Diabetes and Aging

How to Avoid Diabetes as You Get Older

Diabetes is one of the "big three" health issues as we age. The most common type is called "Type 2 Diabetes," otherwise known as Adult Onset. Unlike Type I Diabetes, the adult onset version isn't genetic so much as it is related to lifestyle.

And in modern western societies, a big part of that lifestyle component is what we eat. For many people the foods they commonly eat would have been totally foreign to their ancestors 100 years ago.

The biggest dietary changes have to do with the amount of processed foods eaten. Refined flour and sugar, concentrated sweeteners, and even protein sources fed un-natural diets (for example cattle eating grains) all contribute.

Consider these facts:

• The incidence of Type 2 Diabetes tripled between 1984 and 1999.
• Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 90% to 95% of all cases.
• Type 2 starts when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin (Metabolic Syndrome).
• As a result, your body makes more and more insulin in an attempt to overcome this resistance. Elevated insulin levels are a hallmark of Metabolic Sydrome.
• Taking external forms of insulin doesn't help Type 2 Diabetes since the body is already resistant to it's effects.
• The primary catalyst for generating excessive insulin is eating high amounts of concentrated sugars and refined carbohydrates.

Given modern diets, this increase in the problem isn't surprising.

This excess insulin and the insulin resistance it causes create a much higher likelihood of a number of life-threatening diseases. These include cardiovascular diseases (heart attack and stroke), kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), vision problems (cataracts, macular edema, blindness), cancer (breast, cervical, colon, esophageal, liver & pancreatic), higher risks of infection, dementia, Alzehmeimer's disease and depression.

Attacking Diabetes at Its Root

First of all, prevention is the number one way to deal with diabetes. This means eliminating all refined and concentrated sugars and starches from your diet. And especially for people who already have Metabolic Syndrome or Type 2 Diabetes, this suggestion is crucial. Here are some examples of what to avoid:

• White Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Turbinado Sugar
• Fructose & High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
• Honey
• Maple Syrup
• Any food ingredient ending in 'ose' (glucose, lactose, dextrose, etc.)
• Concentrated sugars such as fruit juice (fresh or bottled)
• Refined grains, i.e. anything made with flour including bread, pasta, corn chips, etc.

By eliminating these food from your diet, your body will decrease excess insulin production. At that point you can consider taking supplements that may help counteract insulin resistance and reduce the likelihood of getting Metabolic Syndrome or diabetes.

Another aspect of Metabolic Syndrom is formation of Advanced Glycation End Products.

Go here learn more about what supplements may help reduce the likelihood of getting diabetes.