22 Most Dangerous Foods for High Blood Sugar NB Diabetics and Prediabetics
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Diabetes
Some diabetes drugs tied to lower risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease
A study suggests that a certain class of drugs used to treat diabetes may be linked to a reduced risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
The study examined SGLT2 inhibitors, also known as gliflozins, which lower blood sugar by prompting the kidneys to excrete sugar through urine.
“We are aware that neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease are becoming more prevalent as the population ages. People with diabetes are at a higher risk of cognitive impairment. It is encouraging to see that this category of drugs may offer some protection against dementia and Parkinson’s disease,” stated study author Minyoung Lee, MD, PhD, from Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.
The retrospective study examined individuals with type 2 diabetes who initiated diabetes medication from 2014 to 2019 in South Korea. Individuals using SGLT2 inhibitors were compared with those using other oral diabetes drugs, ensuring that the two groups had similar ages, other health conditions, and diabetes-related complications. The researchers then monitored the participants to determine whether they developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease. The individuals taking SGLT2 inhibitors were monitored for an average of two years, while those taking the other drugs were monitored for an average of four years.
Among the 358,862 participants with an average age of 58, 6,837 people developed dementia or Parkinson’s disease during the study. For Alzheimer’s disease, the incidence rate for people taking SGLT2 inhibitors was 39.7 cases per 10,000 person-years, compared to 63.7 cases for those taking other diabetes drugs. Person-years represent both the number of people in the study and the amount of time each person spends in the study. For vascular dementia, which is dementia caused by vascular disease, the incidence rate for people taking the SGLT2 drugs was 10.6 cases per 10,000, compared to 18.7 for those taking the other drugs. For Parkinson’s disease, the incidence rate for those taking the SGLT2 drugs was 9.3 cases per 10,000, compared to 13.7 for those taking the other drugs. After researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect the risk of dementia or Parkinson’s disease, such as complications from diabetes and medications, they found that SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with a 20% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 20% reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease. Those taking the drugs had a 30% reduced risk of developing vascular dementia.
A new injectable to prevent and treat hypoglycemia
Encapsulated glucagon for insulin-induced hypoglycemia dissolves when sugar levels get seriously low (less than 60 milligrams per deciliter, mg/dL), releasing the hormone into the bloodstream and triggering the liver to release glucose. The micelles remain intact at normal sugar levels (more than 100 mg/dL), keeping glucagon inactive. Credit Adapted from ACS Central Science 2024, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c00937
People with diabetes take insulin to lower high blood sugar. However, if glucose levels plunge too low — from taking too much insulin or not eating enough sugar — people can experience hypoglycemia, which can lead to dizziness, cognitive impairment, seizures or comas. Researchers in ACS Central Science report encapsulating the hormone glucagon to prevent and treat this condition. In mouse trials, the nanocapsules activated when blood sugar levels dropped dangerously low and quickly restored glucose levels.
Glucagon is a hormone that signals the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. It’s typically given by injection to counteract severe hypoglycemia in people who have diabetes. While an emergency glucagon injection can correct blood sugar levels in about 30 minutes, formulations can be unstable and insoluble in water. Sometimes, the hormone quickly breaks down when mixed for injections and clumps together to form toxic fibrils. Additionally, many hypoglycemic episodes occur at night, when people with diabetes aren’t likely to test their blood sugar. To improve commercial glucagon stability and prevent hypoglycemia, Andrea Hevener and Heather Maynard looked to micelles: nanoscale, soap-like bubbles that can be customized to assemble or disassemble in different environments and are used for drug delivery. They developed a glucose-responsive micelle that encapsulates and protects glucagon in the bloodstream when sugar levels are normal but dissolve if levels drop dangerously low. To prevent hypoglycemia, the micelles could be injected ahead of time and circulate in the bloodstream until they are needed.
In lab experiments, the researchers observed that the micelles disassembled only in liquid environments mimicking hypoglycemic conditions in human and mice bodies: less than 60 milligrams of glucose per deciliter. Next, when mice experiencing insulin-induced hypoglycemia received an injection of the specialized micelles, they achieved normal blood sugar levels within 40 minutes. The team also determined that glucagon-packed micelles stayed intact in mice and didn’t release the hormone unless blood glucose levels fell below the clinical threshold for severe hypoglycemia. From additional toxicity and biosafety studies in mice, the researchers note that empty micelles didn’t trigger an immune response or induce organ damage.
The pervasiveness of inflammation foods in today’s diet
Almost 60% of Americans have pro-inflammatory diets, increasing the risk of health issues such as heart disease and cancer, according to a recent Omega 3 for chronic pain, by Dr Andrea Furlanstudy utilizing a tool designed to assess inflammation in the diet.
