However, from time to time in the recent past, I’ve heard that chocolate can be good for you, usually referring to the 70% dark chocolate I believe, but I’ve never seen any authoritative sources from which to pin it down. Until now perhaps. In the September 01, 2011 edition of the diabetes newsletter I receive, I was almost shocked to see an article with the title More Research Showing Chocolate Good for the Heart and Brain. For me that’s a must read!

Wow! As a former lover of chocolate in my younger days before I was diagnosed as being a type-2 diabetic, about 20 years ago, it now looks like I’ve been missing out on a good thing, and even worse, all the while thinking I was being smart about it.

Chocolate lowers risks apparently
The ingredients in chocolate and cocoa appear to lower the risk of developing high blood pressure, inflammation, the formation of plaque on arterial walls, and the formation of blood clots that cause strokes. It was conjectured that polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in cocoa products, may be responsible for the positive effects, and boosted by nitric oxide in the body that improves the function and pliability of blood vessel walls. It seems that working together, those factors provide especially positive results.

The investigators did not differentiate between the various types of chocolate available, all types were acceptable, dark, milk, or white chocolate. Chocolate of every sort was part of the mix.

Conclusions of the research into chocolate consumption
The article reported studies carried out in Britain. Researchers in the U.K., after analyzing seven earlier studies involving the results of individuals who regularly consumed chocolate, have concluded that eating chocolate can be beneficial in lowering the risk of cardiovascular and some other related health complications.

While first acknowledging that the over-consumption of chocolate and cocoa products can lead to harmful consequences, the conclusion reached by the British researcherswas that the existing studies generally confirmed that chocolate consumption lowered the risk of what they termed as “Cardiometabolic disorders”.

What are cardiometabolic disorders?
Cardiometabolic is an “umbrella” term to encompass several well known health conditions that include high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated triglycerides, low HDL (the “good” cholesterol), and other health problems frequently associated with obesity, and poor lifestyle choices such as tobacco smoking and physical inactivity. An estimated 47 million U.S residents fall into that category and are therefore at increased cardiometabolic risk, meaning increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

It seems the more chocolate that was consumed, within reason, provided the greatest amount of benefit, when compared with individuals who consumed the least amount of chocolate.

The reference attached to the article cited here was:
Presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2011 Congress, BMJ 2011; DOI:10.1136/bmj.d4488.

The article explaining the research, included the following summation.

“This beneficial association [of chocolate consumption] was significant for any cardiovascular disease (37% reduction), diabetes (31%), and stroke (29%), but no significant association was found in relation to heart failure”.

In conclusion — a caution
As is often the case, the study’s researchers added that further investigation into this matter is needed. However, if we don’t over-indulge, we who often seek a suitable diabetic snack to add to our diabetic food list may now feel more comfortable perhaps about “sneaking” the odd piece or two of chocolate, as I sometimes do, in fact, we may be encouraged to add chocolate to our diabetic food list now that it may be considered “legal” from the diabetic viewpoint.

Was it not Oscar Wilde who said something along the lines of “All the best things in life are either illegal, immoral, or fattening!”?

After a few years, when it got really bad, I finally mentioned this problem to my doctor, I was immediately advised to take a B-12 vitamin pill each  day, in the amount of 1000 mcg, and I do believe it has helped, I wish I had known about it sooner. But even so, recently it has become worse again, I assume because my neuropathy is getting worse.

Important re vitamin B-12
For the record, I should mention that vitamin B12 is available in most health food stores and also available in some drug stores if they have a vitamin section — and it is inexpensive. With 90 small pills in a bottle, at one per day, that’s a 3 month supply and the cost is less than $10 a bottle in my area of the northeast. I don’t know of any othe vitamin that costs less, and probably not even aspirins.

The vitamin also goes under the chemical name of cobalamin. But what is important is that I found that B-12 comes in 2 forms, cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin. My reseach into which  of those two to use, informed me that the best is the methylcobalamin because it is easier for it to be absorbed and lasts actively longer in the body. Also it is to be taken sublingually, meaning that it has to be placed under the tongue and be dissolved there — which it does quickly.

Getting back to salsa as an ingredient for the diabetic menu
Well, I have been adding salsa to my diabetic diet slowly in a small amounts of a couple of tablespoons a day in a suitable generally diabetic friendly meals. It comes in middle and hot. And I think it may be working somewhat, at least my feet have been more comfortable without keeping me from sleep and I still, of course, continue to take my 1000 mcg B-12 pill.

I found the following salsa recipe and it’s obviously the jalapeno chilli peppers that make it hot.

Ingredients: 3 or 4 roasted jalapeno peppers, 2 cups of diced scallions, and 3 or 4 tomatoes.
To those add a teaspoonful of basil and some black pepper to taste, and any other herb that seems appropriate plus salt to taste if necessary.

