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How To Control Your Diabetes?

Author: Safron Jeen

When so diagnosed, the disease must be controlled energetically so that its complications are either prevented or treated. While treating diabetes, one must keep in mind that control of diet and exercise are two important tools in conquering this serious problem.

Patients are advised to take low-fat, low-calorie, sugar free / restricted and high-fibre diet. A low-fat diet is especially required when one has higher levels of blood cholesterol. In general also, a low-fat diet is recommended for preventing the complications of diabetes, especially coronary artery disease / stroke. It may be mentioned that diabetes is a disease of the blood vessels.

In addition to a low-fat diet, the patient should avoid sugar, sweets and very sweet fruits. A high-fibre diet, which diabetics are advised to take, consists of green vegetables-cooked/ salad, whole wheat, cereals, unpolished rice, etc. It is the outer covering of grain i.e. bran, which helps in the control of diabetes. Green vegetables, besides being a high-fibre diet, also contain very low calories, and hence can be used, by diabetics in larger quantity so as to satisfy their appetite.

As regards exercise for the control of diabetes, diabetics are advised to take exercise according to the recommendation of the physician. If a diabetic is suffering from anyone or more complications of the disease, especially coronary artery disease, he/she should take only limited exercise for its control. In uncomplicated cases, especially in young age, even vigorous exercise can be taken. Ideally, light exercise, especially walking after meals, is very useful for most diabetics, as blood sugar is raised after taking food, and walking will control its higher levels, reducing or completely eliminating the use of antidiabetic drugs. However, walking should be taken in a pleasant atmosphere, say in the evening/night after food, and should not be taken after lunch, especially in summer.

In case diabetes is not, controlled by diet and exercise, only then drugs i.e. insulin (administered by injection) or oral drugs should be started in minimal dosages, and the patient should be again detailed about the diet and exercise, as it will reduce the dose of antidiabetic drugs. It is important to point out that the dose of antidiabetic drugs should be properly adjusted to avoid low blood sugar, causing unconsciousness. However, a diabetic may also become unconscious when the level of blood sugar is markedly elevated, say above 400 mg/ dl.

It is worth mentioning that even if the glucose tolerance test (GTT) is impaired (i.e. the level of the test does not indicate a case of diabetes), particularly if the range of the level of the test is close to the diabetic level, the patient must be advised regarding the value of diet and exercise so as to correct the impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Small dosages of oral antidiabetic drugs may have to be advocated in cases where the diet and exercise regimen fail. If this step is not carefully followed, cases of IGT are likely to become regular diabetics sooner or later. Even if the level is on the lower side of the range, as in the above situation, the patient must be advised to strictly follow the regimen of diet and exercise. Early intervention is necessary to check the progress and complications of the disease.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/how-to-control-your-diabetes-317021.html

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Migraine Headaches - The Most Commonly Used Nutritional Supplements For Migraine Prevention

Author: Thomas Thorne

Migraine headaches exact a heavy load on society. According to the National Headache Foundation, migraine headaches affect more than 28 million Americans and cost society over $13 billion each year. That is just the tip of the iceberg though. Migraines frequently precipitate depression, which is three times as frequent among migraine sufferers than non-headache victims (Fasmer, O.B., The Prevalence of migraine in patients with bipolar and unipolar affective disorders. Cephalalgia, 2001. 21(9): p.894-899). And don't forget about the countless number of people whose quality of life has been severely damaged by headaches.

Traditional treatment methods are just not working without side-effects. We need to examine alternative treatments for migraines. We need to attack headaches at the root, we need to stop treating the effect and eliminate the causes of headaches. For years the common cry has been that headaches were caused by stress. From mine and others experiences as well we can agree that stress can be a cause, but it is hardly the only cause. It goes much deeper and is much more complicated than a simple platitude like that. Let's take a look at some of the most common and promising vitamins for headaches, supplements for migraines, and alternative treatments for migraines.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin is also known as Vitamin B-2. It plays a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is yellow or yellow-orange in color. In addition to being used as a food coloring it is also used to fortify foods such as baby-foods, breakfast cereal, pastas, processed cheese, fruit drinks and sauces. It is also widely used in vitamin supplements.

