is too high, this is damaging to arteries and the long term effect of arterial disease is heart attack and stroke. Eating excessive sugar at one meal or excessive refined carbohydrate (white bread, cakes, pasta, rice etc), which is rapidly digested into sugar, can suddenly overwhelm the body’s normal control of blood sugar levels. The effect of this is further compounded if we do not exercise enough to burn off those “quick” calories. It is linked to insulin resistance, and can be a pre-cursor to diabetes.

WHAT DOES HYPOGLYCEMIA MEAN?

Hypoglycemia literally means “low blood sugar”. A person who suffers from hypoglycemia may experience a high blood sugar “spike” after ingesting sugar or caffeine (or some prescription or illegal drugs), and then a subsequent “low” around two hours later (this time can vary from person to person). During the “low”, the brain is not receiving enough energy to function correctly and this affects energy and mood (and can lead to more serious long term problems such as anxiety, fatigue and depression). A key symptom of hypoglycemia is quite often disturbed sleep, typically occurring between 2am and 3am, when the blood sugar drops too low and the adrenal reaction to bring the blood sugar level back to normal causes the person to wake.

HOW IS HYPOGLYCEMIA DIAGNOSED?

Testing for hypoglycemia involves a four hour (or longer) glucose tolerance test with blood sugar readings taken every half hour. This determines up to 6 different types of hypoglycemia and is discussed in detail on this website. Hypoglycemia is also discussed in detail in one of Dr George Samra’s books: “The Hypoglycemic Connection II”. This book is available at One Stop Allergies Kogarah NSW (Fax: 02 9588 5290, Ph: 9553 0084).

SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA

Some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia can include:

WHAT ELSE CAUSES HYPOGLYCEMIA SYMPTOMS?

Some persons suffering from hypoglycemia may not experience very high or low blood sugar levels but still may have the symptoms of hypoglycemia after ingesting sugar. These people may have a thyroid problem (such as hypothyroidism) as the main cause of their hypoglycemia, or a metabolic disorder caused by a dysfunction in enzymes involved with glucose metabolism (usually as a result of abnormal zinc/copper levels – the ratio of these is important as higher than normal levels of either suppresses the other, and zinc is required  as a coenzyme in the breakdown of glucose). In addition, any type of anaemia can mimic hypoglycemia.

HOW DOES STRESS AFFECT HYPOGLYCEMIA

Stress can also be a major factor in hypoglycemia. When a person becomes stressed for whatever reason, their body releases stress hormones in order to cope with the stress. Adrenaline is such a stress hormone and has the effect of rapidly raising sugar in the blood stream. This triggers an insulin surge which produces a drop in blood sugar levels and also causes hypoglycemia, explaining why we often “fall in a heap” after a stressful situation. Hypoglycemia can therefore be both a cause of stress and the result of stress, and this vicious circle explains why stress can be so damaging to our bodies in the long term.

THE LINK BETWEEN HYPOGLYCEMIA AND OTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS

Hypoglycemia is also a precursor to diabetes and some mental illnesses, and may be responsible for low energy periods during the day (as are food allergies and intolerances/sensitivities). Food allergies or sensitivities and candidiasis (thrush, tinea etc) are often associated with hypoglycemia.

HOW IS HYPOGLYCEMIA TREATED

Treatment for hypoglycemia is to avoid all foods containing sugar and also refined carbohydrate. It can takes several weeks or months for the body to regain control of blood sugar while on the correct diet and there could be some withdrawal symptoms (possibly fatigue, depression and a worsening of the hypoglycemic symptoms) for several weeks, similar to what a smoker or alcoholic suffer when they quit their habits.

HYPOGLYCEMIA DIET RULES

The main rules for the hypoglycemic diet are:

• Eat a large high protein breakfast, preferably containing some form of meat (chicken or fish is the best, or at least two eggs);
• Eat a low GI snack every 2 to 2.5 hours (you need to determine which is the best time break for you, and generally two and a half hours is the maximum time between meals);
• No sugar. Also avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread and rice, cakes, sugary biscuits and sugary drinks (soft drinks, cordials and some fruit juices). Avoid sugary fruits initially including melons, dates and bananas, and also honey. Limit consumption of potato, pumpkin and sweet potato as these can substantially affect blood sugar levels;
• Avoid coffee, strong tea and nicotine;
• Avoid alcohol, most of which is high in sugar – the lower sugar varieties are vodka and scotch which, when consumed moderately, are less likely to affect your blood sugar. If you are drinking alcohol, you should also be eating low GI snacks or protein to buffer the effects.

WHAT ARE THE BEST FOODS FOR PEOPLE WITH HYPOGLYCEMIA?

• Fruit
  (no more than 2 pieces per day, consumed with other low GI food such as protein, due to the fructose content – not to be consumed on its own);
• Vegetables
  (as much as you want, although potatoes, sweet potato and pumpkin should be sparing);
• Meats and eggs;
• Nuts and seeds
  (preferably raw and unsalted. These are not sufficient as a meal on their own);
• Low GI breads and cereals;
• Milk products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter
  (if you are not allergic to them – if you are, try sheep’s or goat’s milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, quinoa milk as alternatives);
•  Brown rice cakes, basmati or wholegrain brown rice; and
• Margarine containing non-hydrogenated fats (better for your cholesterol!) and other good oils (raw, not used for cooking, preferably cold pressed).

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS RECOMMENDED FOR HYPOGLYCEMIA

Most people with hypoglycemia will require some vitamin supplementation initially and should include a multi-B complex, chromium (to assist with food cravings), zinc and vitamin C. If withdrawal symptoms from the high sugar diet are unpleasant, 2 teaspoons of glycerine, mixed in a glass of milk or mixed with water and a dash of lemon juice, can be taken three times a day until the symptoms have passed. Glycerine is a vegetable extract which does not affect insulin levels or the pancreas, and is a fast supply of energy for the brain. Note: Gylcerol is the same as glycerine.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HYPOGLYCEMIA AND FOOD ALLERGIES/INTOLERANCES

Allergies, including food allergies, food intolerances and food sensitivities, can be closely related to hypoglycemia due to the effect they can have on blood sugar (from adrenaline surges after eating) and vitamin and mineral levels. For this purpose we will put them under the one “umbrella” and call them food allergies, even though they may not be, in the true sense, an allergy (which may result in the constriction of airways or anaphylactic shock).

EFFECTS OF FOOD ALLERGIES

Food allergies can cause a great variety of symptoms including major vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including osteoporosis. An example of this is coeliac disease which may affect about one in one hundred of the general population (1%). Coeliac disease is an allergy to the gluten protein in wheat, oats, barley, rye, triticale, spelt etc. Many manufactured foods also contain wheat starch and further information can be obtained from your state Coeliac society. Coeliac disease has been linked to many auto-immune diseases and there is a much higher rate of celiac disease in the diabetic community. The NSW Coeliac Society can be contacted by email at nsw@coeliacsociety.com.au, by viewing their website at http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au, or by phoning (02) 9487 5088.