That is not too specific, I know, but like many men, I’ve never understood much about the art of cooking and I’ve accepted the fact that many women just know what to do to make a dish better anyway, even with the undefined amounts used, for instance, when I asked my mother-in- law how long I should cook something, I was given the less than precise answer of “Until it’s ready!”

Go to List of Articles for this website

A neuropathy is the medical term to describe nerve damage, a not uncommon side effect of diseases such as diabetes, the common problem to which this diabetic food list website is addressed.

Anyone who has not experienced a diabetic neuropathy of the feet would not realize how painful it can be, often striking during the night, preventing a person from getting to sleep, awakening them from sleep or preventing them from getting back to sleep. There is also the sharp stabbing pain, usually of shorter duration but recurring, that is aptly named “burning toe syndrome”.

Peripheral and autonomic neuropathies
The type of neuropathy described above, that affects the extremities, the feet, hands, or legs, is called a peripheral neuropathy. But nerve damage is not limited to the extremities, they can also affect almost every part of the nervous system and many organs of the body can become impaired as a result. The term autonomic neuropathy is used to refer to the several symptoms that occur when there is damage to many nerves that manage organs that control the body, including blood pressure, heart rate, the emptying of the bowel and bladder and the digestion process among others.

Especially common in diabetes
Neuropathies are common in people who suffer from diabetes, a serious metabolic disorder which results from the existence of higher than normal blood sugar levels that circulate throughout the body.

And in diabetics, neuropathies are more common in those who have had difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels for a long time. A comprehensive explanation of neuropathy can be found at the National Institute of Health’s Diabetes Clearinghouse.

Pain relief
There is not a lot that can be done to alleviate the pains of neuropathy. There are pain killing medications that might help but it’s the high levels of blood sugar that does the damage and a first line of defence might best be to achieve improved blood sugar control, not always easy for some, I realize.

Liniments and ointments that provide heat to the affected areas might provide relief for some people. Capsaicin ointment is one of those that might be a remedy and is available in the first aid section of most pharmacies, together with other similar pain relief products.

Some doctors treat the pain of neuropathy with Vitamin B-12 injections and B-12, in the form of sublingual tablets, has been recommended by my own doctor at a dosage of 1000 Mcg once per day. It is inexpensive, a 3-month supply costs less than $10, available without prescription at health food stores and some drug stores. Note: B-12 tablets are available in 2 forms, cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin, I have been advised that methylcobalamin is the better form because it is better absorbed by the body. Other B vitamins have also been suggested as possible neuropathy-specific remedies. For me, the 1000 Mcg tablets did help for about a year or so but either its effectiveness is diminishing with time or my neuropathy is getting worse and I need to seek an alternative, which brings me to the title reference of Salsa.

Salsa
Salsa, is a new and, for me, an unusual addition to my diabetic food list. My discovery of Salsa as an aid in dealing with foot pain came from the book The Diabetic Male’s Essential Guide to Living Well, by Joseph Juliano, M.D., who is a type 1 diabetic. The book was published in 1998 by Henry Holt Books, and is still available from some sources, and is a favored reference for all things diabetic for me.

Dr. Joseph Juliano on Salsa
After commenting on capsaicin, mentioned above and an extract of hot peppers that gives them their fiery taste, Dr. Juliano points out that the peppers are used to make Tabasco sauces and salsas. Since he now eats a lot of salsa, he has found that it has reduced his neuropathyy to zero and he has suffered no pain for many years. How much he eats is not mentioned other than to say that it is always part of his lunch. For me, that is enough to prompt me to incorporate salsa into my diabetic diet and I have just started to do so.

Go to List of Topics for this website

Turmeric
One such food that I have been reading about of late is Turmeric, a well-known spice used in India for thousands of years, but also now popular world wide in the kitchen as an ingredient in cooking. Although for people with diabetes, more emphasis will likely be paid to turmeric’s reputation regarding its touted medicinal properties. For the diabetic, they may be more important, or at least be an incentive to incorporate turmeric into their diabetic diet.

Turmeric has been used in the ancient and traditional form of medicine from India called Ayervedic for thousands of years. Ayervedic medicine emphasizes lifestyle and dietary approaches to good health and treating illness, and incorporates the use of herbs and other plant foods. Part of it’s philosophy is to prevent disease through eating the right foods. Not unlike the suggestion by Hippocrates to “Let food be your medicine”.

Turmeric is the vivid yellow spice used in curry and gives the bright color to mustard. The active property of turmeric is curcumin, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Several scientific studies have confirmed its powerful anti-inflammatory properties and the benefits of its use in treating rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory ailments. In their treatment, curcumin was found to have an effect equal to powerful prescription drugs and over-the-counter ant-inflammatory products — but without any of the toxic effects of those drugs.