For over 30 years Riboflavin has been used as a part of the phototherapy treatment of neonatal jaundice. It has recently been used in a new treatment to slow or stop the progression of the corneal disorder keratoconus (corneal collagen crosslinking). There have been studies conducted on riboflavin and its affects on headaches. In both a European and American study riboflavin was shown to effectively treat migraines at a dose of 400 mg per day. (European study: C. Boehnke, High-dose riboflabin treatment is efficacious in migraine prophylaxis: an open study in a tertiary care center. Eur J Neurol, 2004, 11(7): p. 175-7. American study: A.J. Yee, Effectiveness of high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis, Neurology, 1999, 52(2): p. 431-2)

In a separate study performed by Sandor, Afra, Ambrosini and Shoenen riboflavin has shown that when combined with beta-blockers it may be a useful treatment of migraine headaches. (Phophylactic treatment of migraine with beta-blockers and riboflavin: different effects on the intensity dependence of auditory evoked cortical potentials. Headache,. 2000, Jan). In an open-label trial (no placebo control group), as reported by the Mother Earth News (MEN) web site (Natural Health/2007-03-01/Natural-Headache-Remedies), 400 mg a day for six months cut migraine headache frequency in half and decreased medication use. MEN goes on to say that "another study showed that three months of riboflavin led to a 50 percent improvement in almost 60 percent of the volunteers, versus a 15 percent improvement over the people taking a dummy pill."

Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10)

First identified in 1957, Coenzyme Q 10 is also known as "Ubiquinone" because it is found everywhere in the body. The highest amounts are in the heart, liver and pancreas. The lowest amounts are in the lungs.

The first applications for CoQ10 were in 1961, when it was found that cancer patients were deficient in the enzyme. Research has shown CoQ10 to be a very versatile supplement for a number of other conditions such as heart disease and migraines. Recent studies have also shown that CoQ10 may help in the treatment of Alzheimer Disease (X.L. Wang, Co-supplementation with vitamine E and coenzyme Q10 reduces circulating markers of inflammation in baboons, Am J Clin Nutrition, 2004. 80(3): p. 649-55). Reports on CoQ10 and migraines have been very positive. From an article in the April, 2002 issue of the journal of the International Headache Society, Cephalalgia, encouraging results have been reported from an open label trial of CoQ10 as a Migraine preventative.

The article "Open label trial coenzyme Q10 as a migraine preventive" by Rozen, Oshinsky, Gebeline, Bradley, Young, Shechter and Silberstib from Cephalalgia 22 (2) p. 137-141 we are told "At present there are very few efficacious migraine preventatives and fewer without significant side-effects... Migraine can be a disabling disorder and migraine preventives have been shown to not only reduce headache frequency, intensity and duration but also to improve quality of life. Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring substance and essential element of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. It has been the most extensively studied agent for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders and has been shown to have almost no identifiable side-effects in humans. There has been a recent interest in the role that mitochondria may play in migraine pathogenesis...The objective of this investigation is to assess the efficacy of coenzyme Q10 as a preventative treatment for migraine." The dosage used in the study was 150 mg of CoQ10 daily. Key points from the trial included:

61.3% of the patients in the trial achieved at least 1 50% reduction in frequency of Migraine attacks by the end of the four-month trial.

It took time to achieve optimum results. Data from the study suggests that it takes 4-12 weeks to achieve more than 50% reduction.

Coenzyme Q10 is effective for both migraine with aura (classic migraine) as well as migraine without aura (common migraine).

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is used for many purposes. The hsbaltimore, Health Series Institue e-Alert (September 14, 2004) website informs us a good intake of magnesium may promote bone flexibility, help prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease.Recent studies show that magnesium is also essential for keeping your teeth healthy. There have also been studies on a relationship between magnesium and headaches. A study by A. Trauninger (Oral magnesium load test in patients with migraine, Headache, 2002, 42(2): 0, 114-9) showed magnesium deficiencies to be common in those who suffer from migraines. Another study by A. Bianchi (Vitamin Horm, 2004, 69: p. 297-312) has found sufficient, though not definitive, evidence of magnesium's ability to help treat migraines. Current recommendations are to take 500-1000 mg of magnesium per day.

The Bottom Line The three natural remedies for migraine headache discussed here all have shown promising results as affective natural headache remedies. When looking at alternative treatments for migraines, these three appear to be at the top of charts. But the two biggest advantages alternative treatments have over prescription medications is their lack of side effects, and the fact that you are not going to go broke trying these supplements for migraines. These points plus the positive test results shown should be reason to include nutritional supplementation to help treat migraines.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/migraine-headaches-the-most-commonly-used-nutritional-supplements-for-migraine-prevention-599849.html

About the Author
Visit the Feeling Outstanding Natural Supplements for Migraine Headaches page for an excellent selection of Migraine Remedies at excellent prices. Tom Thorne http://www.FeelingOutstanding.com

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