DIABETES
Diabetes is one of the
major national diseases in the Western countries. For example, in
Finland about 200,000 people have diabetes, but the number is expected
to grow by up to 70% in the next ten years. Already, the share of
diabetes from all public health services is 11%.
As far as the
prevention or care of diabetes are concerned, they start from the same
starting points as the care of cardiovascular diseases. It has been
noted that especially diabetes of the adult type, which is the most
common form of diabetes, is very closely connected to cardiovascular
diseases. Those who have diabetes have a greater risk of getting
cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure and vice versa.
For example, newspaper Etelä-Suomen Sanomat reported on 6 May 2004
that “up to two thirds of people who have had a heart attack have
morbidly high sugar values”; these diseases go often hand in hand.
So, when we try to
prevent and to take care of diabetes, we must start with the very same
factors as with heart diseases and the care of high blood pressure.
The same means are suitable also for treating arteriosclerosis and
high blood pressure. However, a few minerals and trace elements such
as chromium and magnesium are important in its care. Fibers are also
especially useful in the care and prevention of diabetes.
Chromium
has been found to be an important ingredient in adjusting sugar
metabolism. Those exposed to the Western diet do not get much
chromium, whereas they get plenty of sugar that predisposes to
diabetes. Newspaper Helsingin sanomat reported on 28 August 2004,
"Drinks containing sugar predispose to diabetes". The newspaper
reported of a study of almost a hundred thousand women, and according
to it those who had at least one glass of sweetened drink per day had
approximately 83% higher danger of getting adult diabetes.
The
significance of chromium is that it regulates sugar and fat content in
the blood. It has been observed that an adequate amount of chromium
decreases and neutralizes elevated sugar values, but if a too little
amount of chromium may raise them to a harmful level. In addition to
this, according to some studies, diabetes of the adult type has been
kept in check by large amounts of chromium (magazine Terveyden
kuvalehti 2 / 1997, p. 71), and thus it can also can people with
diabetes.
Good
sources of chromium are mushrooms. It can also be found in whole meal
grain, potato, nuts, yeast, spinach, banana, fish, meat, and eggs.
Magnesium
is another ingredient that is believed to be useful in the prevention
of diabetes. Possibly also zinc that can be got from whole meal grain,
meat, fish, nuts, beans, peas, and vegetables, is important. Zinc can
also decrease a very common ailment of men, that is prostatomegaly,
which may cause impotence. It has been found that those who get enough
of magnesium have a much smaller risk of getting adult diabetes.
The best sources of
magnesium are, for example, whole meal grain products, fish, nuts,
peas, beans, blueberries, soybean, and seed.
Fiber.
Food containing fiber is good for those people who suffer from heart
problems and it is useful also to diabetics, because it binds to
itself both sugar and fat and prevents their access to the body. Fiber
also decelerates rising of the blood sugar level after meals, and
holds it at an even level for a long time.
Lots of fiber can be
found in whole meal grain (rye bread and porridge, rolled oats,
bran, barley grouts, dark rice, dark pasta, graham bread), and
that is why we should use these instead of white flour, white pasta,
and white polished rice. Other good sources of fiber are nuts (peanut
8.1%), seed, black currant (4.9 %), and all produce of the plant
kingdom.