Inflammation is thought to be associated with obesity and the onset of type-2 diabetes and from experiments carried out on obese mice, it appears that turmeric can possibly lessen insulin resistance and prevent type-2 diabetes by minimizing the inflammatory response generated by obesity. That’s good for the mice . . .

A video called “Turmeric for Diabetes”
For a good description and depiction of the research mentioned above, I recommend the video that can be accessed by visiting You Tube Video. The research discussed took place in 2008 and the comment was made that the research team planned to do research with humans, as yet I have not found any update on such research, but as the video suggests, it wouldn’t do any harm to spice up your meals with turmeric.

So that’s OK for diabetic and obese mice, but what about us humans?
An interesting observation has been made that turmeric and other curry powder ingredients, such as cayenne, cumin, and garlic, may help promote improved blood circulation. It has been noted that the incidence of blood clots in countries that use curry in foods is much lower than in the United States where curry is used far less. It has been theorized that the curry ingredients have a property that prevents platelets in the blood from sticking to each other and that would, in turn, also prevent the formation of a blood clot that could otherwise lead to a heart attack or stroke.

On the website of the University of Maryland Medical Center there is an article describing turmeric. After some encouraging and positive comments about the possible benefits of turmeric in relation to osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, and cancer, the entry on diabetes merely summarized the above mentioned studies by saying that when researchers gave turmeric to laboratory animals with diabetes, their blood sugar levels were lowered, and so were their blood cholesterol levels. An added remark was that the researchers cannot yet determine whether turmeric would be helpful in treating people with diabetes.

Another positive for turmeric as a diabetic menu item are the reports claiming that curry ingredients help prevent heart disease, a common health complication facing all people who have diabetes. Heart disease is the primary cause of death in the diabetic population of America. A well known cardiologist stated in his book words to the effect that “If you tell me you are a diabetic, I will tell you that you will die of heart disease”. Blunt, perhaps too blunt for comfort.

If taken as a supplement in capsule, the recommended dose I have seen published is to take One (1) 300 mg capsule up to 3 times daily. Turmeric and curcumin are considered safe when taken at the recommended doses as are the amounts found in foods. However, a caution is in order.

As a precaution
Anyone with diabetes should talk to their doctor before taking turmeric supplements. The fact that turmeric may lower blood sugar levels just may cause a problem when it is taken at the same time as diabetes medications, and might possibly cause a situation of low blood sugars and at an extreme, may bring on a hypoglycemic event.

For pregnant and breastfeeding women: while it is safe to eat foods that contain turmeric, turmeric supplements should not be taken.

About asking the doctor
Having said that it might be wise to ask the doctor whether it is OK to do so before adopting new specialized or exotic food items that might interfere with current medications that are being prescribed, I would like to comment that many doctors do not really know the answers to such questions. When I raised such an issue with my doctor, who generally supports the use of vitamins and mineral supplements, his humorous, and I assume honest response, was “How should I know, I’m only a doctor!”

My own solution as a type-2 diabetic
From the anecdotal comments and from the research reports, I suspect that some people would benefit from the use of turmeric although that may not be the case for everyone, since at least in some respects, every individual is unique. My solution is that I am going add curry to the diabetic menu and to eat more curry dishes, I like them anyway so it should not be difficult to do.

Go to List of Topics for this website

Diabetes-in-control.com is a website providing news about diabetes and related blood sugar topics that is primary for medical professionals. But it is also for persons like me who are not medical professionals but who have diabetes. I am a long-time Type-2 diabetic.

I have seen references in the past stating that vinegar, like many other non-pharmaceutical products, can be helpful in lowering blood sugar levels. Whenever I learn of such possibilities, I always try to check further to obtain details and now having done so, I can summarize them on this Diabetic Food List website.

The information is mainly about the claim that vinegar, when ingested with food as part of a diabetic food plan, can help manage the elevated blood sugar levels of diabetes and can also moderate cravings for food, and thus contribute to weight management. But there are also opposing claims that counter those of the article mentioned in the opening of this piece so I will make reference to those too. Perhaps the opposing viewpoints can be of value to other diabetics who may be considering make changes or additions to their own diabetic food lists. As it states on this website’s home page, “Our objective is to provide information regarding a wide range of foods and how they can fit into a diabetic meal plan and a diabetic lifestyle.”

About the article
The exact article mentioned above has also appeared in other diabetes oriented journals of recent date and on other websites. It is not stated in the article just when the research referred to was actually carried out, however it must be assumed to be of relevance now for it to have been recently reported.

