Far from the news that certain minerals are bad for you or
projected as being useless, minerals play an important role
in the cellular health and in overall well-being of
diabetics. Certain minerals are vital to maintain health.
Without them, complications will arise and shorten lifespan.
While we all need minerals to promote good health, the
diabetic needs far more than the average man or woman to
maintain healthy levels. The diabetic kidney is often
stressed from trying to eliminate excess glucose from the
body and succeeds to flush out many of the vitamins and
minerals along with excess glucose. This makes it vital to
replace what has been lost.
Failure to supplement leads to blindness, kidney damage and
the deadening of nerves in the feet. Without feeling,
infection can set in. Untreated, gangrene can set in
leading to amputation.
But it doesn't end there. Heart disease, high blood
pressure and general ill health means a shortened lifespan
for many who are overweight and don't watch what they eat,
smoke, don't exercise and are high stressed.
According to the media and the medical establishment, all
you need to do is eat a proper diet and exercise.
Unfortunately, this leaves out one key ingredient;
supplementation. The simple fact is that the food we buy
from our grocer's shelves lacks essential nutrients as they
come from farms where the soil is depleted of the vitamins
and minerals we need.
For diabetics, certain minerals are vital. If you hope to
avoid the complications that afflict so many, you should be
supplementing.
Among the most important minerals necessary for good health
are:
CHROMIUM: 90% of Americans do not get the recommended 50mcg
(micrograms) of chromium a day. The Food and Nutrition
Board of the National Academy of Sciences considers 50 to
200 mcg to be necessary. As a diabetic you need at least
200 to 400 mcg a day.
Chromium works with insulin in helping open the cell
membranes to accept glucose. Without it, insulin's action
is blocked. Not only does it improve insulin's action to
get into the cells, but it has been shown to decrease
fasting blood glucose levels, improve glucose tolerance and
decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as
raise the HDL, good cholesterol.
Cheese, legumes, beans, peas, whole grains and molasses are
good sources of chromium. Brewer's yeast is one of the best
sources.
Since most Americans are deficient in this nutrient it
explains the high incidents of those as having Syndrome X.
It's estimated that as many as 2 billion people exhibit the
conditions of syndrome X. Chromium GTF or chromium
picolinate make good supplements.
MAGNESIUM: Low intake of magnesium is a major risk factor
leading to diabetic complications, especially retinopathy.
Blindness and heart disease are linked to a lack of
magnesium. The RDA recommendation for healthy men is 350 mg
per day and 300 mg for women. Between 300 to 600 mg is
considered ideal. Many fall far short of this
recommendation and only get between 143 to266 mg.
Our highly refined diet lacks magnesium. Magnesium, like
chromium is involved in glucose metabolism. Supplementation
has been shown to improve insulin response, glucose
tolerance and improve the fluidity of red blood cell
membranes in diabetic patients. Most magnesium comes from
seeds, nuts, legumes, tofu and green leafy vegetables. As a
diabetic, you should take magnesium aspartate or magnesium
citrate which is easily absorbed. To help get it into the
cells, you should also take at least 25 mg of Vitamin B-6
daily.
POTASSIUM: It is the major mineral that resides inside all
cell membranes. Its electrical charge generates what is
called "membrane potential". Sodium, contained in salt, is
found outside of cell membranes and it's believed that the
ratio of sodium to potassium is off-balance and is one of
the many reasons why insulin cannot open the cell doors to
accept glucose.
High potassium diets have been shown to lower the risk of
many degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease
and helps lower blood pressure. Plant foods such as fruits,
vegetables and whole grains are the best sources of
potassium.
MANGANESE: Animals deficient in manganese, it has been
shown, have lower insulin output. It functions in many
enzyme systems including those involved in blood sugar
control and thyroid hormone function. Diabetics have only
half the manganese of normal people. Good sources are whole
grains, fruits and nuts, provided they are grown on well
fertilized soil. A good daily dose of manganese for
diabetics is between 3 to 5 mg.
ZINC: This important mineral has a lot to do with various
functions of the body from sexual development to immune
functioning and maintenance of nerve tissue. Zinc
deficiency leads to loss of appetite, susceptibility to
infection, poor wound healing, skin disorders and
deficiency in both taste and smell. It is involved with the
synthesis and utilization of insulin and has anti-viral
effects. It helps protect against the destruction of beta
cell, the cells responsible for the production of insulin
in the pancreas. Diabetics should supplement with 30 mg of
zinc per day. Good sources of zinc are shell fish, organ
meats, fish, pumpkin seeds, ginger root, nuts and seeds.
VANADIUM: It's missing in the average American diet. In the
form of vanadyl sulfate it helps to control the rises in
blood sugar in diabetics after meals. Good sources of
vanadium are mushrooms, shellfish, dill, parsley and black
pepper.
Far from being a complete list, these are the most
important minerals and should be taken by every diabetic.
While taking minerals will help, the best advice for every
diabetic is to lose weight, engage in vigorous activity and
avoid the highly processed and refined foods that make up
the daily staple of the average American diet.
----------------------------------------------------
Mario Carini has been a diabetic since diagnosed with the
disease 8 years ago. He feels strongly that the best way to
treat diabetes is through natural means that include
essential vitamins, minerals and herbs. You can find out
more about treating your diabetes atL
http://www.newagediabetic.com
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