MCVitamins News

Your Nutritional Education Site

1.  Neuropathy, A Diabetic Side Effect: How to Decrease or Eliminate This Problem
2. Is there any difference between Diabetic Neuropathy and other forms of Neuropathy
3. How to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar
4. How Much Vitamin D Do You Really Need to Take?
5. E-Coli Myths?  No one was ever made sick by eating Leafy Greens 

Neuropathy, A Diabetic Side Effect: How to Decrease or Eliminate This Problem

One diabetic side effect is neuropathy. This is a condition where the nerves of the body are damaged. It is called “Diabetic Peripheral (referring to the outer part of the body) Neuropathy”. This type of neuropathy affects the feet and legs, hands and arms, and it can occur on both sides of the body. In fact, 40 percent of type 2 diabetics experience Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy shows up as one or more of the following symptoms:|

* Tingling and numbness in the toes, fingers, or legs.
* Feeling cold, pain or burning feet, hands or legs.
* Extreme sensitivity to touch, even a light touch.
* Sharp pains or cramps.
* Loss of balance and coordination.

These symptoms are often worse at night.

Causes of nerve damage

Higher than normal sugar levels in the body cause the outer sheathing (protective covering) of nerve cells to degenerate. This is similar to an electrical wire that is covered with insulation, and the insulation is beginning to crumble. Without insulation the unprotected wire will start short-circuiting.

In the same way, when the sheathing of nerve cells degenerate, the signals being transmitted are scrambled, resulting in your body receiving signals that are interpreted as numbness, heat, cold, tingling, pain, etc.

What can be done about it?

It has been known for some time that increased levels of Tiamine (vitamin B1) in the blood stream are very effective in reducing and reversing diabetic neuropathy. Unfortunately, the oral intake of vitamin B1 does not greatly increase the levels of B1 in the blood stream. Previously, the way that blood stream levels of B1 were increased was through periodic intravenous feeding or through injections every few weeks.

The reason that methods like this had to be used is that Tiamine (sometimes spelled Thiamine), like all of the B vitamins, is water-soluble. It cannot be stored in the body and flushes out within 4 to 5 hours. Oral intake of Tiamine over 5 mg results in greatly reduced bioavailability and immediate flushing from the body (this is why urine frequently turns yellow when taking larger doses of B vitamins).

Now, a new type of vitamin B1 has been produced, called Benfotiamine. It is a fat-soluble version of vitamin B1. What this means is that this new form of vitamin B1 can be taken orally in large dosages and it will not flush out of the body the way ordinary Tiamine (vitamin B1) does.

The result is that the blood stream levels of vitamin B1 can now be greatly increased, enabling a rapid and effective decrease or elimination of the symptoms of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

Many of our diabetics now using Benfotiamine report a lessening of their neuropathy symptoms within 4 to 7 days, and Benfotiamine has been shown to be non-toxic and without any side effects even in very high dosages.

You can start using Benfotiamine and decrease or eliminate these problems!

For the formula that has all the nutrients you need, go to www.mcvitamins.com/WSN/nerve-support-formula.htm. 

Is there any difference between Diabetic Neuropathy and other forms of Neuropathy?

What is neuropathy?

Nerve Damage.  It is a condition of the nerves where enough damage has been done that it causes numbness, tingling, pain or pins and needles sensations in the hands, feet, arms or legs.  It occurs differently for different people, but is always caused by nerve damage of some sort. 

What causes the nerve damage? 

Breakdown of the myelin sheath around the nerves.   Without this protection the electrical impluses are not transferred properly just like if you stripped the covering off the electrical wires in your house. 

This nerve damage can be caused by many things - medications such as statins, toxins, alcohol, trauma (accidents, surgeries), different diseases (crohn's disease, cancer, bell's palsy, Lyme disease, shingles, etc.) chemotherapy drugs,  and much more. 

In each case, what the body needs is certain B vitamins so that the body has the tools it needs to repair the nerves.    Getting special forms of B1 and B12 along with other nutrients that enhance their efficacy is what is needed.

Where can I get these supplements?

See:  www.mcvitamins.com/WSN/nerve-support-formula.htm. 

For more information on what the causes of neuropathy are go to http://www.mcvitamins.com/neuropathy-risk-factors-nerve-pain.htm 

How to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar

Trouble maintaining your blood sugar?  Learn why and what you can do about it!

Diabetics are often given contrary information on what is the correct diet or even what types of food are best for the diabetic condition. Here is an article that clearly shows the reason and need for a low carbohydrate diet:

"All carbohydrates are basically sugar. Various sugar molecules - primarily glucose - hooked together chemically ["bonded"] compose the entire family of carbohydrates. Your body has digestive enzymes that break these chemical bonds and release the sugar molecules into the blood, where they stimulate insulin."

"This means that if you follow a 2,200-calorie diet that is 60 percent carbohydrates - the very one most nutritionists recommend - your body will end up having to contend with almost 2 cups of pure sugar per day."  excerpted from Protein Power

by Doctors Michael and Mary Eades

Based on this astounding information, the question is not whether or not a diabetic should be on a low carbohydrate diet, but just what are the foods for a low carbohydrate diet?

Without attempting to list every kind and type of food, and for simplicity, I have grouped foods into three general categories below; those that are high carbohydrate content which should be avoided, medium carbohydrate content which can be eaten only in modest or extremely small portions, and low carbohydrate content that can be eaten as much as one likes:

High Carbohydrate Content: 
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All kinds of potato and potato products (including yams and sweet potatoes). Any products made from grain such as wheat, rye, oats, rice and corn. This includes any type of bread, pasta, chips or cereals. Any type of hard beans such as navy beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans, soy beans, lima beans, red beans, black beans, etc., as well as peas and peanuts. Most fruits and any fruit juices.

Medium Carbohydrate Content:
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All root vegetables such as beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas. Summer and zucchini squashes. Most kinds of nuts, avocado, onions, apricots, strawberries, peaches, plums, tangerines (not oranges), and honeydew or casaba melons.

Low Carbohydrate Content:
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Any kind of meat including beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken, any kind of fish, seafood or shellfish, eggs, or cheese. Vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, asparagus, any kind of greens such as spinach, beet greens, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens and turnip greens. Salad materials such as any kind of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc., and any kind of oil such as corn, olive, peanut, etc., and butter.

Follow the above guidelines, get in a low carbohydrate diet and add the vital supplements needed for a Diabetic.

By learning more about the diabetic condition, what causes it and how it can be changed, you can make informed decisions and take actions on your own, which will improve your diabetic condition.

You can use this information to decrease or eliminate your dependency on drugs, medications and insulin, while at the same time reducing your blood sugar levels.