We've long known about Type 1 diabetes. Most people know about Type 2 diabetes, too. But would you believe it's possible that a discovery may warrant a Type 3 diabetes? Researchers have discovered that the suppression of insulin signaling in the brain raises the possibility of a Type 3 diabetes.

Researchers have known for some time that insulin is not just produced in the pancreas, but also in the thymus. It is also known that insulin resistance, a characteristic of Type 2 diabetes, is tied to neurodegeneration. While scientists have suspected a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, this is the first study to provide evidence of that connection. The study identified a gene abnormality that blocks insulin signaling in the brain. A drop in insulin production in the thymus contributes to the degeneration of specific regions of the brain. These abnormalities do not correspond to Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, but reflect a different and more complex disease process that originates in the CNS (central nervous system). This raises the possibility of a Type 3 diabetes.

Those who suffered from Alzheimer's disease had a deficiency of growth factor in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for memory. The absence of these growth factors causes cells in other parts of the brain to die. Reserachers found that insulin was significantly reduced in the areas of the brain responsible for reasoning, planning, speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. Researchers conclude that there is a genuine need for comprehensive study of the neuropathological changes associated with diabetes treatment and the affects of specific medications on insulin signaling. I agree with the researchers!

Meet the Face of Change is a photo exhibit owned by Novo Nordisk featuring YOU -- the face of change. Change for what, I asked? Well, it seems Novo would like to change your opinion of the barriers to insulin treatment for Type 2 diabetics. The common belief of insulin treatment for Type 2 diabetes is that it is the point of no return. Why? First instincts are usually correct.

Studies have shown that Type 2 diabetics injecting insulin create insulin antibodies (IAA). Type 1 diabetics have these antibodies upon diagnosis. Type 1 diabetes was also formerly referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. Insulin antibodies (IAA) develop and attack the natural insulin produced, resulting in insulin dependence. Type 2 diabetics do not have the same level of IAA. Once they begin injecting insulin that looks like human insulin (the kind Novo makes) - you run the risk of developing IAA. The use of animal-insulins did not cause the development of IAA to the same extent. If you plan to start injecting insulin - ask your doctor if he will check you for IAA. As a Type 2 diabetic, you DO NOT have to become an insulin-dependent diabetic.

I asked Novo to explain what Meet the Face of Change is about. What are they trying to change? The response I received from Nov explains their wishes to strengthen the drive of their business, among other core values. Now I ask you - how do you drive a business that sells insulin? Sell more insulin. For the 16 million Type 2s not yet in this lineup- please consider if insulin-dependent diabetes is the face you want to meet. Don't add insulin to injury. It may not be the path of least resistance, but cut back on simple sugars, increase fiber consumption, and take a walk after dinner. Meet the face of change by putting your best foot forward, not your face on a campaign for vulture capitalism.

Benfotiamine can help diabetics protect delicate microvessels. Much of the damage of diabetes is caused when glucose-derived compounds, called triosephosphates, accumulate in small vessels. Transketolase, turns these toxic compounds into harmless chemicals that can be removed from the body. benfotiamine increases transketolase activity, thus reducing or eliminating the complications associated with diabetes.

Administration of benfotiamine helped to prevent retinopathy in test subjects with diabetes. Study subjects who received benfotiamine for 36 weeks demonstrated completely normalized levels of damaging toxins in the retina, preventing or delaying the onset of diabetic retinopathy.

In a 24-week study, benfotiamine was shown to improve kidney function. This was shown by a 50% reduction of toxin levels in the kidneys, and a reduction in oxidative stress associated with diabetes. Subjects exhibited a 70-80% inhibition in the development of microalbuminuria, protein in the urine that serves as an early sign of kidney dysfunction.

Benfotiamine mitigates oxidative stress in the eyes, the kidneys, the heart, and even the brain that typically occur with diabetes. Researchers conclude that benfotiamine may offer critical protection for the delicate nerves of the eyes, the kidneys, the peripheral limbs, the heart and the brain by shielding them from damage caused by diabetes.

Just like a referee to normalize play throughout the game - DiaKine Therapeutics is developing ways to normalize the body's immune system.

The new drugs modulate cytokines, part of the body's immune system, which mistakenly attack normal organs and tissue and cause diseases such as: diabetes, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. Research by Dr. Nadler and his collaborators published in 2006 showed that controlling certain cytokines can arrest the progression of, or reverse, type 1 diabetes in an animal model.

The company's first product, IsletLifeLSF Media 1 is designed to improve the viability and insulin producing capabilities of harvested islet cells prior to transplant. This would potentially improve the success rate of the procedure. Additional therapeutics under development by DiaKine include: adjunct therapy to islet cell transplants, halting the progression of type 1 diabetes in newly diagnosed adults, treatment and prevention of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults (LADA), treatment and prevention of insulin requiring type 2 diabetic, treatment and prevention of diabetes complications.

It all sounds like good stuff in the works. Keep an eye on the progress and press releases of DiaKine, as well as their research partner - the Diabetes Research Institute. A lot is happening these days. What else have you seen or heard about in the autoimmune arena?

Diabetes Care reports consuming red meat and other foods high in "heme" iron, such as chicken liver, clams and oysters, appears to increase the risk of heart disease in diabetics.

Researchers followed 6,161 women with type 2 diabetes. During follow-up visits, from 1980 through 2000, the team documented 550 new cases of heart disease. After accounting for age and body weight, high intake of both heme iron and red meat appeared to increase the risk of heart disease. Specifically, women who consumed the highest amount of heme iron were 50% more likely to develop heart disease than those with the lowest intake. The risks were greatest in women who were postmenopausal.