Food allergies can also result in arthritis, rheumatism, eczema, skin conditions, itch, irritable bowel, colitis, asthma and other airways diseases, headaches and migraines, depression and fatigue, cancer, bladder problems, recurrent cystitis and bedwetting, hypertension (high blood pressure), multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease and nerve tissue damage.

WHAT FOODS TRIGGER ALLERGIES?

Many foods may trigger the above symptoms. Research has revealed the most common allergies found to date are cows milk products, yeast and gluten. In addition to these common allergens, things like peanuts chocolate, eggs, soy and potato are most commonly associated with eczema. Asthma is most likely caused by an allergy to dust and dust mite, and also cow’s milk products, beef and veal.

Migraines and headaches are mostly caused by chocolate and cola drinks, oranges and other citrus fruits, peanuts and peanut paste, green beans and peas, cow’s milk products and food additive MSG (code 621). They can also be caused by dehydration, particularly on a hot day where not enough water has been consumed to replace the fluid loss. Fructose malabsorption (the natural sugar in fruit) has recently been found to cause zinc and iron deficiencies in some people. And lets not forget that there are many food additives, colourings and preservatives that can cause all sorts of gut and brain symptoms.

HOW ARE FOOD ALLERGIES DIAGNOSED?

There are many ways to determine food allergies, and some of these are not 100% reliable. The best way is to undertake an “elimination diet” over a two week period. Dr. Samra’s book ‘The Allergy Connection’ describes the Baseline Diet, consisting of specially chosen low-allergy foods which are the least likely to cause an allergic response. The usual protocol is to only eat foods included in the Baseline diet for two weeks, and after the two week Baseline diet, foods are gradually re-introduced to the diet one at a time. Any symptom, such as wind, bloating, pain, nausea or headache is recorded for the new food, and this food needs to be withdrawn from the diet. Foods that do not cause problems can remain in the diet.

When adding foods back to the diet, do the grains (including cereals) last. It is preferable to undertake this diet with the help of an experienced nutritionist or specialist nutritional doctor. In some cases, adding digestive enzymes, or reducing consumption of questionable foods to once every four or five days, may help eliminate the problem if the foods only cause problems due to excessive consumption. This is not the case for any really allergic symptoms such as peanut allergies which can be fatal. Also, if you have coeliac disease, and you consume bread every four days, the damage caused to the small intestine will not heal, so it is important to distinguish coeliac disease from an intolerance to gluten.

Cytotoxic food allergy testing is most useful for diagnosing food allergies. However, an experienced kinesiologist can test individual foods allergies by using muscle testing. When the food is placed on the body or in the mouth, the muscle being tested will go weak if there is a food allergy present. This may also be a good way to test for allergies if the person does not want to do the elimination diet, or undergo blood tests. Skin prick tests can be unreliable in determining food allergies and are better at testing airborne allergens.

WHERE CAN I GET FURTHER INFORMATION ON FOOD ALLERGIES?

Food allergies, and diseases caused by food allergies, are discussed in detail in Dr. George Samra’s book “The Allergy Connection, Featuring the Food and Disease Paradigm”. This book is available at One Stop Allergies PO Box 394 Kogarah NSW 2217 (Fax: 02 9588 5290).

(This article was prepared by Susan Ridge and Nicole Samra using information from Dr Samra’s food allergy and hypoglycemic books, and also from an article published on the website of Dr Sarah Myhill of the United Kingdom – www.myhill.co.uk)

Dr Samra is a medical graduate of Sydney University, Australia. He also holds a Fellowship with the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM). He has written up-to-date books on hypoglycemia and food allergies, and has successfully treated  thousands of patients  with his sensible and simple approach to diet. He is currently a medical practitioner at Total Therapies Medical Centre in Kogarah NSW (Phone: 02 9553 0084, Fax: 02 9588 5290).

Does your child suffer any of the following symptoms:

If so, they may be suffering “hypoglycemia” (see explanation below), or they may simply benefit from following the rules of a hypoglycemic diet. It does not take a rocket scientist to determine that in general most of us are consuming far too much sugar, caffeine (chocolate and coffee) and refined carbohydrates in our diets. Food additives, flavourings, colourings and preservatives are also unwelcome additions to our diets, many of which are in specifically targeted food for children.

For school aged children, this can mean low attention spans, poor memory, antisocial behaviour and poor grades. All of this can have a significant impact in the type of person your child will become at maturity. As a parent, you may gain benefit from your child becoming more focussed on their schooling and displaying a significant improvement in behaviour. You can help to achieve this with an accurate diagnosis of your child’s medical condition, including foods that they should avoid.

As an example, it has been shown in recent coeliac disease research (coeliac disease is an allergy to the gluten protein found in wheat, oats, barley and rye) that persons with undiagnosed gluten allergies are far less likely to obtain a university degree than the normal population, and far more likely to suffer from vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis, iron deficient anaemia, irritable bowel syndrome and some intestinal cancers. If they remain undiagnosed, they are four times more likely to die at a younger age than the general population. Would you want such a bleak future for your child, when the answer could be a simple change in diet with no long term drug needs?

If a person with hypoglycemia is left untreated in childhood, by the time they reach adulthood, in addition to the above symptom list, they may also suffer from drug and alcohol addiction, and loss of libido and sex drive.

WHAT DOES HYPOGLYCEMIA MEAN?

Hypoglycemia literally means “low blood sugar”. A person who suffers from hypoglycemia may experience a high blood sugar “spike” after ingesting sugar or caffeine (or some prescription or illegal drugs), and then a subsequent “low” around two hours later (this time can vary from person to person). During the “low”, the brain is not receiving enough energy to function correctly and this affects energy and mood (and lead to more serious long term problems such as anxiety, fatigue and depression). A key symptom of hypoglycemia is quite often disturbed sleep, typically occurring between 2am and 3am, when the blood sugar drops too low and the adrenal reaction to bring the blood sugar level back to normal causes the person to wake.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIGHTLY REGULATING BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS

It is vitally important for the body to maintain blood sugar levels within a narrow range. If the blood sugar level falls too low, energy supply to all tissues, and particularly the brain, is impaired. If the blood sugar level is too high, this is damaging to arteries and the long term effect of arterial disease is heart attack and stroke. Eating excessive sugar at one meal or excessive refined carbohydrate (white bread, cakes, pasta, rice etc), which is rapidly digested into sugar, can suddenly overwhelm the body’s normal control of blood sugar levels. The effect of this is further compounded if we do not exercise enough to burn off those “quick” calories. It is linked to insulin resistance, and can be a pre-cursor to diabetes.

HOW IS HYPOGLYCEMIA DIAGNOSED?

Testing for hypoglycemia involves a four hour (or longer) glucose tolerance test with blood sugar readings taken every half hour. This determines up to 6 different types of hypoglycemia and is discussed in detail on the hypoglycemic website at www.hypoglycemia.asn.au. Hypoglycemia is also discussed in detail in one of Dr George Samra’s books: “The Hypoglycemic Connection II”. This book is available at One Stop Allergies Kogarah NSW (Fax: 02 9588 5290).

WHAT ELSE CAUSES HYPOGLYCEMIA SYMPTOMS?