The article describes the results of a small study carried out by Arizona State University researchers from which it was concluded that small amounts of vinegar in meals can help achieve a lesser rise in blood sugar levels after a meal than would normally be the case. Many diabetics find that their blood glucose levels spike quite substantially after a meal and take longer than the the preferred two hours to return to a more normal lower range. If vinegar can help overcome that diabetic problem it would seem to provide a welcome benefit that might warrant its inclusion in the diabetic food list.

The test
The participants tested a 20 gram drink of apple cider vinegar added to 49 grams of water, and a single teaspoon of saccharine. There were other tests carried out with versions of non-vinegar drinks, one of which contained a placebo, so that the results could be compared with the vinegar drink. The study commenced with a breakfast meal, eaten on an empty stomach, consisting of a bagel and orange juice.

Blood tests were made immediately before the meal and then at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the meal. The study showed that after one hour, the vinegar content drink resulted in a 35% lesser escalation than that produced using the placebo version drink.

The Diabetes-in-control article also referred to a Swedish study published in 2005 in which vinegar was shown to the rise in blood sugars after consuming food.

My personal comment
I have also read comments from diabetics who have used apple cider vinegar, some favorable and some not. The study was carried out with a small number of only 10 participants, a fact that was also commented on in other articles including an MSN Health Topics website that I recommend reading to gain an alternative viewpoint, it can be found at this link: MSN Health.

Afterthought and Update
Without yet having time to read it, and therefore I can only comment on it later, I have just acquired a book by Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Alan Lotvin, a cardiologist and CEO of ICORE Healthcare, titled “Doctor Chopra Says”, published 2010 by St. Martin’s Press. There is a 4 page section in the book that seems to speak favorably of vinegar and its benefits in dealing with diabetic blood sugar levels and also weight gain. As soon as I have been able to mentally digest its content I will add an additional paragraph or two to summarize its conclusions and will probably make that Part 2 of this posting.

Go to List of Topics for this website

Fats, pecans and the diabetic food list
The body needs fat to maintain good health, performing many roles, from building cell membranes, to protecting vital organs — and a large portion of brain tissue is fat. But some forms of fat are more beneficial than others for the human body, the preferred dietary sources being the unsaturated fats obtained from fish and from plants, including seeds and nuts.

Like fish and other nuts, pecans provide mostly the better type of fat. The less preferred fats are the saturated fats obtained primarily from animal sources — such as beef and other meats and butter and dairy products. The saturated fats can be converted by the liver into cholesterol which is also essential to the body but elevated cholesterol levels in the blood are thought to increase the risk of developing heart disease. Diabetes is also a major risk factor for developing heart disease and heart disease is the leading cause of death among people who have diabetes, so it would be wise to avoid consuming too much saturated fat. The good fat of pecans would seem to warrant their inclusion in the diabetic food list.

From one source on the nutritional benefits of pecans, I read that an ounce of pecans, which is about 20 halves, the size they are usually available, provides about 20 grams of total fat of which a little less that 10% is saturated. That one ounce also provides 2.7 grams of fiber and 20 or more vitamins and minerals, including A, E, B1 (thiamine), folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium and zinc. And no sodium or cholesterol and little carbohydrate.

For more information on pecans than you would probably ever want to know, check out the National Pecan Sellers website here.

About vitamin E and heart disease
According to a research study carried out at Loma Linda University in California, published in the September 2001 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, nuts are rich in the gamma tocopherol form of vitamin E, an antioxidant that plays a positive role in reducing inflammation in arteries.

Inflammation is garnering an increased level of interest in the medical research community in recent years. Studies have been conducted during the past few years by cardiologist Dr. Paul Ridker, of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital that appear to reveal the important role of inflammation in triggering heart attacks.

This could account for the fact that many people have heart attacks even though they do not have abnormal cholesterol levels, once thought to be a major cause of heart disease.

Apparently, inflammation causes a sequence of events in the coronary artery such as, plaque rupture, blood clot formation and embolization in the blood vessels within the heart – all liable to lead to a heart attack.

Conclusion: Pecans, as well as other nut species, would seem to be a logical addition to the diabetic menu for those people who are not allergic to nuts. I know that some people are allergic to nuts, two of my own children are.

Go to List of Topics for this website

Almost all nuts are significant sources of antioxidants and they contain an abundance of monounsaturated fats, the good type of fat that can help stabilize blood sugar and help in weight loss when replacing animal sources of fat — and they are a good item for the heart-healthy diet too. Some nuts are good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids and most are good sources of dietary fiber, something lacking in most North American diets. An ounce or so of nuts can make a good occasional in-between-meals snack.

