A study reported in the journal Nutrition found obese, diabetic mice whose diet was supplemented with an extract of cacao liquor demonstrated a significant reduction in blood sugar.

Scientists examined if cacao beans might be helpful in preventing Type 2 diabetes. They supplemented the diets of obese, diabetic mice with cacao liquor for 3 weeks. The specific type of cacao liquor, called cacao liquor proanthocyanidins (CLPr), contains 72% polyphenols. They found that blood sugar was reduced in direct correlation with the dosage of CLPr.

This study was funded by confectionary giant Mars, Inc. In case Mars doesn't ring a bell - maybe some of their products might: Snicksers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, and M & M's to name a few. With the results of this research, and the deep pockets behind it -- maybe Mars is contemplating coming out with a diabetes-reversing candy bar? I suggest they call it The Sweet Escape (start the music!)

We could all benefit from added fiber in our diets. However, it seems the type of fiber consumed is important too. A new study concludes that vegetable fiber is a good defence against type 2 diabetes. The study comes courtesy of researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia, who found that adults eating five grams of vegetable fiber daily were 24 percent less likely than other adults to develop the disease. People over the age of seventy enjoyed a thirty-one percent risk reduction.

The study tracked the eating habits of more than two thousand people over a ten year period. Wow. The researchers also reported that those whose diets contained fiber from mainly cereal or fruit sources did not fare so well - they had a higher risk for type 2 diabetes than those getting lots of fiber from veggie sources. The reason could be that foods high in vegetable fiber produce smaller fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels than would cereal or fruits. Lead researcher, Alan Barclay, says legumes are the best fiber source of all.

The results have been published in the latest Diabetes Care.

What happens when you do "Supersize Me" in reverse? Why, you get a documentary like "Raw for 30 Days." The film-makers of "Raw" got six type 2 diabetics with less than stellar lifestyle habits and persuaded them to switch out hamburgers and fried chicken for a raw, whole foods diet consisting of all-organic, all-vegan foods. Mmm mmm.

You can't see the movie quite yet. But you can see the preview. Just click on over to the "Raw for 30 Days" website. My source says the preview can also be viewed on YouTube or Google Video. The finished product is now in post-production and should be released in time for Spring 2008 film festivals.

The documentary was directed by Sundance Film Festival-winner Aiyana Elliott, but the concept was created by the executive producer, Mark Perlmutter. The idea is to demonstrate that type 2 diabetes can be reversed "naturally" - that is, without the aid of a battery of prescription drugs. Says Perlmutter, "The release of our nine-minute preview may be the first exposure some have to a greater understanding of controlling, if not conquering the disease."

Okay, so the premise is a little shaky. For one thing: how much can be achieved in only thirty days? For another: it's changing lifestyle habits and maintaining them over time that's key in reversing symptoms of t2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. But why be a party-pooper? After all, raising awareness about diabetes is a good thing. I would definitely like to see this film.

The FDA has approved a new over-the-counter weight loss drug called alli (orlistat) that is designed to absorb 25% of the fat from your meal. However, nutrition and fitness expert Dr. Len Lopez, author of "To Burn or Not to Burn, Fat is the Question" shares his reasons why the new approved weight loss drug may not be beneficial to your health.

New research is showing that medications don't make us healthier. Research is showing that losing weight with medications doesn't decrease the rate of heart attacks, strokes or diabetes. Add that to the fact that your body loses nutrients with these medications and you can easily see how these new weight loss drugs can hamper your health. Dr. Lopez discusses practical steps to losing weight which includes diet and exercise, but also covers how stress and adrenal fatigue can disrupt our hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormonal imbalances can throw off our metabolism and take us out of our fat burning mode.

Both of Dr.Lopez's books cover a good deal of information to understand how we can correct our imbalances in piecing together the weight loss puzzle. His knowledge explores the roles of insulin and cortisol in weight gain, cravings, fatigue and more. He also explains how stress can take you out of your fat burning zone and helps you regain your blood sugar balance, as well as implementing the "Five and Two" dieting plan.

Say NO to the weight loss drugs and say YES to the empowering knowledge Dr. Lopez has to share.

Each year the American Diabetic Association sponsors an informational campaign to promote healthy eating by providing practical nutrition guidance that focuses on the importance of developing sound eating and exercise habits. The theme for this year is 100 percent "Fad Free." The campaign features learning how to identify a food fad which is a food or diet fad that claims unreasonable or exaggerated benefits. If a diet or product advertises eating only specific foods, nutrient supplements or combinations of foods that may cure disease or offer quick weight loss, it is a fad. Diet fads come and go.