Some persons suffering from hypoglycemia may not experience very high or low blood sugar levels but still may have the symptoms of hypoglycemia after ingesting sugar. These people may have a thyroid problem (such as hypothyroidism) as the main cause of their hypoglycemia, or a metabolic disorder caused by a dysfunction in enzymes involved with glucose metabolism (usually as a result of abnormal zinc/copper levels -the ratio of these are important as higher than normal levels of either suppresses the other, and zinc is required  as a coenzyme in the breakdown of glucose). In addition, any type of anaemia can mimic hypoglycemia.

HOW DOES STRESS AFFECT HYPOGLYCEMIA

Stress can also be a major factor in hypoglycemia. When a person becomes stressed for whatever reason, their body releases stress hormones in order to cope with the stress. Adrenaline is such a stress hormone and has the effect of rapidly raising sugar in the blood stream. This triggers an insulin surge which produces a drop in blood sugar levels and also causes hypoglycemia, explaining why we often “fall in a heap” after a stressful situation. Hypoglycemia can therefore be both a cause of stress and the result of stress, and this vicious circle explains why stress can be so damaging to our bodies in the long term.

THE LINK BETWEEN HYPOGLYCEMIA AND OTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS

Hypoglycemia is also a precursor to diabetes and some mental illnesses, and may be responsible for low energy periods during the day and ADD/ADHD symptoms. Food allergies or sensitivities and candidiasis (thrush, tinea etc) are often associated with hypoglycemia.

HOW IS HYPOGLYCEMIA TREATED

Treatment for hypoglycemia is to avoid all foods containing sugar and also refined carbohydrate. It can takes several weeks or months for the body to regain control of blood sugar while on the correct diet, and there could be some withdrawal symptoms (possibly fatigue, depression and a worsening of the hypoglycemic symptoms) for several weeks, similar to what a smoker or alcoholic suffer when they quit their habits.

HYPOGLYCEMIA DIET RULES

The hypoglycemic diet is similar to the diabetic diet. The main rules are:

• Eat a large high protein breakfast, preferably containing some form of meat (chicken or fish is the best);
• eat a low GI snack every 2 to 2.5 hours (you need to determine which is the best time break for you, and generally two and a half hours is the maximum);
• no sugar. Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread and rice, cakes, sugary biscuits and sugary drinks (soft drinks, cordials and some fruit juices). Avoid sugary fruits initially including melons, dates and bananas, and also honey. Limit consumption of potato, pumpkin and sweet potato as these can substantially affect blood sugar levels;
• Avoid coffee, strong tea and nicotine;
• Avoid alcohol, most of which is high in sugar – the lower sugar varieties are vodka and scotch which, when consumed moderately, are less likely to affect your blood sugar. If you are drinking alcohol, you should also be eating low GI snacks to buffer the effects.).

WHAT ARE THE BEST FOODS FOR PEOPLE WITH HYPOGLYCEMIA?

• Fruit (no more than 2 pieces per day, consumed with other low GI food such as protein, due to the fructose content – not to be consumed on its own);
• Vegetables (as much as you want, although potatoes, sweet potato and pumpkin should be sparing);
• Meats and eggs;
• Nuts and seeds (preferably raw and unsalted. These are not sufficient as a meal on their own);
• Low GI breads and cereals;
• Milk products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter (if you are not allergic or sensitive to them – if you are, try sheep’s or goat’s milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, quinoa milk as alternatives);
•  Brown rice cakes, basmati or wholegrain brown rice; and
• Margarine containing non-hydrogenated fats (better for your cholesterol!) and other good oils (raw, not used for cooking, preferably cold pressed).

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS RECOMMENDED FOR HYPOGLYCEMIA

Most people with hypoglycemia will require some vitamin supplementation initially and should include a multi-B complex, chromium (to assist with food cravings), zinc and vitamin C. If withdrawal symptoms from the high sugar diet are unpleasant, 2 teaspoons of glycerine, mixed in a glass of milk or mixed with water and a dash of lemon juice, can be taken three times a day until the symptoms have passed. Glycerine is a vegetable extract which does not affect insulin levels or the pancreas, and is a fast supply of energy for the brain. Note: Gylcerol is the same as glycerine.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HYPOGLYCEMIA AND FOOD ALLERGIES

Allergies, including food allergies, food intolerances and food sensitivities, can be closely related to hypoglycemia due to the effect they can have on blood sugar and vitamin and mineral levels. For this purpose we will put them under the one “umbrella” and call them food allergies, even though they may not be, in the true sense, an allergy (which may result in the constriction of airways or anaphylactic shock).

EFFECTS OF FOOD ALLERGIES

Food allergies can cause a great variety of symptoms including major vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including osteoporosis. An example of this is coeliac disease which may affect about one in one hundred of the general population (1%). Coeliac disease is an allergy to the gluten protein in wheat, oats, barley, rye, triticale, spelt etc. Many manufactured foods also contain wheat starch and further information can be obtained from your state Coeliac society. Coeliac disease has been linked to many auto-immune diseases and there is a much higher rate of coeliac disease in the diabetic community. The NSW Coeliac Society can be contacted by email at nsw@coeliacsociety.com.au, by viewing their website at http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au, or by phoning (02) 9487 5088.

Food allergies can also result in arthritis, rheumatism, eczema, skin conditions, itch, irritable bowel, colitis, asthma and other airways diseases, headaches and migraines, depression and fatigue, cancer, bladder problems, recurrent cystitis and bedwetting, hypertension (high blood pressure), multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease and nerve tissue damage.

WHAT FOODS TRIGGER ALLERGIES?

Many foods may trigger the above symptoms. Research has revealed the most common allergies found to date are cows milk products, yeast and gluten. In addition to these common allergens, things like peanuts chocolate, eggs, soy and potato are most commonly associated with eczema. Asthma is most likely caused by an allergy to dust and dust mite, and also cow’s milk products, beef and veal.

Migraines and headaches are mostly caused by chocolate and cola drinks, oranges and other citrus fruits, peanuts and peanut paste, green beans and peas, cow’s milk products and food additive MSG (code 621) – and also dehydration (particularly on a hot day where not enough water has been consumed to replace the fluid loss). Fructose malabsorption (the natural sugar in fruit) has recently been found to cause zinc and iron deficiencies in some people. And lets not forget that there are many food additives, colourings and preservatives that can cause all sorts of gut and brain symptoms.

HOW ARE FOOD ALLERGIES DIAGNOSED?

There are many ways to determine food allergies, and some of these are not 100% reliable. The best way is to undertake an “elimination diet” over a two week period. Dr. Samra’s book ‘The Allergy Connection’ describes the Baseline Diet, consisting of specially chosen low-allergy foods which are the least likely to cause an allergic response. The usual protocol is to only eat foods included in the Baseline diet for two weeks, and after the two week Baseline diet, foods are gradually re-introduced to the diet one at a time. Any symptom, such as wind, bloating, pain, nausea or headache is recorded for the new food, and this food needs to be withdrawn from the diet. Foods that do not cause problems can remain in the diet.