Brazil nuts and selenium
Brazil nuts are often recommended as a good source of the essential trace mineral selenium, that in its structural and enzymatic role is of fundamental importance, like so many other minerals, to human health. The body uses selenium in support of the immune system, it is an antioxidant and a catalyst in the production of active thyroid hormone.

There are many other health benefits derived from the presence of selenium in the human body. It is believed that selenium may play a part in preventing or delaying the onset of AIDS. When available to the body in greater than normal amounts, it may also help diminish oxidative stress and inflammation, a major factor in heart disease. Also at higher than the minimum recommended intake levels, some studies appear to confirm the claim that selenium plays a part in preventing several types of cancer. But it is also known that very high doses of selenium are toxic to the body.

Brazil nuts contain more selenium than any other food, and while there have long been claims that some segments of the north American population may be deficient in selenium due to the lack of the element in the soils of some areas, in actuality the human body needs only a very small amount of selenium for good health.

Helpful in diabetes?
Selenium has also been claimed as being helpful in diabetes. In the diabetes literature it is sometimes referred to as an “insulin mimic” because it can perform a similar role to insulin in assisting the take-up of blood sugars into the body’s cells. In this way, selenium protects the blood vessels and nerves from damage caused by the higher than normal blood sugars that would otherwise be circulating. A common diabetic ailment is vascular neuropathy, the result of elevated blood sugars, and over time, many other tissues and organs become damaged by excess levels of sugar in the bloodstream.

A study from New Zealand
In February of 2008, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reported a study from new Zealand that concluded that Brazil nuts, a rich natural source of selenium, improve the bioavailability of selenium in humans, meaning that the body can absorb and effectively use the selenium in the Brazil nuts.

However, a cautionary note
In a study carried out a few years ago, it was concluded that too much selenium may be harmful and in some cases might increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. That study was not established to look into any relationship with diabetes but type-2 diabetes was seen to have developed at an above average rate in some participants during the period of research.

Researchers involved, wrote in an editorial to the study that “Taking selenium supplements on top of an adequate dietary intake, may increase their risk for diabetes”, adding “That’s just a theory at this point, but that theory may be biologically plausible”. They also pointed out that most people in America do get sufficient selenium from their diet.

And a study on nuts in general
In another controlled study, conducted at the University of Toronto, the findings supported the claim that a variety of nuts may be a “vital” way to manage diabetes. The study concluded that nuts may improve sugar levels and blood fats in individuals with type-2 diabetes. The study participants were all taking oral diabetes medications at the time.

The study findings showed that there was a significant reduction in HbA1c levels in those participants who followed what was described as a “full dose mixed nut supplement”, indicating a greater glycemic control and higher degree of effectively managing diabetes”.

I don’t have the details of the full dose but I’m sure the point is accepted. That same group also achieved significantly lowered LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol levels when compared to the other study participants.

Recommended RDA for selenium is 55 mg per day
The recommended daily intake for adults over 19 years of age according to the National Health Institute is 55mg daily. Since a single Brazil nut is estimated to contain about 50 mg of selenium and an individual is probably getting some selenium for other food sources on the diabetic menu, just one Brazil nut a day seems sufficient to meet everyone’s needs, but two nuts should not hurt either — but not too many more to avoid a build-up of selenium in the body’s tissues.

Brazil nuts come in different sizes and vary in their selenium content, some may contain much more or much less than the estimated 50 micrograms per nut.

So how many nuts is that again?
Only one, or two, Brazil nuts per day can supply the RDA – (Recommended Daily Allowance) as indicated by the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH).

Brazil nuts are available in some food stores and in most “bulk food“ stores, and food sources of selenium are better than supplements that often have much higher amounts. Choose the unsalted nuts when possible.
Selenium occurs also in some meats and seafood. But not all soils contain sufficiently high levels of selenium. Animals that eat grains or plants growing in selenium-rich soil have higher levels of selenium in their muscles.

In conclusion, non diabetes references on selenium and cancer

High selenium
It appears that death from cancer, including lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, is lower among people who have higher blood levels or a higher intake of selenium.

Low selenium
Also, in areas of the United States where there is a low selenium content in the soil, the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer is much higher.   In seven U.S. dermatology clinics in the U.S. from 1983 to the early 1900’s, studies were carried out on how the recurrence of different types of cancers were affected by higher than normal RDA’s of selenium in the form of supplements.

While it was found that 200 mg of selenium did not affect the recurrence of skin cancers, it did significantly reduce the occurrence and death from total cancers. The incidence of lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal being notably lower.

Researchers conclude that selenium can affect cancer risk in two ways. Selenium, an anti-oxidant, can help protect the body from free radicals damage. And selenium, by improving the activity of immune cells and by suppressing the development of blood vessels that feed the tumor,  may also slow or prevent the growth of tumors.

