Diabetes and Chronic Inflammation

    In practice, when asking about medical history or family medical history, most people note diabetes as a condition they themselves or close family members have. This is not surprising as the number of people diagnosed with Diabetes globally is climbing drastically in our modern society. In fact, the World Health Organization has reported a rise in diagnosis rates from 108 million people in 1980 to 422 million people in 2014.

     In Canada in 2017, roughly 2.3 million people aged 12 and older were diagnosed with diabetes…that was over 7% of the population at the time. In 2021, the Government of Canada reported that over 3 million Canadians, or 8.8% of the population, have diagnosed diabetes. That's a pretty big jump in just 4 year's time. Keep it mind this figure does not include those who are prediabetic, or how are at risk of developing diabetes in their lifetime. Chances are, you either have it, or know someone who has it. Nonetheless, you may wonder: what exactly is diabetes?

     To understand diabetes, a proper explanation of insulin is required. Insulin is an important hormone secreted by the pancreas to regulate the amount of glucose- or sugar- in your bloodstream. It either allows the sugar produced from the carbs you eat to be used for energy, or it stores the sugar in the body to use in the future, like between meals or during a workout. As blood sugar rises, the pancreas releases more insulin. In this way, it “regulates” the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. Therefore, insulin is imperative to keep your blood glucose levels in normal, healthy range. 

     Diabetes is a disease in which the body’s ability to produce insulin (such as in Type 1) or respond to insulin, called insulin resistance, (such as in Type 2) is flawed. The result? An abnormal utilization of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood. The problem with having too much uncontrolled glucose circulating in the bloodstream is that it damages tissues and organs, most commonly: the eyes, the kidneys and the nerves. Now, if you are a seasoned reader of our blogs, you are probably anticipating what’s coming next…Yes. Chronic inflammation is a part of this process.

    Chronic inflammation is the maladaptive, continued inflammatory response by our immune system, long after an immediate threat has passed. Basically, it arises when the immune system fails to “switch off” after an illness or trauma, leading to persistent unnecessary signaling that can be harmful to the body. According to the Journal of Gerontology, cytokines, a notorious inflammatory promoter, can interfere with insulin signaling. This results in increased insulin resistance and therefore, spiked blood sugar. The spikes trigger the immune system’s white blood cells to attack, causing further inflammation and faulty insulin signaling, and the vicious cycle continues.

    One way to interrupt this chronic inflammatory cycle is by adding a turmeric supplement to your health regimen. There is evidence to suggest that long-term turmeric supplementation can prevent those living with prediabetes from developing the full-blown condition. Turmeric has also been shown specifically to help stabilize blood sugar. Moreover, a 2009 study at Auburn university demonstrated that curcumin, the active medicinal property in turmeric, was up to 100,000 times more effective than the popular medication used to suppress glucose production, significantly benefitting patients with diabetes.

    For more information on our turmeric supplement and the science behind it, check out https://doctords.com/pages/pns-technology. 

Sources:

  1. World Health Organization. Diabetes. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes

  2. Statistics Canada. Health Fact Sheets, Diabetes, 2017. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-625-x/2018001/article/54982-eng.htm

  3. Diabetes Canada. https://www.diabetes.ca/media-room/press-releases/new-diabetes-rates-released-with-urgent-plea-for-governments-to-implement-national-diabetes-strategy

  4. Government of Canada. Government of Canada announces new investment in diabetes research. 2021.  https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2021/08/government-of-canada-announces-new-investment-in-diabetes-research.html 

*THE CONTENT IN THESE BLOGS IS STRICTLY EDUCATIONAL AND NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING A MEDICAL CONDITION OR YOUR GENERAL HEALTH. ALWAYS THOROUGHLY READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS ON THE LABELS OF YOUR SUPPLEMENTS AND/OR MEDICATIONS. NOTE THAT THE CONTENT IN THESE BLOGS MAY BECOME OUTDATED AS NEWER RESEARCH IS PUBLISHED.