When adding foods back to the diet, do the grains (including cereals) last. You should undertake this diet with the help of an experienced nutritionist or specialist nutritional doctor. In some cases, adding digestive enzymes, or reducing consumption of questionable foods to once every four or five days, may help eliminate the problem if the foods only cause problems due to excessive consumption. This is not the case for any really allergic symptoms such as peanut allergies which can be fatal. Also, if you have coeliac disease, and you consume bread every four days, the damage caused to the small intestine will not heal, so it is important to distinguish coeliac disease from an intolerance to gluten.

Cytotoxic food allergy testing is most useful for diagnosing food allergies. However, an experienced kinesiologist can test individual foods allergies by using muscle testing. When the food is placed on the body or in the mouth, the muscle being tested will go weak if there is a food allergy present. This may also be a good way to test for allergies if the person does not want to do the elimination diet, or undergo blood tests. Skin prick tests can be unreliable in determining food allergies and are better at testing airborne allergens.

WHERE CAN I GET FURTHER INFORMATION ON FOOD ALLERGIES?

Food allergies, and diseases caused by food allergies, are discussed in detail in Dr. George Samra’s book “The Allergy Connection, Featuring the Food and Disease Paradigm”. This book is available at One Stop Allergies PO Box 394 Kogarah NSW 2217 (Fax: 02 9588 5290).

This article was prepared by the Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia (PO Box 830, Kogarah NSW 1485, Tel: 9553 0084)

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/the-right-diet–by-prescription-20120201-1qt9u.html

“Australian researchers are learning how the chemical properties of food can interact with individuals to keep us healthy or make us sick.

…

Both of these diets were tested in the same group of overweight people. They ate the same calorie, fat and protein content. But over  two weeks the more processed diet, on the left, impaired the participants’ insulin sensitivity, putting them at higher risk of diabetes. Those on the fresher food, right, increased their insulin sensitivity.”

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) also known as Golden Staph infection is a very difficult bacterial infection to treat and resistant to a large group of antibiotics. It is said to have developed as a result of years of antibiotic treatments. It is especially a problem in hospital environments (then called HA-MRSA), where special sanitary procedures have been introduced to fight the spreading of the this infection. But the infection can also be obtained in the wider community(then called CA-MRSA). A drug of choice for treating it has not has yet been established. MRSA infections are transmitted person to person by direct contact with the skin, clothing or area (sink, bench, bed, utensils) that had recent physical contact with MRSA-infected person. Read for an overview of MRSA at Medcinenet. Treatment of HA-MRSA mostly involves the use of vancomycin, often in combination with other antibiotic therapy. CA-MRSA usually starts as skin infections where draining of pus is often one of the first sign and symptoms of MRSA infection. Prevention of MRSA infections is by avoiding skin contact with infected people, wearing of gloves, gowns and masks and by stringent hygiene practices. See youtube.

The writing is definitely on the wall that conventional drug-oriented medicine will run out of pharmaceutical options to treat bacterial infections. Here are some time-honoured natural solutions that are worth investigating by complementary health practitioners. It is hoped that the scientific community will devote the necessary time and resources to explore mother nature’s secrets in helping people find a solution to this man-made illness.

Garlic

It has been reported in he The Sun, 31 October 2009 that a compound in garlic called allicin when the garlic clove is damaged and two compounds found in garlic come together can kill the super bug. Because of the short life of allicin it is difficult to use in medications. However a drugs using allicin in a frozen form has been created called AllicinMAX.

Dandelion

A herbal remedy Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is reported to have anti MRSA activity.

Tea Tree Oil

A study is under way of evaluating the effects of daily washing with a 5 percent tea tree oil preparation on new MRSA infections among ICU patients in hospitals. However actual controlled trials did not support routine use of tea tree oil for eradication of MRSA. PMID: 15824699

The Irish wild flowers Elecampane or Marchalan (inula helenium)containing helenin and  Pasque Flower(pulsatilla vulgaris) containingthe glycoside ranunculin have been found to kill MRSA and that an extract of the plants was found to be 100 percent effective against the super bug. Mercola, Wikipedia See also Plants for a Future re Pasque Flower and here.

Vitamin C

Dr RB Klenner: “Hydrogen peroxide will combine with ascorbic acid to produce a substance which is lethal to bacteria. I have seen diphtheria, hemolytic streptococcus and staphylococcus infections clear within hours following injections of ascorbic acid in a dose range of from 500 mg to 700 mg/kg body weight given intravenously and run in through a 20G needle as fast as the patient’s cardiovascular system would allow.”

Dr Klenner claims to have cured “hemolytic streptococcus and staphylococcus infections by employing vitamin C intravenously in a dose range of 500 to 700 mg/kg body weight. Doses under 400 mg/kg weight can be given with a syringe using sodium salt. This will always produce thirst. Fluids taken, just before or immediately after will eliminate this annoyance. Doses above 400 mg/kg body weight must be diluted to at least 1 gm to 18 cc solution, using 5% dextrose in water, saline in water or Ringer’s solution. One gram calcium gluconate must be added to these bottles injections to replace Ca ions pulled from the calcium-prothrombin complex. There is no limit  to the amount that can be administered by vein when honoring these two precautions” Dr Frederick Robert Klenner, Private Practice, Reidsville, N.C.

Curcumin

Curcumin is an extract from the spice of Turmeric. A study by  the Faculty of Pharmacy, Teheran, has shown that curcumin can be used to enhance the antibacterial activity of different antibiotics in a combination therapy with cefixime, cephotaxime, vancomycin, tetracycline against Staphylococcus aureus. No enhancing effect on the antibacterial activities of other antibiotics was detected. Moghaddam KM (2009)

The above article should be discussed with your health practitioner.

Jurriaan Plesman, BA (Psych), Post Grad Dip Clin nutr

Romantic rejection,  like any traumatic event such as a death in the family, may give rise to a grieving process, that may need considerable time for a healing process to complete. Although not as severe as as the grieving process in response to the death of a loved one, a person may have to go through similar predictable grief phases as described as the five stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and final acceptance. Elisabeth Küber-Ross et al. (2005).

From a biological point of view, the emotional upheaval is accompanied by the secretion of sufficient stress hormones – such as adrenaline and cortisol – in order for the individual to appropriately to deal with the situation. During this phase these same stress hormones prevents the production of more relaxing and feel good hormones and chemicals – such as 5-HTP the forerunner of serotonin. “For instance, sustained stress leads to a decrease in 5-HT turnover in rat brains (van Praag,2004b). Chronic stress also alters 5-HT1A and 5–HT2 receptors expression and signalling in brain regions, that participate in stress and emotions response….” E. R Kloet, et als (2008) page 207

Most people will recover from this ordeal with effluxion of time, when the body will again produce normal levels of serotonin. However, some other people may find that the break-up of a relationship may have a much longer lasting effect. This may then become the grounds for a more serious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Indeed, being hurt in a relationship can be devastating, especially for those with a low self-esteem. If you want to be successful, in a significant  relationship you need to have a healthy self-image. People with a healthy self-image do not get hurt so much in rejection of love. They know they deserve better and start looking for a BETTER relationship very soon. But if you have a low self-esteem, rejection in love can be really devastating. It seems to reinforce a previously held negative self-image. It can trigger a depression, and this means a pre-existing tendency to become depressed was latent to start off with. Having a low self-esteem also leaves you open to manipulation by others.

