(Yes, diabetics often resist talking about it, but, “the truth shall set you free”!  Also, “obese” is an accurate word but also somewhat  offensive, so we will use the word, “heavy” where able in this article.)

Okay, What’s the Problem?

It has been well established that obesity is the main risk factor for diabetes – the greater your excess weight, the greater your chances of getting the disease. Recent research on a very large group of women (84,941) indicates that those who are mildly overweight increase their risk of diabetes 2.7 times normal, while those who are grossly overweight increase their risk of diabetes by a whopping 38.8 times.¹

But, why does carrying around excess weight increase your risk for diabetes? This is a difficult question to answer, but researchers in Japan may be on the right track. They found heavy people increase the production of a molecule called interleukin-1-beta (IL-1b). It turns out that this IL-1b is toxic to the pancreatic cells that produce insulin! ²

Okay, I can see the problem there.  Heavy individuals produce significantly higher levels of toxic IL-1b.  That would lead to increased islet-cell death and, thus, decreased insulin levels overall. This would lead to increased blood glucose levels and ultimately to diabetes.

Any Good News?

Well, yes there is good news about diabetes. It is easily preventable through our supplements, diet and exercise. The key is simply not to get fat.

Okay, that is easier said than done.  After all, the fat-rich Western diet is hard to avoid (not to mention I like some of it). All the more reason to be grateful for a second bit of good news.

There is something called MHCP that changes the ballgame – and we’ll get to it shortly. There is also a nutritional supplement we developed, called Dia-Mazing, that is remarkable in helping to naturally duplicate insulin in its action.  It is, obviously, helpful in preventing and combating diabetes.

Physical exercise is also well known to improve blood sugar regulation, among many other things.  So, the question is whether exercise and the nutrients we use potentially complement each other and, if so, to what extent?

A paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine convincingly demonstrates that wise lifestyle choices, particularly in terms of diet and exercise, can dramatically reduce the incidence of diabetes in at-risk adults.³ Combining exercise with taking the things needed to change the body’s functions produced even better results together! Why are we not surprised? Probably because it is pretty natural.

Okay, How Does MHCP Fit In?

Here’s the deal. MHCP acts as though it were insulin and boosts the glycogen content of muscle and liver cells. The total effect of MHCP, when they are both at work, is greater than the sum of their individual effects! This is true of both boosting glycogen levels and regulating blood sugar levels – the objective of every diabetes therapy.

MHCP is almost as effective as insulin – and tested with cells of adipose (fat-storage) tissue. This was done by Dr. Richard Anderson at Iowa State University with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.⁴

It is funny that when searching for a natural substance that could mimic the effects of insulin, they found it in apple pie.  They looked at the spices, then cinnamon in particular, and found cinnamon compound (MHCP). They discovered that MHCP reduces blood glucose levels not just in the presence of insulin but also in its complete absence – and it does so almost as well as insulin itself. (See the cinnamon article in the Diabetes Protocol and on our A-Z List of Topics.)

Putting It All Together

If we combine the exercise and action of the MHCP nutrients, do we double our horsepower?  Indeed, we do because what they have in common is an improvement in insulin function.

Exercise enhances insulin sensitivity (i.e., decreases insulin resistance) throughout the body.  This explains its ability to reduce blood glucose levels. In other words, exercise can make it possible for insulin to do its appointed job more effectively.

But we can boost these results because MHCP, shows in the studies that it improves insulin function and boosts cellular glycogen levels, as exercise does.

The benefits of exercise and of MHCP are additive so it makes sense to use both of these to control blood sugar levels. The benefits of exercise in this and many other aspects of human physiology are indisputable.  It is also exciting to be able to add the nutrients in our Dia-Mazing, like cinnamon, to become a powerful ally in the battle against diabetes.

May we all be healthier together.

References

1. Hu FB, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, et al. Diet, lifestyle, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. N Engl J Med 2001;345:790-7.
2. Mito N, Hiyoshi T, Hosoda T, Kitada C, Sato K. Effect of obesity and insulin immunity in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Eur J Clin Nutr 2002;56:347-51.The Good News and the Good News
3. Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. New Engl J Med 2002;346:393-403.Exercise Boosts Glycogen Storage
4. Jarvill-Taylor KJ, Anderson RA, Graves DJ. A hydroxychalcone derived from cinnamon functions as a mimetic for insulin 3T3-L1 adipocytes. J Am Coll Nutr 2001;20(4):327-36.