What is the purpose of body fat? We all have it, some of us a little more than others. As we grow older, some of our diets fall out of balance with our energy needs causing our white fat cells to become swollen.

White fat cells secrete leptin, adiponectin and resistin. Leptin and adiponectin work together in suppressing appetite. Resistin is the newest discovered - and has been found to participate in the inflammatory response and resistence to insulin. It also triggers an immune response to irritation, so it may be the fat cells attempt to shut your piehole because we're not gonna take it. As the white fat cells take on excessive calories they begin swelling, resulting in an inflammatory response.

Inflammation, by definition, is a protective attempt to remove the injurious stimuli (excess calories) and initiate the healing process. As the fat cells dispatch hormones signaling inflammation - one could hypothesize that Type 2 diabetes is a response to an imbalanced diet - calories in versus calories out. So what do our white fat cells do for us? They are designed to store energy for use in times of need. When your body is sending out DEFCON signals of inflammation - I'd say that is a time of need, indeed. Would inducing ketosis till the swelling goes down help?

I was excited to see my friend, Lissa Coffey, appearing on The Today Show this morning. Lissa is a PhD, a relationship expert and sociologist. Lissa shares her ancient wisdom and modern style through her site, Coffey Talk, and her newsletters. A recent newsletter addressed homeopathic medicine and I share with you how this applies to the treatment of diabetes.

Homeopathic medicine is a natural pharmaceutical science developed in the early 1800s. It uses small doses of natural substances (animal, vegetable, and mineral) to stimulate the body's own defenses. Homeopathy is a word derived from the Greek words for similar and disease. It is medicine based on the law of similars that says a substance will help to heal symptoms similar to those that it is known to cause. This is the same principle behind immunization.

When I received Lissa's newsletter on homeopathic medicine immediately I thought of how this applies to diabetes - a disease of insulin antibodies attacking the naturally produced insulin in the body. Why would you treat a disease with the exact hormone that caused it? Novo, Lilly, Aventis - you are all making a grave mistake in forcing American's to use GM human insulin, both Type 1 and Type 2. The extinction of porcine and bovine insulin has consequently proven to be detrimental to diabetics over the last 25 years. Studies show tighter control - yet complications on the rise. How do you explain this? I'm not excited for what the future holds, unless we see a return of these similar but not exact insulin forms.

Caffeine intake makes insulin more resistant to changes in blood sugar levels, Canadian researchers report.

The researchers evaluated sugar metabolism in 23 men before and after a three-month exercise program. Before and during the exercise program, the men were given caffeine or a placebo. The subjects included 8 sedentary lean men, 7 obese men with type 2 diabetes, and 8 obese men without diabetes. Before the exercise program, caffeine reduced insulin sensitivity by 33% in the lean and obese men and 37% in the obese men with diabetes compared to placebo. After the exercise program, insulin sensitivity fell 23% after caffeine intake in the lean men, 26% in the obese men, and 36% in the obese diabetic men. Comparison of the two study phases showed that exercise did not improve insulin resistance related to caffeine intake. It seems that caffeine weakens or offsets any of the beneficial effects of exercise or weight loss on insulin resistance. While the clinical implications remain unclear, the findings are a "red flag" for doctors and are particularly important for obese patients and those with diabetes.

Don't go throwing-away your Starbucks gift card - although the effects of caffeine on insulin were duly noted, the fact remains that coffee may cut the risk of diabetes. Although the findings seem to contradict recent reports that coffee intake may cut the risk of diabetes, coffee contains several other substances that may affect sugar metabolism, such as antioxidants, potassium and magnesium. Caffeine without all of the other substances that are found in coffee produces a different result. Like peanut butter and chocolate - peanut butter by itself is a high-fat protein. When you combine it with chocolate you have a melodic mix disdainfully referred to as candy but happily celebrated in the form of a REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups. It's all in the delivery, folks.

Remember that movie with Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro, Analyze This? Well we all don't have super-risky mobster lifestyles to induce depression like Paul Vitti's, but according to a new study of depressed type 2 diabetics -- depression has a negative impact on blood sugar control.

Researchers treated 93 patients with type 2 diabetes and depression with the antidepressant bupropion (Wellbutrin). They chose the drug because it is capable of reducing depression and weight simultaneously. The hypothesis behind the treatment was mood enhancement and weight reduction would, in fact, improve blood sugar control. (Always a gold star day in my book!) The results were documented in the March issue of Diabetes Care, and showed that antidepressant treatment produced benefits beyond just mood improvement. Patients also lost weight, improved self-management of their diabetes, and improved their A1c levels.