A balanced diet and physical activity are essential to a healthy lifestyle over the long term of your life. Develop an eating plan for the lifelong health. Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture because a single food or meal will not make or break a healthy diet. Find your balance between food and physical activity. Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial.

Knocking out the gene for a peptide associated with insulin was shown to protect mice against the harmful effects of a high-fat diet. Urocortin 3 plays a role in the increased production of insulin in response to high caloric intake in animals.

Scientists found that by removing the urocortin 3 gene from mice, they did not develop the age-related insulin resistance and high blood sugar observed in the normal control mice. The metabolisms of normal mice were compared to the metabolisms of those without the urocortin 3 gene. When placed on a high caloric diet for three months, the mice without the urocortin 3 gene packed on the same amount of weight but had lower insulin levels. But these mice also had lower blood sugar, improved glucose tolerance curves and they did not develop the fatty livers the control mice experienced.

Scientists hypothesize that by curtailing the abnormally high insulin levels, they were able to manipulate insulin sensitivity and avoid some of the untoward consequences of the high food intake and weight gain. Like many of us diabetics already know too well - while insulin is effective at lowering blood sugar it also promotes fat storage. This is a natural protective response to prepare for times when food may not be available. When insulin is produced at too high a level for too long, the body becomes insulin resistant and blood sugar and certain blood lipids gradually creep up, which can cause progressive damage to multiple organs.

Urocortin 2 and urocortin 3 are part of the system that governs the body's response to insulin. Scientists already know that mice on a high-fat diet do better if either urocortin 2 or urocortin 3 is removed. Now they want to know if the mice will respond even better if both are missing. Such results may instruct us how best to develop therapeutic means to exploit these powerful effects.

Yes, once again - the thoughtful feedback of thediabetsblog audience has landed me smack-dab in the middle of a dietary goldmine! Today I proudly introduce the genius of Dreamfields Pasta, thanks to a comment from ItalianGM.

Inspired by the movement of healthier living and lower carb lifestyles, Dreamfields Pasta created a product that the whole family could eat. They culminated their rich experience in pasta, which happens to supply premium pasta products throughout the world, to produce some of the best tasting healthiest pasta on the market. Ever hear of Barilla Plus? Well, in a taste test comparison Dreamfields Pasta beat it, hands down. It is available in 6 popular shapes: Lasagna, Rotini, Spaghetti, Linguine, Elbows, and Penne Rigate. Don't be turned off by the price - at nearly $4 a pound, wholesome goodness isn't cheap.

In all fairness - Dreamfields Pasta is culinary magic. A world class product, delicious old-world taste and al dente texture define the reputation but you'll be the wet noodle if you don't taste test it for yourself. In a million years I never would have imagined the possibility of making mac & cheese with a total digestible carbohydrate count of 19 grams. The real test is seeing if the folks believe its low-carb.

An enzyme named eIF2alpha kinase (GCN2) was shown to profoundly regulate fat metabolism in mice.

Scientists provoked the mice into starvation mode by removing a single amino acid named leucine from their diets. By doing this, the body represses fat synthesis and consumes virtually all of its stored fat. After 17 days of a leucine-deficient diet, the mice with GCN2 lost 48% of their liver mass and 97% of the fat from their abdomens. In contrast, the mice without GCN2 kept a steady liver mass and lost only 69% of abdominal body fat.

The mice without GCN2 did not lose as much fat as the mice with GCN2. Furthermore, they developed symptoms that could lead to fatty liver disease. In most events of rapid weight loss, the liver tends to take a beating. However, the fastidious weight loss in the mice with GCN2 occurred because of the repressed synthesis of new fats coupled with the depletion of stored fats. This says a lot for safe handling when it comes to teamwork.

Shane Ellison, an organic chemist known as the people's chemist, warns the public about a popular sweetener. He bravely hypothesizes that a commonly used sweetener may "explode internally". He uses this term to describe the potential to damage many parts of the body such as our genetic map known as DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid.