You might think that a low self-esteem is a “psychological” matter, something you have acquired because of bad childhood experiences or learned negative ideas about the self. Very often people with a low self-esteem can trace these feeling back into the past, which seems to confirm that it has been acquired because of a learning process or because of “bad” parenting by a child’s parents.  That of course implies that you can be talked out of these negative feelings by a long process of talk therapy.

You may be surprised to hear that there is a much easier method of overcoming a negative self-image, if you start to realize that a low self-esteem is simply caused by your body’s inability to produce feel good neurotransmitters. This may have been going on for a long time. This may give you a false impression, that your low self-esteem has been created by past experiences, as most psychologists will assume. Therefore, if it is not “psychological” what is it then?

People who suffer unknowingly from a silent illness – such as hypoglycemia – have problems producing feel good neurotransmitters such as serotonin and can become depressed. One sign of that depression is having a low self-esteem.

The reason is that hypoglycemia means the inability of the body to produce biological energy called ATP from carbohydrates in food. That energy is essential if the body wants to manufacture feel good neurotransmitters and right hormones from nutrients in food. Thus the body lacks the necessary energy to convert tryptophan in food to serotonin. And because serotonin is also the forerunner of melatonin – the sleeping chemical – many depressed people also have problem with have a restful sleep.

The beauty is, that you do not need any drugs to overcome depression, low self-esteem or insomnia, but to simply adopt the Hypoglycemic Diet.

Give it some time on the hypoglycemia diet (about three months) and you will start to feel much better about yourself.

As I said it is important to have a healthy self-image (in the literal sense of the word) to be successful in love and life.

Now you are ready to to do some self-help psychotherapy by studying:

Summary of Self-help Psychotherapy

in its entirety from beginning to end. It includes a program showing you how to overcome a negative self-image, and assertiveness training program, communication course and values clarification course. You may need the help of a CBT therapist to complete the course. But most people will get better at it by themselves, by just reading the articles over and over again.

I can assure that you will never be hurt again in a love relationship. The course also gives you some insight into your prospective partner. You will never choose a bad apple anymore, and if you made a mistake, you will learn from the experience and become emotional richer, instead of poorer!

Other articles:

What is Hypoglycemia?

The Serotonin Connection

Depression is a Nutritional Disorder

Depression – a Disease of Energy Production

Silent Diseases and Mood Disorders

Biochemistry of Insomnia

Hit or Miss Supplements for Depression

PTSD and Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia: is it a cure-all for mental illness?

The Hypoglycemic Diet

Allergies; the Food and Disease Paradigm

How to find you allergies.

Conquering Anxiety, Depression and Fatigue Without Drugs – the Role of Hypoglycemia by Professor Joel H. Levitt

 More References  for Mood Disorders and Hypoglycemia

Other treatments for Depressions here

In the drug subculture there is a strong belief that smoking marijuana is simply a recreational activity and is non-addictive. It is true that not all potentially addictive substances leads necessarily to addiction. For instance, alcohol is an addictive drugs, but not everybody who drinks alcohol becomes an alcoholic. Only people with an addictive personality may become addicted to either alcohol or marijuana, if the drug is used to relieve stress. This may explain why some people become addicted to smoking marijuana – also known as Aunt Mary, Dope, Gangster, Ganja, Grass, Hash, Herb, Kif, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Sinsemilla, Skunk and Weed – and others do not.

Marijuana, Cannabis sativa, has about 400 chemicals, the most important of which is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which affects the brain. It is also linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia.(13 Pubmed Studies) Ironically Cannabis also contains a substance called Cannabidiol (CBD) which has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth and reduce symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.  Wikipedia

We need to know why some people become addicted and others not. From a psychonutritional point of view the answer is simple. Most addictive people are hypoglycemic, that makes them vulnerable to addiction.

You may ask why should hypoglycemic people have an addiction problem. Again the answer is simple. Hypoglycemia – a term not recognized by conventional medicine – is a pre-diabetic condition caused by insulin resistance. It takes about 20 years for pre-diabetes to develop into full-blown diabetes. Thus both diabetes and hypoglycemiahave insulin resistance as a common underlying disease. Most addictive people have been shown to have insulin resistance (or hypoglycemia) marked by unstable blood sugar levels. This can easily be tested with a special Glucose Tolerance Test for Hypoglycemia as explained here. Insulin resistance is one  example of a silent disease, meaning the person having it, is not aware of it. There are many other silent diseases that can be responsible for mood disorders. The first step in the treatment of addiction is the adoption of thehypoglycemic diet.

Insulin resistance interferes with the conversion of sugars (carbohydrates) and other food substances into Biological Energy called (ATP).  That energy is necessary to convert certain nutrients in food such as Tryptophan into serotonin – our feel good neurotransmitter.  If the brain is starved of energy it will trigger the release of stress hormones – such as adrenaline. This helps to convert sugar stores – glycogen – back into glucose so as to feed the brain with energy again. (See image) But internally driven stress hormones cause us to experience fear without an external object of fear, in other words ‘anxiety’.

People with insulin resistance tend to feel depressed – although they may not be aware of it. The first experience of smoking marijuana is usually remembered as a “high”, which is the opposite of how they feel usually. Hence they want to use drugs to feel high again (or non-depressed again). Unfortunately the more they use, the worse they start to feel and the more they want to use drugs to feel high (or normal) again. Addiction to marijuana often leads to the use of much powerful drugs, such as heroin or cocaine. Non-hypoglycemic people usually have a choice to leave the drug or not and do not usually experience a “high”.  On the contrary, they may feel ill at the first encounter with the drug.  Of course because of our unique biochemical make-up our experiences with a drug use may be different from others and unique.

The usual symptoms of withdrawal from marijuana are anxiety attack, insomnia and depression. These are seen as the precursors in milder form that gave rise to relief when using the drug for the first time. Studies have shown that substance abuse is more common among teenagers with depression, than those without depression. NIMH

If we want to treat our addictions, we FIRST need to treat the underlying biochemical abnormality that is responsible for our addictive personality. Withdrawal from the drug is only secondary to this! Most addicts withdraw gradually from their drug of addiction. Thus relapsing should be considered the norm, rather than a failure. Sticking to the treatment is more important!!

Your success in abstaining from the drug depends on the treatment. Furthermore, it also depends on the damage done to brain cells. It may take up to six months to rid the body of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the active ingredient of marijuana. As a fat-soluble chemical substance it remains lodged in the fatty tissues of organs, such as in membranes of brain cells. This explains also the amotivational syndrome associated with marijuana addiction.