Go to List of Topics for this website

But I will mention up front that there are still some controversies associated with soy, some of its isoflavones are estrogen-like compounds, and questions regarding their suitability for human beings have been raised. Those questions are partly based on the results of studies and experiments with rodents — who have much less body weight than humans of course. Countering that, human studies have shown soy to be safe for humans.

For some positive viewpoints and several ultra-brief videos with comments by some leading doctors check out: Soy Myths & Facts. At that site, also check the FAQ’s and the Related Links to The American Cancer Society and others.

Dr. James Anderson of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, well-known in diabetes research, gives his opinion that soy foods are among the healthiest foods available because they help fight “The Big Five”, namely heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and high-blood pressure.

Soy milk, high in nutritional values
Plain soy milk is an excellent source of high quality proteins, B-vitamins, and flavones.  Soy milk does not contain lactose, the sugar found in the milk of cows and is therefore suitable for people who are lactose intolerant. It is also a good alternative for those who are allergic to the proteins in the milk of cow.

Of the most highly recommended types of soy milk available in grocery stores is the low fat unsweetened variety fortified with several vitamins and minerals such as calcium.

So probably the natural is best, but I find that a bit too bland, so for sweet loving diabetics like me, the Vanilla Flavored Soy milk is delicious alternative and like most soy milk products is fortified with vitamins and minerals. It’s pleasant on cereals and cooked oatmeal and a tastier alternative to 2% milk. But milk is good too!

For better clarity, click on the following Nutritional Facts Label — This is for one brand of Vanilla flavored Soy Milk.

Vanilla Soy Nutrition Facts

Soybeans source of many soy products
The creamy liquid we know as soy milk is pressed from soaked and cooked soybeans and America is the world’s major producer of soybeans. Soybeans have an ultra low Glycemic Index rating of just 1 (one) and are the source for many other popular soy foods such as tempeh, tofu, endamame, and miso.

Soybeans and the other foods made from soybeans are ideal for inclusion in the diabetic food list since they have abundant fiber and the nuts contain less fats than other nuts.

As a long-time drinker of tea, made fairly strong from regular tea bags with added milk (no sugar or sweetener), I have found of late that substituting generously with soy milk for the usual 2% cows milk, gives a much richer and more flavored cup of tea.

And for the nut lovers, you can buy non-roasted or roasted soy nuts that can be eaten a snack or mixed with other nut varieties, peanuts, almonds, Brazil bits, walnut pieces, for a snack of mixed flavors — but don’t eat too many at one sitting, they are a little fattening — but the good type of unsaturated fats.

Soy milk does not cause insulin dependent diabetes
Although there is  not full agreement among scientists, some studies have indicated an association between the consumption of  cow’s milk in early life and the development of insulin dependent diabetes. Such an association does not exist with soy milk.

But soy foods are not suitable for babies under one year old
The phytoestrogen like isoflavone compounds in soy foods are not suitable for babies under one year old, who should preferably be fed by breast milk — rather than cow’s milk or soy milk.

Government standards define the nutrient levels of baby foods and for babies there are appropriate soy based and dairy based formulas available, although most pediatricians recommend a dairy based formula for infants because it more closely matches breastmilk.

But that is another topic, not needed for discussion at this time.

Go to List of Topics for this website

To name a few at random that could be added to the diabetic food list: Almonds, walnuts and other nuts, oatmeal, oatbran, fish and omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, fruits and berries and the many other plant foods that provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients.

But here we will deal with almonds, for which there is plenty of reliable published information — and almonds, and other nuts, are a frequently recommended food supplement for several reasons, including their apparent affect on blood cholesterol.

People with diabetes are being urged to watch their cholesterol and blood pressure levels as well as their blood glucose levels

Results of a study from Denmark’s called the “Steno – 2” clinical trials, were published in 2008 and showed that, in addition to maintaining good blood-glucose control, it is also beneficial for diabetes sufferers to aggressively combat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels. A report of this study from the Steno Diabetes Center can be found at:

Almonds and Walnuts significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels
That’s according to a 2008 Mayo Clinic news release that listed the top 5 foods that help to lower cholesterol numbers. When included in a cholesterol lowering diet, almonds and walnuts were found to have a “marked improvement within just four weeks, and they may reduce LDL cholesterol (the “bad” one) by as much as 12 percent”.

The Mayo Clinic comments do not specify the amount of almonds eaten daily but frequently suggested in other references is about one ounce, roughly 20 to 25 almonds and these I believe should be in the unsalted, raw uncooked, or dry roasted, state. For myself, I found that 20 or 25 is too many to eat at one time, a few at each of several times was better, and the motivation being the potential cholesterol lowering effects. Elsewhere I have seen a suggested amount of 2-1/2 ounces – that sounds a lot to me but the point is to have them available and to make a conscious effort to include them for snacks or whatever to gain the benefits they provide.