The study also found that specific populations, including Black Americans, men, and people with lower incomes, were more likely to consume a diet high in pro-inflammatory foods.
“Overall, 57% of U.S. adults have a pro-inflammatory diet and that number was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults and people with lower education and income,” said lead author Rachel Meadows, visiting faculty in The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health.
The research team used the dietary inflammatory index, a tool developed a decade ago that includes 45 dietary components to examine the diets of more than 34,500 adults included in the 2005–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Based on self-reported diets, they used the tool to assign inflammation values ranging from −9 to 8, where 0 represents a neutral diet. About 34% of those in the study had anti-inflammatory diets, and the remaining 9% had neutral dietary inflammatory levels
Older dietary measures look at the intake of certain food groups (such as fruits, vegetables and dairy) or macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats) that align with national diet recommendations or certain diets like keto or paleo.
“But inflammation is an important element to consider and the overall balance of diet is most important,” Meadows said.
“Even if you’re eating enough fruits or vegetables, if you’re having too much alcohol or red meat, then your overall diet can still be pro-inflammatory.”
Meadows said she’s less interested in labeling foods as “bad” and more interested in thinking about anti-inflammatory foods as tools people can employ to boost health.
“There’s a potential here to think about positive interventions, such as adding more garlic, ginger, turmeric and green and black tea — which are all anti-inflammatory — to your diet,” she said.
“Moving toward a diet with less inflammation could have a positive impact on a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even depression and other mental health conditions.”
Other examples of anti-inflammatory foods are mostly unprocessed including whole grains, green leafy vegetables (such as spinach), legumes (such as beans and lentils), fatty fish (such as salmon) and berries.
Challenges to eating a less inflammatory diet include poor access to fruits, vegetables and other foods that can contribute to better health — and even when those foods are available, they can sometimes be more costly, creating a barrier for those with low incomes, Meadows said.
Many people also have elevated chronic inflammation due to non-dietary factors including stress and adverse childhood experiences, she said.
“There are a lot of factors that contribute to chronic inflammation, and they all interact – even sleep is a key component. Diet can be used as a tool to combat that,” Meadows said.
Potential strategy against blood glucose drops in type 1 diabetes
Anna Benrick and Patrik Rorsman, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Credit Photo: University of Gothenburg.
New research suggests that inhibiting the hormone somatostatin could be a promising treatment approach for preventing severe drops in blood glucose levels in individuals with type 1 diabetes. A study conducted at the University of Gothenburg and other institutions has demonstrated the potential of this strategy to save lives.
When blood glucose levels decrease in healthy individuals, the pancreas releases a hormone called glucagon. This hormone prompts the liver to produce glucose, which helps to normalize the blood glucose levels. Glucagon has the opposite effect to insulin, another hormone that lowers blood glucose levels. Both insulin and glucagon are produced in the pancreas.
Individuals with type 1 diabetes have insufficient insulin as well as glucagon. When glucagon is not released during a drop in blood glucose, it results in dangerously low blood sugar levels, a condition that accounts for approximately 10% of all deaths in individuals with type 1 diabetes.
Restored ability to fend off drops in blood sugar
The latest study, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, introduces a potential new treatment approach for preventing dangerous blood sugar drops in individuals with type 1 diabetes. Patrik Rorsman, a leading researcher and Professor of Cellular Endocrinology at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, as well as an active member of the University of Oxford, is one of the key contributors to this study.
The researchers examined groups of hormone-producing cells from the pancreas of humans and mice. They showed that in type 1 diabetes, these islets are unable to release glucagon when blood sugar is low. This is because the hormone somatostatin is released in greater amounts in type 1 diabetes and inhibits the release of glucagon.
Meanwhile, experiments showed that blocking somatostatin in mice with type 1 diabetes could restore the pancreas’s ability to release glucagon in the event of low blood sugar, thus preventing dangerously low blood sugar levels. The blocking was done pharmacologically.
Mapping of previously unknown signalling
Using genetically modified mice in which beta cells were activated by light, known as optogenetics, the interaction between different cell types in the pancreatic islets was also mapped: alpha cells that release glucagon, beta cells that release insulin and delta cells that release somatostatin.
The results provide an underlying explanation for how the reduced proportion of functioning beta cells in type 1 diabetes can be linked to the increased risk of blood sugar drops, something that has so far been unclear.
Anna Benrick is an Associate Professor of Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and one of the co-authors.
“The new findings highlight an important and previously unknown role of electrical signaling that occurs through open cell connections between beta cells and delta cells,” she says. “If the electrical connections are lost, then the release of glucagon is reduced and the risk of a drop in blood pressure increases. The fact that this can be restored pharmacologically by blocking somatostatin opens up the possibility of preventing dangerous blood sugar drops in type 1 diabetes.”