Other more heavier drugs including alcohol may damage the receptors for neurotransmitters in the brain. This may take up to a year to repair with a high protein diet. Some damage may be permanent in rare cases. Volkow ND et als. PuMeds  and PMID 11717374

One way of speeding up THC detoxification is by way of regular strenuous sweat-producing exercises or having sauna bath.   If you become addicted to these daily exercises it means that you are producing natural endorphins, which may help you to withdraw properly.  To fight the cravings it may help to use glycerine.  See also: Nature’s Road to Recovery: Nutritional Supplements for Recovery.. by Bet M Ley Jacobsand other articles mentioned below. Another recently marketed product goes by the name of Maritox, that should be tried out.

Thus treatment is a long process, but provided you stick to it, ultimately the cravings for the drug will disappear. It is not a question of will-power, but of biology!

Drug Addiction is a Nutritional Disorder

Alcoholism is a Treatable Disease

Treatment of Drug Addiction

and discuss this with a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or a Nutritional Psychotherapist, if self-help therapy fails. But most people can help themselves by going on a hypoglycemic diet.

And there is no such thing that you can continue to use your drug of addiction occasionally or recreationally after treatment. You will always be vulnerable to trigger the addiction when using the drug or the wrong diet! Sorry!

What is Hypoglycemia?

The Serotonin Connection

Depression – a Disease of Energy Production

Silent Diseases and Mood Disorders

Hit or Miss Supplements for Depression

PTSD and Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia: is it a cure-all for mental illness?

The Hypoglycemic Diet

Allergies; the Food and Disease Paradigm

How to find you allergies.

Conquering Anxiety, Depression and Fatigue Without Drugs – the Role of Hypoglycemia by Professor Joel H. Levitt

More References  for Mood Disorders and Hypoglycemia

Index to Specific Topics and Research

References to Mood Disorders and Nutrition

Other treatments for Depressions  here

Source: Transcript of a lecture by Dr Samra published in The Hypoglycemic Health Association Newsletter Volume 16 No 2, June 2000.

I wonder how many people here know much about Insulin. When it was discovered, for example? [Audience member During the war?] 1921, I’m sure there was a war somewhere at that stage [laughter]. But, what I’m trying to say there is that with Pancreas, with Diabetes, with Hypoglycemia, these are all modern diseases. There was vir­tually nothing known about them a hundred years ago. If you went to a doctor before a hundred years ago, does anyone know how you would have been diagnosed with having Diabetes ? [Audience: Testing the urine for sugar] Yes, the doctor would do the taste-test for sugar in the back room.

That was the diagnostic test, but he’d also notice a nail varnish, acetone sort of breath smell. And he’d go to the back room and do the taste test then give you the bad news. Or he’d suspect it from two of the most common symptoms, Polyuria (which means urinating too much) or Polydipsia (which means drink­ing too much). So were stunned how the Medical Profession can ignore Hypoglycemia as a disease entity, and a part of that is the bad name. Maybe it should be called Dysglycemia, Reactive Hypogylcemia, or Reactive Dysglycemia or other names.

But even Diabetes has a very new history. Insulin being discovered in 1921 was the first hormone to actually be fully described in all its amino acid sequence. So it is a unique situation for people to have to inject them­selves a few times a day with a product that keeps them alive.

Todays topic is Preventing Diabetes, or possibly how Hypoglycemics can prevent Diabetes.

I’d like to read to you from the Homepage of the Diabetes Australia Association. It says, Report on Diabetes in Australia.

In 1990, approximately 350,000 Austral­ians had diagnosed Diabetes and an estimated 300,000 had undiagnosed Diabetes, together representing 3.8% of the total population. The figures for Reactive Hypoglycemia are ap­proximately the same nearly 4% of the popu­lation.

Diabetes is likely to affect 900,000 Aus­tralians by 2000 and 1.15 million Australians by 2010. Australian Aborigines suffer the 4th highest rates of NIDDM in the world. You’ll understand that there are two types of Diabe­tes, we’ll get into that classification more later, but there is the Juvenile type where they need Insulin, and the Mature type where they need tablets and or diet to control it.

Insulin-dependent Diabetic ranks as one of the most common serious childhood diseases in Australia, and is likely to have a higher incidence in children under 20 years of age than cancer, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, juvenile rheumatoI’darthritis and muscular dystrophy.

Australia has very high rates of Insulin dependent and also Mature Onset Diabetes Mellitus. Females with IDDM have ten times the rates of cardiovascular mortality (that is, dying from heart attacks and strokes) com­pared with non-diabetic females. That’s a pretty good reason to try to avoid getting Diabetes.

The incidence of gestational Diabetes is increasing, particularly in ethnic populations. Risk factors for Diabetes such as obesity and physical inactivity are increasing in Australia. Australians with Diabetes experience a re­duced life-span and higher rates of eye, heart and renal disease and stroke compared to non-diabetic Australians. The total cost of Diabe­tes exceeds $1 billion annually (or almost $3,000 for every diagnosed case).

One of the handouts is titled Complica­tions of Diabetes (Figure 1), and certainly with the damage to the eyes, the heart and the circulation, the risk of losing fingers and toes, urinary problems and impotence. Certainly, it is worth trying to prevent this disease.

Figure 1:

Presentation.

The main symtoms of Diabetes are Polyu­ria (which is urinating too much), Polydipsia (which is drinking too much). With kids, the mother might say their child is drinking a lot more than before, they are always thirsty and never satisfied, we perform a urine test and blood test to get the answer.

Weight Loss, Urinary Tract Infections and Vaginal Candidiasis are typical diagnostic symptoms. Why you get more urinary tract infections? Sugar is a good feed for the germs to grow on.

Glucosuria and Hyperglycemia are inci­dental findings at clinic. If a doctor sees you and gives you a urine test or blood test, he might see a high sugar level on a blood test, or sugar in the urine, and that is a pretty good reason to investigate further.

Juvenile Diabetics frequently present in a coma. Often they have not been diagnosed, there weren’t many clues, so they are in a coma by the time they are picked. It is worth noting that the Pancreas has digestive func­tions as well. It’s good to look for Amylase and Lipase levels and conduct digestive tests on patients, because often they need some support too.

With blood sugars, the diagnostic levels, obtained from the National Diabetes Data Group are 140mg per 100mL (7.0mm/L) for a fasting reading. Or two hours after a sugar load or meal getting a reading over 11.0 mm/

L. People having random blood sugars over eleven mm/L are certainly likely to have Dia­betes.

As I mentioned earlier, there are two types of Diabetes Mellitus. There is the Insulin-Dependent type that we described as Juvenile, and the non-Insulin dependent type, or Ma­ture-onset type.

With the Insulin-Dependent type, it most often presents in people under the age of thirty, there is no associated obesity. They represent only 1/8 of Diabetics, and the onset is characteristically abrupt. Insulin-Depend­ent Diabetics are prone to Keto Acidosis, their bodies burn up different fuels other than glu­cose in order to feed the brain such as ketone bodies from fat because the body sugars just aren’t arriving into the tissues where they are required.

Islet-Cell Antibodies are present in over 80%. What this is telling us is that Juvenile Diabetes is really an Auto – Immune disease. Beta-cell destruction involves cell mediated immune mechanisms. The site of Insulin pro­duction in the pancreas is called Islets of Langerhans, and contains Beta-cells.