Manufacturers of the popular sweetener were furious over his accusation. They claim that the information included in Shane's article contains many inaccuracies and false information. They asked him to discontinue any further dissemination of these false and damaging statements. They continued by saying that if he fails to take these actions promptly, that they would consider the need for further legal action. Undeterred by such threats, Shane asserts that he is entitled to his own "hypothesis." Readers should understand that he is making no definitive statements. Instead, he is expressing his grave concern over this drug disguised as a sweetener. He feels that consumers have a right to know the whole story behind what may be a very dangerous scam in the artificial sweetener business - or not.

Shane holds a master's degree in organic chemistry. He is internationally recognized as an authority on therapeutic nutrition. Check out his life saving health briefs and natural cures to see for yourself if he's crying wolf or if he's got a scientific leg to stand on.

28 rats go on a low-cal diet. No, this is not the set-up to a bad joke, but instead is the number of test rodents that were found to lose more weight with the help of leucine - the most common amino acid found in proteins - than those rodents that ate normally. How do rats eat normally, anyway? It doesn't matter. The point is that it was discovered that by adding leucine to a low-cal diet, the rats lost 24.5% more weight over a six week span than those who nibbled on whatever it is rats typically nibble on. In addition to the weight loss, the leucine may have also helped regulate bloodsugar.

Fortunately, this isn't just a breakthrough for rat science - as it appears to apply to humans, too. But, based on the research put forth in the journal Nutrition, this has yet to be determined conclusively. If and when these findings are made, however, you can bet that we will be seeing a weight-loss supplement containing leucine hitting the market faster than you can say -- well, just about any long word you choose. If it's cleverly related to the nutritional supplement industry in any way, bonus for being witty.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a speech that the so-called obesity epidemic is not an epidemic in the true sense of the word. In fact, he said, many of British society's health problems are not "strictly speaking, public health problems at all." Instead, Blair said, Britons need to get a dose of individual responsibility to get their health under control, starting with healthy nutrition and exercise. Mr. Blair also made it clear that he and his Labour government consider chronic health problems arising from unhealthy lifestyles to be self-inflicted. However, he acknowledged that the solution is through a community approach. "If millions of children are not eating the right food and not getting enough exercise," said Blair, "then it's not just a million individual problems, it's a collective problem that will require us all to work together, including government."

The biggest concern when it comes to "self-inflicted" diseases? Diabetes. "Ten percent of NHS [National Health Service] resources today are used to treat diabetes," said Blair. "By 2010 that estimate is that this could double. That's twenty percent of the entire resources of the NHS - and it's avoidable." Don't know about you, but I admire his frankness on this topic.

Baltimore researchers from Johns Hopkins University have concluded a study indicating that being short -- specifically having short legs and a low leg length-to-height ratio -- is linked to an increased type 2 diabetes and obesity risk in middle age. It all goes back to childhood nutrition, as short leg length translates into the lack of proper nutrition during the formative years of physical growth.

According to the researchers, "Insofar as adult stature is an indicator of development and growth during early life, the risk of obesity and diabetes in adulthood might begin to accrue before puberty." They recommend early intervention to improve childhood nutrition in diabetes prevention.

This is observational on my part, and not the result of any study, but I do not believe this will apply to type 1 diabetes. My father-in-law was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and he reached an adult height of 6-foot 4-inches. My sister-in-law was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and she reached an adult height of 6-foot. 

A new University of South Carolina (USC) study indicates that the Glycemic Index (GI), a popular tool ranking carbs' ability to affect blood sugar levels, may not help people determine the foods they should eat. The USC study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, suggests that the GI is a limiting tool because the numbers in the index are based on strictly controlled settings -- namely, that blood-sugar levels are recorded two hours after ingesting test foods and after a person has fasted overnight. The study argues that many factors can affect food's impact on glucose levels, like how long the food is cooked and other foods eaten at the same time. When USC researchers followed 1,000 participants' overall blood-glucose levels and diets (with low and high GI's) over five years, they found that a diet's GI was not related to any of the measures of blood glucose. This means that the GI is probably not picking up the specific effects of food on blood glucose.

But here's the good (if not common sense) news: Several recent studies show that dietary fiber is important to diabetes, and foods high in fiber typically have a relatively low GI. So, in some studies, the GI may have been related to good health because of dietary fiber, not because of a unique, artificial number assigned through the glycemic index. Once again, here's the common sense part: If we eat a diet low in saturated fat that includes whole grains, fiber, fruits and veggies -- and maintain moderate, consistent physical activity -- this will support diabetes control and weight management. It's not new news but it certainly bears repeating.