Nutrigenetics is the study of the interaction of genes and diet. The Diet Channel has published an article explaining what nutrigenetics is and how it will revolutionize the world of diabetes.

Researchers believe elevated blood sugar can be mapped back to a genetic reaction. Drugs are only overriding the cause of elevated blood sugar and forcing the sugar into the cells, causing damage over time. Nutrigenetics is addressing the cause of the elevated blood sugar and may suggest a better diet to control your diabetes. Genes control how you metabolize certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. These genes can vary from one individual to the next. See what happens to Buddy the Elf when he consumes way too much coffee? Yes, I know - that's Hollywood. Nevertheless - a comical example of what nutrigenetics explores.

Consumer-friendly tests are available for these gene and diet interactions. The tests are done with a cheek swab. You send your swab off to a specialized lab, which analyzes DNA from the cheek cells. You receive a report identifying your gene variations. A qualified health professional can explain the test results, and make specific diet and supplement recommendations to optimize your health. If this is a test you're interested in taking, Sciona's Mycellf Program will be happy to prepare your profile. Open up and say Ahhhh.

Ever wonder what would happen to a non-diabetic's blood sugar if they loaded up on a pile of concentrated sugar, preservatives and weird science fats? Doctors and the ADA call it prediabetes. This clip takes it to the extreme by sandwiching the center of 16 double stuff Oreos! Sometimes you have to be insanely blunt to make your point.

This is a brilliant example of the diabetes epidemic in action. In today's world -- many people are eating for convenience without realizing the consequences. More convenient equates to less nutritious - more preservatives, more sugar and even more fattening (the wrong fats, too!) The combination increases the amount of time our digestive enzymes need to work on these lab-derived ingredients. This sustains an elevated blood sugar following the time of consumption. Add the ADA definition of pre-diabetes (a blood sugar between 140 to 199 mg/dl 2 hours after a meal) and there you have it -- a potential player on Team Diabetes!

Think what would happen if this guy was in his doctor's office 2 hours after this stunt. I'd like to thank his employer for keeping him busy (whatever he's paid to do) well after the lunch hour - and protecting him from becoming another statistic. Big ups to HR for hiring this guy!! If he's not in marketing already -- you might consider a transfer and give this guy a raise. He's my Oreo hero.

Howard Hughs Medical Experts have discovered the key to a longer life is lower insulin levels. Less insulin helps cells fend off diseases that lead to early death like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. So how does one lower their insulin levels? Caloric restriction by way of eating less carbohydrates.

Caloric restriction postpones the onset of life-threatening conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. It may still happen, but at a later age. Scientists manipulated genes in mice to produce 50% less insulin and saw the mice live 18% longer. While lowering insulin throughout the body can lead to a diabetic state, scientists found that allowing insulin levels to be high throughout most of the body, and lowering the insulin signaling only in the brain through genetic manipulation, extended the life of mice.

Although the mice were overweight, they lived longer and seemed active and youthful. Scientists believe that this research explains why some people who live past 100 may have a natural genetic tendency for lower insulin signaling in the brain. They eat a normal amount of calories and may even be a bit overweight, but still enjoy the benefit of life extension. This begs the question: if all diabetes oral meds multiply the effect of insulin -- doesn't this increase the chances of heart disease and cancer? New Rule: Black box warning on ALL prescription diabetes drugs!!

In light of Novo's Meet the Face of Change campaign, I figured I'd address an idea worthy of mention coming out of the Novo product pipeline. This treatment is for Type 2 diabetics but it is not insulin - it's called liraglutide. Liraglutide is a once-daily human analog of the natural hormone Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1). It causes neither excessive hypoglycemia nor weight gain.

Liraglutide works by stimulating the release of insulin only when glucose levels become too high. Unlike many other diabetes drugs - liraglutide also leads to weight loss instead of weight gain. Now we're getting somewhere, Novo!! Patients with Type 2 diabetes treated with liraglutide had a greater reduction in average blood sugar than those patients treated with placebo or insulin glargine (Lantus). As expected, the combination of a GLP-1 analog with a sulfonylurea caused some of the patients to experience hypoglycemia. Okay, point taken. So why impose a glucose lowering drug while mitigating the problem causing elevated sugar in the first place? One drug at a time, folks.

So this is a step in the right direction and I like where it is going. Treating Type 2 diabetes with insulin is counter-intuitive. Looking at another hormone that might interfere with the use of insulin might be the culprit. So here lies a very good idea and I like it. Gold star, Novo! Now when can we meet the face of liraglutide?

A new survey reveals that most people prefer to treat diabetes by changing their diets, rather than using medicines.

According to a survey of 1,022 adults (515 women and 507 men), 69% of Americans would prefer to try a dietary approach, whereas only 21% preferred treating diabetes with medicines. The survey reinforces results from clinical research on diabetes, which has consistently found that people with diabetes adapt well to low-fat vegetarian diets and gain important health benefits. A dietary approach to diabetes based on scientific research shows that a low-fat vegan diet can lower high blood sugar levels three times more effectively than oral medications.

Among the results: women are even more likely than men to prefer food changes over pills. People with more education and higher incomes were especially likely to favor a diet approach. For the financially savvy - this makes a lot of sense. You MUST buy food. You might as well buy healthier foods and curtail your Rx costs. Furthermore, Americans aged 45 to 64 were more enthusiastic about diet changes, compared with older Americans. I'll bet it's the convenience factor. A little less medication, a little more supper, please. The most pill-happy generation was the 18- to 24-year-olds. Don't look at me like that - I'm 28 and favor the flavor over medication, any day. Bon appetit!

Our odiferous little friend has been touted for many health benefits. Diabetics should pay close attention because, although it has the dubious distinction of causing dragon breath, let us not allow the immediate social expense to outweigh the long-term health payoff.

Medical research has been underway to assess whether these traditional uses of garlic have scientific validity. Much of the research is showing real promise. Knowing that heart disease is twice as likely to strike diabetics, it would behoove many of us to take a chance with a few cloves of garlic every day. What have you got to lose? Studies suggest that fresh garlic may prevent blood clots and destroy plaque. A little garlic breath never killed anyone. Can't say the same for plaque in your blood now, can we?

In addition, garlic may be beneficial for risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Preliminary studies in rabbits, rats, and limited numbers of people have demonstrated that garlic has some ability to lower blood sugars. A few cloves of garlic can substantially affect some medications. For example, if you are on a sulfonylurea drug, you will want to be extra cautious of the effects garlic will have on your blood sugars. A few popular examples of these drugs are: Dymelor, Diabinese, Tolinase, Orinase, Amaryl, Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL, DiaBeta, Micronase, and Glynase. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I would choose Mother Nature over scientific intervention. This is one of those little dietary adjustments that might be worth a try.