Soaking almonds for maximum beneficial nutrition
Something that I suspect most people do not know. Shelled almonds have a substance in their brown skins called phytate, an anti-enzyme that can sometimes be difficult to digest. There are recommendations that, to help digestion and to gain the most nutrition from almonds by allowing their nutrients to be released, they should be soaked in water for about 12 hours and then dried out completely, possibly with heat not to exceed much above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, after which they can be stored as required.

It should also be noted that all nuts are high in calories, for almonds about 170 calories per ounce (28 grams) and this is because they are rich in monounsaturated fats. But these are the healthier fats. At the same time, almonds are low in the unhealthy saturated fat and they do contain many other essential minerals and other nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and vitamin E — in the form of alpha-tocopherol. All of those and compounds called phytochemicals, which, their advocates claim, may help protect against cardiovascular disease and possibly other disease conditions.

There have been many reliably conducted studies done that have reported convincingly that when almonds are included in a person’s diet they help lower cholesterol levels and also provide many other health benefits that should not be ignored. A reference to a few of these reports is added at the end of this piece. After reading some of the articles relating to almonds I have to conclude that these nuts are just too good not to be part of a daily diet even if you are not diabetic. The right course of action might be, as I have seen suggested “To lower your risk of cardiovascular and coronary disease, enjoy a handful of almonds at least four times a week”.

Brazil Nuts, Walnuts, and other nuts
Probably the benefits of other nuts, such as Brazil nuts and walnuts, should also be reviewed. I believe a few Brazil nuts provide a daily requirement of selenium, another mineral that apparently can be deficient in diabetics. Joseph Guliano, M.D., a diabetic himself, in his book The Diabetic Male’s Essential Guide to Living Well, has much to say about minerals and states his opinion that diabetics should supplement all the essential minerals such as selenium, zinc, copper, manganese.

Another comment of interest on nuts in general is posted on the WebMD website, for which the web address is given at the end of this piece, in which Frank Hu, MD, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, tells WebMD that “Our epidemiological studies have shown eating about one ounce of nuts every day will reduce the risk of heart disease in the long run by 30%.”

Caution regarding nut allergies
I do realize that some people are allergic to nuts, especially children and for that reason I raise a caution flag here. Some nut allergies can be life threatening and fatalities have occurred. I personally recall an incident of a child who had unknowingly eaten nut-containing substances when away from normal home-supervision when at a summer-camp, the situation ending in the tragic death of the unsuspecting child. Two of my own children are allergic to nuts and my wife and I were always watchful. Neither my wife or myself have nut allergies and neither does a younger child of ours.

Almonds, Magnesium and Manganese
Almonds are a very good source of magnesium and manganese, minerals in which diabetics tend to be deficient, according to many reports. That is the opinion expressed in a 2001 website article “How Diabetes Works” by Craig Freudenrich, PH.D.

Similarly those views are shared by Michael T. Murray, N.D., as mentioned in his book  Diabetes and Hypoglycemia. Dr. Murray suggests that, in addition to eating foods rich in magnesium, such as almonds, an additional magnesium supplement of 300 to 500 mg daily should be taken by diabetics, preferably in a highly absorbable form such as magnesium aspartate or citrate, together with 50 milligrams of vitamin B6. For manganese he recommends that a good daily dose for a diabetic is 30 milligrams.

[Another B vitamin that I have found helps with my feet problems is B-12, described in this article: Diabetic Neuropathy and B-12.]

Caution: Please note, anyone reading this article should obtain their own confirmations and opinions for themselves from healthcare professionals regarding the appropriateness of amounts and individual minerals and supplements mentioned here.

The United States DRI’s (Dietary Reference Intakes, published by the Food and Nutrition Board) recommends a magnesium intake of 420 mg per day for males aged 31 and older and 320 mg per day for females aged 31 and older. A quarter of a cup of almonds provides nearly 100 mg of magnesium, that’s almost a quarter of the recommended daily intake of magnesium for males and a little less than one third for females, but for me, I think that would be too many almonds in one day.

Magnesium is one of several important electrolytes, minerals in the human body that carry an electric charge and that have an essential role in maintaining balance in much of the body’s chemistry relating to muscles, nerves, heart function, fluid retention and other activities. Many doctors, often those who, as well as being medical practitioners, are also advocates of nutrition and complementary methods of treatment, claim that most adults, even non diabetics, do not obtain sufficient dietary magnesium for good health. Food sources of magnesium are leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, lentils, and peanuts.