The researchers point out that because of the study's design, the findings can't prove that high heme iron intake "causes" heart disease, only that it is "associated" with the disease. The results of this study support the suggestion that cutting back on consumption of heme iron-rich foods might be prudent for diabetics. Those of you in the market for a heart healthy diet - consider curtailing the chicken livers and aphrodisiacs of the sea.

Stop the presses and check this headline out: doctors use acupressure technique instead of drugs to combat emotional eating. It gets better - the technique is 80% effective in reducing food cravings and does not require any supplement or medication. Here's the coolest part: it's already an acronym! It's called "EFT", Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), a do-it-yourself acupressure procedure.

Gary Craig, the Stanford-trained engineer who developed EFT has noticed a marked increase in the number of research studies that link negative emotions to physical issues. Craig reports, "I see repeatedly that emotional issues like fear, anger, boredom, shame, and resentment are the very centerpiece of someone's weight gain. But their emotional issues have remained unresolved despite willpower and conventional therapies. This is because the emotional issues have disrupted their energy meridian system (or Chi in Chinese Medicine). Until the energy system is balanced, the emotional eating will continue."

So herein lies the question: why do people eat when they are not hungry? According to the foundational theory of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), people overeat to tranquilize unresolved negative emotions and traumas. Just like a game of CLUE, the culprit of the crime is Mr. Emotions, located in the hippocampus, with the reaction of overating. For over 10 years, people have been addressing this crime of passion (overeating) through the practice of EFT. This involves fingertip tapping on select acupressure points while focusing on the craving in question. EFT claims an 80% success rate in calming the emotions that trigger food cravings. It can be learned without cost by downloading the free EFT Manual. With the holiday season nipping at our heels, I'm throwing every bone out there for a stress survival guide. This is one worthing tapping. What have you got to lose? It's free!

Good question. For as long as I can remember the frequented phrase has always been over weight. However, I would like to dispel the rumors and revamp the truth to reflect to a more suitable measure of beefcake (or not so much). The longstanding mantra has been that heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure are all linked to being over weight. Until recently...

Studies are now showing that the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a more accurate gauge of health risk. The BMI is a measure of your body composition based on your weight and height. A BMI greater than 27 indicates a risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and other health problems like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and premature death. Keeping your BMI in normal range will help stave off insulin resistance, helping to make diabetes more manageable. What's your BMI? Simply enter your height and weight to see.

One of the best selling instruments to help monitor your BMI and body fat percentage is the Omron HBF-306C Fat Loss Monitor. Omron is a company best known for product reliability, ease of use and overall customer satisfaction. This easy to use tool will help pre-diabetes candidates prevent the onset of diabetes. Those of us who already have diabetes can use the Fat Loss Monitor in controlling our BMI. It takes 7 seconds for an accurate body mass calculation - just hold on tight. This is not a lot to ask when you know the results are invaluable for your overall health and diabetes care. Nothing says I love you like a Fat Loss Monitor. Merry Christmas!

The main difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is perhaps a little murky to the average American. However, when it comes to sports - it is safe to say that most of us have one or two we know like the back of our hand. So in an effort to enlighten myself in the technicalities of different sports, and to share my understanding of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, let's see if we can parallel sports to the distinctions in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

First off, let's establish the basic differences in each type. A type 1 diabetic cannot adequately deliver insulin to the targeted cells. That is not to say type 1s cannot or do not still produce insulin but type 1 diabetics have a faulty killer T cell in their immune system that mistakes an insulin producing cell as a foreign body. A type 2 diabetic experiences insulin resistance at the targeted cell. This is a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. Both conditions result in persistent high blood sugar levels, thus defining diabetes.

Now for the nitty gritty of my comparison... Remember, this is my attempt to learn something about your interests since you allow me to share mine with you. Please, don't hesitate to correct me. I'm sure I'll miss the mark on a few, but nevertheless it has been a fun exercise (yes, pun intended). Football: (type 1) Defensive holding or illegal use of hands, (type 2) Delay of game. Baseball: (type 1) Triple play (type 2) Ground Rule Double. Hockey: (type 1) Freezing the puck (type 2) Clearing the puck. Soccer: (type 1) Red Card (type 2) Obstruction.

Much effort and research has been invested in finding an alternative, less painful way, to treat patients with diabetes. For years, the only method patients had to deliver insulin was by injection. However, a team of scientists discovered a technology that has the potential to revolutionize this old school way of thinking. What if I told you a company is developing an orally ingestible soft gel insulin capsule? Naysayers, allow me to introduce you to my latest find: Oramed.

Up until now, the idea of insulin in a pill was inconceivable due to the fact that insulin, which is a protein, breaks down in the digestive system. However, Oramed's patented technology overcame the problem of digestion as well as permeability to the intestine with a few organic whistles and bells. This has been a major hurdle that has inhibited the development of orally ingestible insulin for decades. Prof. Hanoch Bar-On, a leading Diabetologist, states that the route of the insulin from the swallowed pill "imitates nature" in that it passes to the liver and then to the bloodstream. Injected insulin goes straight to the bloodstream.

Oramed Pharmaceuticals' is an Israeli based company. They received the green light from the Israeli Ministry of Health, as well as the Hadassah Medical Center Institutional Review Board for phase 1 clinical trials of oral insulin in healthy humans. Here's the million dollar question for card-carrying US citizens with type 2 diabetes taking insulin injections: if you could downshift to an easier to swallow means of managing your diabetes, would you?