In the 6 months following the conclusion of the study, depression improvement predicted maintenance of improved blood sugar control. This confirms the research hypothesis that depression improvement can produce better blood sugar control, independent of weight loss and overall diabetes management. The importance of weight-independent physiological factors like insulin sensitivity and inflammation improve during depression relief and contribute to better long-term control of diabetes.

The moral of this story? You tell me. I spotlight the research - I like it when you guys give me answers.

Chromium picolinate is one of the most widely debated supplements in diabetes health. A study has shown that it improves glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes not adequately controlled while taking sulfonylurea, a drug that increases insulin release from the beta cells in the pancreas.

A 40-week study was designed to examine the effect of adding daily chromium picolinate supplementation to an antidiabetic medication, sulfonylurea. A commonly prescribed treatment for type 2 diabetes was given to 29 subjects for 24 weeks, in conjunction with either chromium picolinate or a placebo. Blood sugar levels of study participants taking chromium picolinate dropped significantly compared to the placebo group. In addition, insulin sensitivity for participants taking the chromium picolinate was increased when compared to those in the placebo group. Study participants taking chromium picolinate also experienced significantly lower abdominal body fat accumulation than the placebo group, and experienced less overall weight gain.

This study demonstrates that chromium picolinate supplementation for type 2 diabetes who are taking sulfonylurea agents significantly improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control. In addition, chromium picolinate was shown to reduce weight gain and fat accumulation compared with the placebo group. The results of this study were first published in August 2006 - but knowing about chromium picolinate today leaves you with ample time to adjust for greater insulin sensitivity and less fattening days to come!

Do you ever wonder if there's a trick to getting this diabetes thing down? Well I did. Like many fellow surfers, I asked Google for diabetic tricks. Not surprisingly, Google had a litany of answers. You may have heard about them before and most of us dismiss supplements as nothing more than snake oil. However, supplements are gaining credence when it comes to cutting risk and alleviating symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Take a look...

Chromium picolinate. Taking 200 to 1,000 micrograms daily can lower blood glucose, improve insulin function and lessen diabetic symptoms such as thirst and fatigue, says expert Richard Anderson, Ph.D., of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In recent Israeli research, taking 200mcg twice a day for three weeks reduced diabetics' blood glucose by 26% and cholesterol by 9%. Anderson advises all adults to take 200mcg chromium picolinate daily to help prevent diabetes. New studies have put old safety questions to rest.

Cinnamon. The spice boosts insulin's efficiency in processing sugar, Anderson says. In one test, diabetics who ate 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon twice a day for 40 days reduced their fasting blood sugar 18% to 29%, triglycerides 23% to 30% and cholesterol 12% to 26%. Sprinkle cinnamon on foods such as cereal or fruit, or take it in capsules, Anderson says.

Alpha-lipoic acid. This potent antioxidant can improve blood sugar and help prevent and treat diabetic complications such as cataracts and neuropathy, says Lester Packer, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California. In German research, 600 milligrams daily significantly increased insulin sensitivity and lowered blood sugar in type 2 diabetics after four weeks.

Salacia oblonga. This herb, used in India to treat diabetes and sold on the Internet, lowered insulin 29% and blood glucose 23% in healthy adults, reports Steve Hertzler, Ph.D., of Ohio State University. But don't try it without telling your doctor, he says. Effective daily doses range from 100mg to 1,000mg, with gastrointestinal distress occurring at higher levels.

Just another reason to be nice...a study reveals that people with high stress and high hostility levels have an increased risk of developing insulin resistance. This means that the body's response to insulin begins to slow down and blood sugars rise. This increases the likelihood of developing diabetes.

Previous research has shown that insulin resistance is associated with stress and certain personality factors, including hostility. Researchers hypothesized that hostility may interact with stress to affect insulin resistance. The study measured levels of norepinephrine in the urine. Norepinephrine is an indicator of stress. The Cook-Medley Hostility scale was used to measure hostility. (What kind of world do we live in that actually warrants a scientific scale to measure hostility!?!?) Insulin resistance was measured by the homeostatic model assessment index, 2-hour post-challenge glucose, and insulin levels after factoring in the influence of nine other risk factors. The study found that there is a statistical interaction between hostility and stress level in gauging insulin resistance. People with higher levels of hostility don't always have worse insulin resistance, but they do when they are under stress, especially high levels of chronic stress.

The team also found that not all components of hostility are related to insulin resistance. For instance, cynicism is a personality trait that is strongly related to insulin resistance. I'm telling you, the more I read into this study, the more I realize I need an attitude adjustment. And it continues.... because people with high hostility (especially high cynicism) tend to have worse insulin resistance under stress, it is important to target this population for preventive interventions. Anytime the severity of a situation rises to "intervention" status -- it takes on a whole new meaning. This begs the question -- who wants to brave an intervention for a hostile and stressed looming diabetic? Not it!