Health and Vitality for People With Diabetes - Vitamin Supplements

Our bodies need the proper fuel in order to function at optimal levels. For the diabetic, this is more important since there is an imbalance present that threatens health and vitality. For any individual, a healthy well-rounded diet is the foundation When diabetes is present, this becomes even more important, as does the need to learn which foods to eat and when.

It is well known that no single food provides "all the nutrients in the amount that you need" (The 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans) and the meats, dairy and grain products, and many fruits and vegetables in today's daily diet will not be adequate sources of vitamins and minerals. These are the substances found naturally in plants and animal foods that are essential in minute quantities for the normal growth and activity of the human body..

Vitamins are highly beneficial diabetes supplies. For added protection against the risks which go hand in hand with diabetes, people who live with unstable blood glucose levels may want to consider a range of supplements including vitamins to best complement their diet.

A pair of supplements that encourage health and vitality are vitamins C and E. Each of these vitamins is considered an antioxidant, a substance involved in the prevention of cellular damage caused by free radical formation. Free radicals are present in the environment thanks to pollution, ultraviolet light, X rays, cigarette smoke and even the body's own metabolism. A diabetic patient may be prone to such damage - there is a higher risk for health concerns such as premature aging, nerve diseases, heart disease and cancer. Both these antioxidants are believed to play a role in disease prevention. Supplementing a diabetic diet with antioxidants is certainly worth discussion with your personal clinician and Health Care team.

Studies have revealed that supplementation results in an improvement in blood glucose levels and also in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The introduction of any supplement into the diabetic diet should always be with the knowledge of the patient's personal physician and health care team and he or she will likely be prescribed a limited/maximum dose mg per day in order to avoid any adverse side effects such as an upset stomach or kidney stones.

Vitamin C is already well known to have a substantial beneficial impact on human health. It can help healing, and boosts the immune system, increasing protection against colds and viruses.. It assists the absorption of iron from green vegetables. People with diabetes tend to have lower levels of vitamin C. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water soluble vitamin found in citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, kiwifruit, cantaloupe, pineapple, tomatoes and fresh green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, and green peppers.

Vitamin C helps keep Vitamin E in active form.

Water soluble vitamins don't stay around in the body, they travel in cellular fluid and the bloodstream and what is not used immediately is excreted. So they need replacing often.

Vitamin E is fat soluble antioxidant and will be stored in the body until it is needed. The long term benefits of Vitamin E supplementation are not proven and less is known about its role in disease prevention. Evidence from studies in the last decade supports the belief that daily dosages of Vitamin E supplements improve insulin resistance in overweight adults who also have low levels of antioxidants and so delays the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Studies continue to explore the belief that vitamin E supplements help in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and the optimal health of kidneys and eyes.

Current recommendations are that the diabetic should take no more than a small dosage of vitamin E per day but at this level the antioxidant function may not be so effective. Further research on vitamin E supplements is ongoing, and for this reason alone the health care team or the patient's clinician must be involved in determining the right dosage for each patient with diabetes..

Learning to manage diabetes takes time, discipline, the right fuel and information. Supplement the daily diet and those diabetes supplies with the vitamins that bolster health and vitality!

Why Diabetics Gain More From Exercise Compared To Other People

What's true pertaining to the benefits of exercise for most people is also true for diabetics, and more. Diabetics get all the benefits, plus added benefits as well that only they can enjoy. Combined with a good diet and medicine, exercise helps diabetics manage their condition, helps in reducing weight, and is handy in controlling their blood glucose levels. When we exercise, our body uses up energy faster than normal (up to 20 times faster). Since the body's primary source of energy is glucose, exercising is one of the better ways to lower glucose levels. Because we use up more energy during exercise, glucose levels in the blood decreases. Below is a list of the many ways exercise can help diabetics:

1. Exercise has been proven to help the body in its usage of insulin. Insulin helps in the absorption and storage of glucose from the blood vessels to the tissues. Regular exercise helps the body use insulin more effectively, thereby helping regulate the level of glucose in the blood.

2. Excess body fat is burned when we exercise regularly, thus exercise helps in reducing weight and also in maintaining weight at it's optimum level. More, the body's insulin sensitivity is improved as a direct result of the decrease in body fat.

3. It improves muscle strength. Diabetics often feel weak due to high or low glucose levels in the blood. Exercise helps by improving muscles, making them stronger, reducing the periods of weakness.

4. It helps in increasing bone density and strength making bones stronger and harder.

5. Exercise lowers blood pressure and also helps in protecting against heart and blood vessel related diseases by lowering bad cholesterol and promoting the increase of good cholesterol in the body. This is specially helpful for people with diabetes as they are more prone to diseases caused by bad cholesterol.

6. It improves our body's blood circulation thus lowering the risks of heart attacks and strokes. Diabetics will greatly appreciate this as they are prone to heart attacks as well.

7. By exercising regularly, the energy level of our body increases. This will, in turn, increase work capacity and overall productivity.

8. Exercise has also been proven to reduce stress. Stress is one of the many causes of blood sugar level's dips or rises in a diabetic. Reducing stress therefore means glucose levels are easier to maintain and control.

However, there are certain situations wherein intense exercise increases blood glucose levels. This is possible when our body mistakes intensive exercise as a form of stress, thus it responds by raising glucose levels in the blood. In such cases as this, it is more advisable to do some moderate exercises first all the while constantly monitoring your glucose levels. Also, it has been shown that for some diabetics, blood sugar levels go much lower than the preferred levels. It is best therefore to ask your doctor before deciding on what level of exercise is suited for you.