The total number of Beta-cells decreases because they are destroyed by auto-antibod­ies, which means that their own antibodies are fighting the Juvenile Diabetics own Insulin-making cells.

Polygenetic factor susceptibility involves a HLA-D phenotype on Chromosome 6 as a predisposing factor to Juvenile Diabetes. The environmental factors are stronger than the inherited factors of Juvenile Diabetes. So much so that with identical twins, less than half of them will both have Juvenile Diabetes. The medical explanation for this is that there is probably a virus that has affected one of the twins, and that virus has triggered off Beta cell destruction in the pancreas of that twin. It is widely acknowledged now that the Roto-virus is a likely culprit.

With the Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDM), this is the sort that Reactive Hypoglycemics should be really wary of. It commonly presents in older patients, people over thirty years of age. NIDM is associated with obestity, and there is a gradual onset as opposed to the Juvenile type that presents very abruptly. The normal B-cell mass appears to be preserved. In other words, even though the pancreas is failing, when the pancreas is examined the B-cell mass and Islets are still in tact and there is no loss of mass. By contrast, if you examine the pan­creas of a Juvenile Diabetic, their Islets and Beta-cell mass will be diminished.

NIDM patients have a delayed and de­creased relative intake of Insulin, we call this condition Insulin Resistance. This is really a decreased effectiveness in restraining liver glucose uptake and muscular glucose uptake. We’ll be talking a lot more about Insulin Resistance, and really one whole page of the two page handout is about Insulin Resistance.

NIDM don’t always need to be on drugs. Following a strict diet without sugar also helps, certainly eating like a hypoglycemic makes a very big difference to the NIDM, often controlling their disease without medi­cation. Weight loss is useful, and careful drug management is required.

Complications of Diabetes happen for two reasons. Firstly, the person has had Diabetes for a long time. The second, and more impor­tant reason, is that some Diabetics don’t care­fully manage their disease. They are a bit casual about their intake of sugars, and they don’t really pay attention to things that happen to their body that needs more urgent attention. For example, Diabetics should really have an eye examination every two years to ensure everything is going well, and detect and treat eye problems early.

Eyes conditions such as Macula Oedema, Proliferative Retinopathy, Retinal detachment are much more pronounced in Diabetes, and all of these conditions can lead to blindness if Diabetes is not carefully controlled. Prolifera­tive Retinopathy is a hallmark, it is the way specialists can often diagnose Diabetes when they are looking at the back of your eyeball. The arteries actually proliferate and grow over veins, and start blocking some of the seeing nerves of the eye in the retina. There are a few theories of why this happens. You’ll hear of Diabetics having laser treatment to their retina, in an attempt to stop the arteries multiplying. The retina is the skin in the back of the eyeball that contains all of the nerve endings. People can go blind if these nerves are blocked or damaged.

There is a four times greater chance of Diabetics developing Coronary Atheroscle­rosis and Myocardial Infarction. Further, Dia­betes complications include Nephropathy (kid­ney disease), Hypertension, Nail infections and Cellulitis. There is Polyneuropathy and Peripheral Neuropathy, Diabetics lose sensa­tion in their finger tips and hands in different ways. The typical polyneuropathy in Diabetes is the glove and stocking type, where you lose feeling below a certain level, and you get pins and needles, tingling and numbness. You lose sensation in your feet. A lot of Diabetics have problems with their feet because they can tread on things without realising and get ul­cers and infections in their feet. For this reason Diabetics should see a podiatrist three or four times a year. Diabetics with no feeling in the tips of their fingers struggle to do buttons up.

There are some other conditions associated with Insulin Resistance which include, Renal Calculi (kidney stones), Hyperandrogenism (over masculinization) and Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (a type of liver disease). Those mechanism have predictable patterns like Syn­drome X when you understand how Insulin Resistance works, with not just glucose, but other body fuels like fatty acids and amino acids.

Within Insulin Resistance and Mature Onset Diabetes, Functional Reactive Hypogly­cemia is considered to be a predisposing con­dition. Reactive Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar as a reaction to eating sugar in the first place. It’s a pancreatic problem where the pancreas produces too much Insulin at the wrong time. And it is a condition of hyperInsulinism; the pancreas makes too much Insulin. When the blood sugar crashes Hypo­glycemics feel symptoms because the brain relies on blood sugar levels. One can get tired in the head, moody, and depressed. So the symptoms of hypoglycemia are really related to the fact that the brain isn’t getting fuel.

Getting back to Diabetes, excessive con­sumption of carbohydrate foods (in particular high Glycemic Index foods) is a predisposing factor. Eating sugar, honey and glucose, or things that are regarded as being sugary by nature of the way they affect your blood sug­ars (the Glycemic Index) will trigger too much Insulin. If your Insulin levels continue to be high, at some time Insulin Resistance can develop and the whole syndrome affecting the heart, vascular system, cholesterol and blood pressure all take over.

Over eating is another predisposing factor, so pay attention how much you take in. The pancreas is producing more Insulin than nor­mal in the above situation, and Insulin Resist­ance may lead to failure of the pancreatic Beta-cells to produce sufficient Insulin in re­sponse to a sugar load, and hypoglycemia results. When and if pancreatic failure occurs, Diabetes occurs. So when you have Insulin Resistance, eventually the pancreas is just pumping out so much Insulin it gives up trying and the blood sugar levels rise. But long before Diabetes occurs there is an attempt by the pancreas to make more Insulin to over­come the resistance of Insulin at the binding site.

Preventing Type One Juvenile Diabetes.

Understanding that this is a kids disease and occurs in people under the age of thirty, it is important to encourage maternal health during pregnancy. The mother should avoid smoking because it affects the vascular sys­tem, although it doesn’t really have any direct effects on Diabetes. The mother should also avoid drinking alcohol and taking drugs. She should follow a low sugar diet during preg­nancy, and if possible avoid people with viral and bacterial infections because this might be the Roto-Virus that triggers Diabetes in the baby. If the mother is unhealthy during preg­nancy and doing all the wrong things, that might well be a predisposing factor.

It is also important to promote a strong immune system for the child. Understanding that identical twins have less than a fifty ­percent chance of them both having Juvenile Diabetes, there is a notion that you’d want to be the twin who didn’t get it. There must be factors that help prevent developing Diabetes, for example the child without Diabetes might have a better immune system with more Vita­min C in their diet. The Vitamin C helps promote white cell competence, the lymphocytes work better because they can kill off viruses and bacteria better. With a family history of Diabetes, and you want to minimize the chances of your children developing Dia­betes you have to do these things to strengthen the child’s immune system.

Diabetes is becoming more common; Zinc is an important dietary mineral, between ten to forty milligrams is needed. Perhaps the chil­dren could have liquid zinc formulations as well.

Have children vaccinated against Roto­virus if and when available. The good news is that it will be available one day, but that vaccine doesn’t exist yet. A low immune diet will also improve the child’s chance of not developing Diabetes. The child should con­sume no dairy products for the first two years of his or her life. Cow protein seems to be a major factor in weak immune systems in adults, so the child should only eat small amounts of beef or veal.

