As of 2008, a little over six million Americans were undiagnosed diabetics, according to the Endocrine Society. Diabetes experts estimate that about 30 percent of American diabetics go undiagnosed. This is mainly due to the difficulties...
Do you remember the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," how she wanted things just right? Your body has the same approach to its regulation of blood sugar, always working to keep it just right. Your blood sugar level normally varies within...
Insulin resistance is a metabolic disorder characterized by the body's not properly using glucose, or blood sugar. A major feature of type-2 diabetes is insulin resistance. Abdominal obesity, or excess fat tissue in the abdomen, predisposes...
A fasting blood sugar level is usually ordered by a physician either to check for a new diagnosis of diabetes or to monitor a person who is known to have diabetes. Ideally fasting blood sugar is tested shortly after the person gets up in the...
Diabetes is caused by defective insulin function. Insulin is a hormone that helps cells use blood glucose for energy. Without insulin, high levels of glucose build up in your bloodstream. If not treated, diabetes can lead to serious complications...
There is growing evidence that the antidiabetic effects of red wine are related to its polyphenolic compound resveratrol. This biochemical compound is produced by plants to fight off adverse natural and biological conditions like fungus attack,...
Borderline diabetes and prediabetes are two commonly used names for impaired glucose tolerance, or IGT. In IGT, blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not as high as someone with type 2 diabetes. Borderline diabetes is a combination of...
Acai berry, the fruit of the acai palm tree native to Central and South America, is a dark purple-blue berry similar in appearance to a grape or large blueberry. Claims for extraordinary health benefits of acai have increased its popularity in...
You may not know much about this mineral with the funny name that people often confuse with magnesium. But like many of the "lesser elements," it's a magic powerhouse --- literally. Its name comes from the Greek word for magic. It helps to form...
Fried food will raise your blood sugar, also called blood glucose. How much your blood glucose is affected depends on the food's composition, when you eat it and how much you eat. The immediate effect on blood glucose is temporary. However, if you...
The best way to spot the signs of low blood sugar is to take or perform a blood test. Diabetics or those who have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, a pre-diabetic condition), should be testing their blood regularly using glucose monitoring systems....
If you've just been told that you are one of the 24 million Americans who are at risk for diabetes, cheer up. The news is not all bad. Modern medicine has developed a number of effective approaches to managing the disease and helping you maintain...
Although an isolated drink on occasion is unlikely to have long-term effects on your metabolism, chronic drinking will, over time. If you force your body to metabolize alcohol over and over again, it can eventually interfere with the processing of...
Body mass index (BMI) is a standardized measure that renders body mass in relation to height. It allows for the classification of an individual as underweight, normal, overweight, or one of the varying degrees of obese. In the general population,...
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common "silent" cardiovascular diseases: More than 24 million Americans are affected by it. It's called a silent disease because you can live with it for years before you begin to experience problems. It can have...
Resveratrol is a natural compound found in red wine. It is produced in certain plants to protect them from stress, damage, infection and ultraviolet radiation. Studies at Huntington's Outreach Project for Education at Stanford University suggest...
According to the American College of Sports Medicine's Position Stance from 2010, diabetes is a rapidly spreading epidemic across the country, with an estimated 24 million Americans currently battling the disease. Diabetes is a class of conditions...
Keep physically active and follow a healthy diet if you want to reduce your risk of serious diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes. While the genes you inherited from your parents play a role in whether or not you develop diabetes, numerous studies...
Your blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, varies at different times throughout the day. If you are diabetic, your blood sugar may spike to unsafe levels, or drop suddenly. Normal healthy blood sugar should range between 70 to 130 mg/dL before...
In prediabetes, also called impaired glucose tolerance, the body fails to process glucose as it should, leading to levels that are higher than normal. This may be due to decreased sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that lowers blood glucose...
If you've just been told by your doctor that you have diabetes, you probably have a lot of questions--things like which types of food you'll have to give up, what you can continue to enjoy and how you should manage your disease when dining out and...
