Tag Archives: diabetics

Can vitamin B1 help diabetics?

Posted on by

London: The vitamin B1 is excreted faster in diabetics than in healthy people, according to a new study by the Warwick Medical School.

Vitamin B1, also called thiamine, is important in keeping the body’s circulatory system healthy but is dispelled by diabetics 15 times more quickly than in healthy people.

This deficiency could increase the chance of heart attacks and strokes, which account for around 80 per cent of diabetes deaths.

The discovery may mean that high-dose vitamin B1 supplements could therefore reduce the risk of patients developing heart problems. Another option would be to develop drugs to stop the kidneys getting rid of so much of the vitamin. The study, published in the journal Diabetologia, involved 74 diabetics and 20 healthy volunteers.

Thiamine concentration in the blood was 76 per cent lower in Type 1 diabetics and 75 per cent lower in Type 2 diabetics.

Lack of thiamine is believed to increase the risk of heart problems because it affects the working of special cells which line the body’s circulatory system.

Professor Paul Thornalley, who led the study, is now running a trial to test whether patients given extra doses of the vitamin have healthier hearts.

He is giving patients a tablet containing 300milligrams of vitamin B1 a day. The average daily nutritional intake of vitamin-By Daniel Martin

Health Reporter B1 is 1mg – meaning changes to diet would not be enough to have an effect.

Matt Hunt, science information manager at the charity Diabetes UK, which funded the study, said it could lead to ‘very exciting outcomes’.

He added: ‘Researchers are already looking into the effect of giving people the vitamin in tablet form to see if early kidney damage can be reversed.

‘From there, work could be done to see what effect supplementing vitamin B1 levels could have on other complications of diabetes such as nerve and eye damage.’

More than 1.9million Britons are Type 2 diabetic and up to 750,000 more are undiagnosed. Type 2 is linked to obesity and up to half of cases could be prevented through changes to diet and exercise.

Around 300,000 Britons are Type 1 diabetic, which is present from childhood.

New sweetner with health benefits launches in UK

Posted on by

image

London: Perfect Sweet announces the launch of a new, completely natural, low carb, low GI sweetener with a host of health benefits, making it perfect for dieters, diabetics, children, dental patients, mums-to-be and women at high risk of osteoporosis – as well as anyone concerned about oral health and general well-being.

A deliciously sweet alternative to sugar for everyday use, Perfect Sweet is derived entirely from xylitol, a naturally occurring substance found in strawberries, plums and pears. Whilst it looks and tastes just as good as sugar, it offers a much healthier alternative.

Because xylitol releases its energy, much slower than any other sugar or sweetener, people who eat it in the place of sugar feel fuller for longer and are less likely to snack. This makes Perfect Sweet deal for diabetics or others for those on low GI diets who need to keep their blood sugar stable.

Xylitol contains 40% fewer calories than conventional sugar and has a GI (Glycemic Index) count of just seven, compared to conventional sugar (which has a GI of 49). That means you would have to eat up to seven times as much Perfect Sweet to have the same effect on your blood sugar – or your hips. For those on a low carb diet, xylitol makes an ideal companion too, with it having 75% fewer available carbohydrates than sugar.

Perfect Sweet has a number of other surprising health benefits, which makes it much more than just another alternative to sugar. Added to a range of food and drinks such as tea, coffee, smoothies, cereals, fruit puddings or snacks, Perfect Sweet can turn everyday drinks and food into delicious health products.

“We all know the consequences of our addiction to sugar: weight gain, mood swings, skin problems, diabetes, oral cavities and even infections such as overgrowth of Candida Albicans, which is though to lead to thrush and many other afflictions,” says Edward Baylis at Perfect Sweet. “But until now there just hasn’t been a satisfactory, non-chemical alternative to sugar. The most exciting thing about Perfect Sweet is that for the first time we have a 100% natural, completely healthy product, that is not only as delicious as the stuff we’re used to, but actually delivers a host of positive health benefits. This is the kind of product parents will be encouraging their kids to eat!”

Priced at £2.69 for a 225g pack, Perfect Sweet is available in selected Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Holland and Barrett and Waitrose stores. For more information www.perfectsweet.co.uk

More benefits of Perfect Sweet

Oral Health
One of the major discoveries in respect to xylitol was the discoveryfinding that when it iwas broken down in the mouth and stomach it produces an alkaline environment, rather than an acidic one , which like like sugar does. This means thatIn this alkaline environment the bacteria that cause tooth decay can’t survive and decay is prevented. Thee alkaline environment which is created also favours calcium and mineral absorption so enamel decay is even seen to be reversed.

Osteoporosis
Increased calcium absorption in the stomach has led to studies observing a much improved bone density (stronger bones) when using xylitol regularly. This could be a potentially massive be a huge help for those living with conditions such as osteoporosis.

Bacterial and Yeast Infections
The killing of bacteria with xylitol, has further led to the discovery that ear infections, and other bacterial and yeast infections (such as thrush), can be prevented when using it. There has been particular interest in the use of xylitol to help prevent ear infections in young children.