As the children get older, their immune systems will be stronger if they don’t take up smoking or drink a lot of alcohol, because alcohol can damage the pancreas. A low sugar diet is preferable too.

Sugar is not part of a natural human diet. We are getting so much of our food out of tins, packets and jars. If we lived on a farm, and could only eat our own animals and vegeta­bles that would be closer to a natural human diet. You can imagine what a caveman might eat, or an Aboriginal might eat before Euro­pean settlement. Certainly the diet for Abo­rigines has changed a lot since then, and they are now getting Diabetes at a ridiculous rate ­the incidence is four times greater than their white counterpart.

Hepatitis A ad B vaccinations exist and should be given. All of these viruses listed damage the liver, but they can also hurt the pancreas. Particularly the Rota Virus is re­garded as the one that triggers the auto-im­mune breakdown, but I wouldnt be surprised if the E-B Virus does too and immunization should be sought for a high risk child. Avoid­ing sugar is also away of promoting good behaviour to protect the pancreas from overwork.

Juvenile Diabetes is an immune Diabetes, so supplements are often needed. Chromium and Zinc are very important as receptor site protectors. Selenium is the most important water soluble Anti – oxidant, it is the core of Glutathione and Glutothiame reductase, which are the most potent anti oxidant enzymes in your body. They prevent damage on the inside of one’s body tissue from things like Peroxide, ozone and oxygen free radicals, and neutralize the free radicals into water and oxygen.

Vitamin E is a very important supplement too, it is the most important fat-soluble Anti ­oxidant. A large part of the body is adipose or fatty tissue. One needs anti oxidants that pen­etrate into fat-soluble components of the body.

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes.

Avoid obesity, If overweight, lose weight. Avoid over eating. If you can lose weight its good. If you are overweight and you don’t over eat you are protecting yourself too. It’s the excess sugar coming in that really triggers Syndrome X. A fat child can become a fat adult without necessarily going into a sick state where they are going to be at high dia­betic and hypertensive risk. Avoid sugar, honey and glucose, and use substitutes if you have a sweet tooth. Eat low glycemic foods that cause blood sugars to rise slowly.

Avoid high cholesterol foods. There is a whole chain of events that Diabetes and Dia­betic Complications lead to. Its no good just avoiding sugar and eating lots of bacon and eggs, and greasy food, you have to really have a health mentality when you eat. You should use low-cholesterol substitutes when avail­able. Trim the fat off meat where you can. Remove egg yolk. Fish is very low in choles­terol, as are vegetables.

Avoid excess stress, hypertension and high blood pressure.

However, it’s easier said than done. Hu­mans are funny creatures and a lot of us are to blame for our own stress load, although most of us don’t have enough clarity of mind to recognise it. A fellow turned a hundred in Adelaide last week. He was on his way to Bowls, and he was driving himself, and the journalist was in his way. The journalist asked the man what his secret to longevity was, and I suppose this man would give the best advice. The man replied that he used to worry all the time, and when he turned forty he decided not to worry anymore. He stopped worrying and never worried since.

Avoid smoking.

Smoking might not trigger Diabetes, but certainly all the bad things that Diabetes does smoking makes worse. Including all the vas­cular repercussions to do with vision, and peripheral circulation and to do with heart attacks.

Exercise.

Exercise thirty minutes a day five days a week. Walking is sufficient, but you should try to be in a pattern of doing something healthy for your body. You are only given one body in your lifetime. If you abuse it and you don’t feed it properly, the machine goes rusty. That rust converts to disease in time.

Supplements.

As in the case with Juvenile Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetics should take Zinc supple­ments. Zinc is important for Hypoglycemia, but it’s also important for preventing Diabe­tes. Chromium is also good. You need to be on at least 30 mg of elemental Zinc a day, Legally you are only allowed to have 25 mg of Sele­nium in formulations, unless they are dis­pensed by a doctor, or a doctors prescription. Whereas, one drop of the Nutricare Sodium Selenite solution contains 25mg. To replace your daily requirement you need 50 mg. But to prevent Diabetes you probably need 150mg, especially if you are a real candidate for Type 2 Diabetes.

Manganese or Magnesium tablets are also useful.

They are required at our receptor sites for Insulin. Multivitamins are useful because as you get older, your body could be failing to absorb certain minerals.

Vitamin C is an important vitamin for preventing Mature Onset Diabetes and for Hypoglycemics. It is involved in the glyco­lytic pathway.

A recent extract describes Vitamin E as a preventative in high doses for Diabetes. Dia­betic benefited most in their eyes after taking Vitamin E. Retinal flow was increased from 17% below normal levels to similar to non-diabetic levels, although no change in levels of heamoglobin or sugar levels. The high intake of Vitamin E hadn’t improved their blood sugar control, but it had managed to protect their retina from damage, and their kidneys from Nephropathy. There were no major adverse effects of taking high levels of Vitamin E, although there were trends to­wards high cholesterol levels. The beneficial effects of Vitamin E were probably due to the Anti – oxidant effects and vascular endothe­lium. Vitamin E was thought to prevent vaso­constriction by acting on pathways mediated by nitric acid and diglycerol alprotein kinase. Certainly, in my opinion Vitamin E is a part of Diabetes prevention. If you know of anyone with Diabetes and very bad eyesight, they should be taking at least 1800 units per day, and this might save their vision if you can convince them.

Another extract involved Karlsburg Type One Diabetes risk study of the general Population frequencies and interpretations of the four major Type One Diabetes -associated Auto – Antibodies studied in 9419 school children. If you recall we discussed Type One Diabetes being an Auto-Immune disease, rather than just a progression disease where your pancreas fails. The immune system goes wrong and this leads to a fast onset. The Karlsburg Type I (Insulin-dependent) risk study on school children aims to evaluate the predictive diagnostic value of Diabetes-associated Auto Antibodies in the general population. School children aged 6-17 years participated in the study. From the results it was recommended that in children older than 5 years the combined anti­GAD/IA2 test with cut-off at or greater than the 98th percentile should be used for primary screen­ing followed by by testing for IAA (which is an auto-antibody) and ICA. Subjects at risk for Diabe­tes have two or more Auto Antibodies at or greater than the 98th percentile. Subjects at risk for rapid progression to Type I Diabetes have two or more Auto Antibodies are at or greater than the 99.8th percentile. So they did Auto Antibody tests on ten thousand children and researchers were able to predict who was going to get Diabetes.

In conclusion, one is not really trying to prevent Diabetes, but is actually looking to prevent diabetic complications such as blindness and amputation of limbs. It is important to stop smoking, limit alcohol intake, follow a low-sugar diet, avoid the Roto­virus, eat sensibly and avoid allergy foods such as dairy, take Selenium and Vitamin E as you get older. Reactive Hypoglycemics should be taking Vitamin C, Zinc, Manganese, Magne­sium and Chromium, but particularly Chro­mium and Zinc.

REFERENCE LIST

From the Internet at

http://www.mediconsult.com

Diabetes Care 1999: 22:1245-53

Diabetologica 1999 June;42(6):661-70