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.

Just like I know you have, I too have heard all the buzz surrounding chromium and its supposed ability to help manage type 2 diabetes. I've come across evidence that supports this claim, just as I've found research that debunks the chromium benefit in one fell swoop. So, I decided to dig a little deeper -- staring with how chromium is supposed to work.

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes occurs when your body stops using insulin effectively. Insulin itself is used by the body for transporting glucose into cells, where it's then used for energy. When insulin regulation breaks down, glucose gets backed-up in the blood, thus starving the body of energy. Chromium reportedly assists in making this transportation easier by making cells respond better to insulin.

Insofar as the evidence to support this claim goes, the research I came across actually showed inconclusive results in terms of chromium's effect on glucose or insulin concentration in humans. But, in animals, tests led researchers to determine that chromium may make insulin receptors more efficient, thereby making type 2 animals need less insulin to metabolize glucose.

Good news for animals with diabetes, but not so much for humans. But wait, don't count chromium out just yet. In a different study (like I said, there are several of them), published last year in Diabetes Care, it was discovered that combining 1,000 micrograms of chromium per day with the standard diabetes medication Glucotrol XL significantly improved the body's response to insulin in people with type 2.

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?

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.