Controlling Blood Sugar With a Simple Drink

Health Wellness

According to Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, over 30 million Americans, about 9.4% of the population, have some form of diabetes. Another 23.1 million Americans, about 7.2% of the population, have been diagnosed with diabetes at some point and another 7.2 million have diabetes but have never been tested. In 2015, there were 1.5 million NEW cases of diabetes diagnosed by doctors here in the United States.

About 5% of those diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 and need to take insulin on a regular basis. That leaves about 95% of people with diabetes with type 2. Some need insulin, others rely on other medications and some can control it just by watching what they eat.

The number of people with type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions according to many doctors. The increase in the number of people with diabetes strongly parallels the increase in the number of people who are overweight or obese. In many cases, if a person lost enough weight and watched what they ate, their diabetes would go into remission, which could help prevent a number of diabetes related health conditions, some of which can lead to blindness and death.

In addition to medications and diet, there is a plethora of supplements that also help lower and control blood sugar levels. Among my favorite supplement is Fenugreek, a natural supplement that smells like maple syrup, but does help control blood sugar. So does cinnamon.

There is another supplement that is gaining popularity in the fight to help control blood sugar levels, as reported:

With more people with diabetes and pre-diabetes looking for strategies to help control blood sugar, new research from UBC’s Okanagan campus suggests that ketone monoester drinks — a popular new food supplement — may help do exactly that.

“There has been a lot of excitement and interest in ketone drinks and supplements, which have really only been on the market and available to consumers for the last couple of years,” says Jonathan Little, associate professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences and study lead author. “Because they’re so new, there’s very little research on how they can influence metabolism and we’re among the first to look at their use in non-athletes.” …

Ketone supplements are proving fertile ground for research into Type 2 diabetes because, according to Little, ketones are the natural fuel source of the body when it’s in ketosis — the metabolic byproduct of consuming a low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet.

“There is mounting evidence that a low carbohydrate ketogenic diet is very effective in controlling blood sugar and even reversing Type 2 diabetes,” says Little. “We wanted to know what would happen if artificial ketones were given to those with obesity and at risk for Type 2 diabetes but who haven’t been dieting.”

To test the idea, Little and his team asked 15 people to consume a ketone drink after fasting overnight. After 30 minutes, they were then asked to drink a fluid containing 75 grams of sugar while blood samples were taken.

“It turns out that the ketone drink seemed to launch participants into a sort of pseudo-ketogenic state where they were better able to control their blood sugar levels with no changes to their insulin,” explains Little. “It demonstrates that these supplements may have real potential as a valuable tool for those with Type 2 diabetes.”

The main danger I see in using a ketone ester drink is lowering the blood sugar too low or putting someone into ketoacidosis, which can be life threatening. Using a ketone ester drink will require regular monitoring for blood sugar levels, but if the preliminary tests are right, this may be a way for millions of type 2 diabetics to keep their blood sugar level at a healthier level. This could be one of the biggest benefits for type 2 diabetics in years.

 

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