Values courtesy  Dr. R.D. Decuypere

I suspect that most doctors who treat diabetic patients are unlikely to be recommending food supplements such as almonds and minerals or vitamins and would probably not requisition blood tests that could indicate whether there are any deficiencies in some of those vitamin and mineral substances.

Regarding minerals, my own doctor usually tests only for potassium, and sometimes for sodium and chloride levels, all three of which are also electrolytes. Those tests are monitored together with the many standard diabetic tests for other things such as creatinine, eGFR, ALT, TSH, cholesterols, triglycerides.

Beyond those usual essential tests, I sometimes wonder whether it would make sense, at least perhaps annually, to test for a much wider range of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in addition to the above standards that follow the conventional diabetic protocols.

NOTE: In July 2003, the FDA approved qualified heart health claim for almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts, these nuts contain less than 4g of saturated fats per 50g. Packages of nut products that meet the FDA’s requirements will now be able to carry the following claim: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

For your further reference, many other individual food items, suitable for the diabetic menu, are discussed at out companion site Diabetic Food List. And more general diabetes topics can be found at Normal Blood Sugars and Diabetes.

Cinnamon – does it help combat diabetes?

Cinnamon has been around for a very long time and is one of the oldest spices known from ancient times. It was recognized for its apparent medicinal properties by peoples of ancient Egypt, China and other Asian communities.

This article discusses some differing opinions on the use of cinnamon.

Positive Comments from The American Diabetes Association

In The American Diabetes Association’s booklet 101 Tips on Nutrition for People with Diabetes, published in 2006, some positive comments are made about the dietary inclusion of a small daily amount of cinnamon that, in a clinical research study, showed a lowering of fasting blood glucose levels after 40 days of use.

The amount used each day for 40 days was equivalent to about a half teaspoonful in the form of a ground up powder of Cassia Cinnamon. The study also showed similar lowering effects on total cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein), and triglycerides. And the lowering effects continued even when the cinnamon was stopped for the following 20 days, leading to the conclusion that cinnamon may have long-lasting benefits.

The positive write-up in the ADA booklet is based on research published in the journal Diabetes Care in 2003.

And some less positive from other sources

However, two subsequent studies, one in 2006 and another one in 2008, were not able to achieve the same results. Also, in 2008, appearing in the journal Diabetes Care, a further study was published of a meta-analysis of cinnamon, a meta-analysis is an analysis of a compilation of all the published data from controlled human studies involving cinnamon. The conclusion of this study was that cinnamon was not shown to have a beneficial affect for either type 1 or type 2 patients.

In a December 2008 report, published by Diabetes Health, which made reference to and summarized the above-mentioned cinnamon studies the conclusion was that cinnamon should not be recommended for use at this time, but should be avoided until more data is available and safety concerns have been addressed.

Apparently, no opinion has been offered for the contradictory study outcomes but the thought occurs to me to ask whether the same type of cinnamon was used in the later studies as was used in the 2003 study that so emphatically announced positive conclusions. There are four species of cinnamon that have differing botanical constituents with perhaps different properties, referred to in part below.

Cassia, used in the first above-mentioned study of 2003, is native to Myanamar (formerly Burma) and is produced mainly in China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Although of the same plant family, it is different from the so-called true cinnamon that grows in Sri Lanka, southern India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

For instance, cassia differs in having about a ten times higher content of a compound, called coumarin, than does true cinnamon which has only an insignificant amount. Coumarin, is mildly toxic and if ingested in high concentrations, can cause liver and kidney damage and inflammation, and even relatively small amounts of coumarin can damage, at least temporarily, the livers of individuals who are extra sensitive.

What constitutes a high concentration of coumarin is not precisely defined but The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has established a Tolerable Daily Intake of 0.1 mg of coumarin per kg body weight, and also advises that, if this level is exceeded for a short time only, there is no threat to health. For example, a person weighing 135 lbs or about 61 kg would have a Tolerable Daily Intake of approximately 6.1 mg of coumarin.

Coumarin, which can also be found in several other plants, has blood-thinning properties and is used medically to reduce the blood’s ability to clot so that property should be taken into consideration if a person is already using anticoagulants. Federal authorities in Germany have called for cinnamon dietary supplements, that in their country carry health claims to reduce blood sugar and help control type-2 diabetes, to be classed as ‘medicinal products’, and should be regulated as such.

More opinions that claim beneficial effects of cinnamon

The findings of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007, provides more indications that active compounds in cinnamon may improve glucose levels of people with diabetes.

According to the lead author of the study, Joanna Hlebowicz from Malmo University Hospital, University of Lund, Sweden, who states that “Inclusion of cinnamon in the diet lowers the postprandial glucose response, a change that is at least partially explained by a delayed gastric emptying rate.”

The researchers measured the rate of stomach emptying (gastric emptying rate) in 14 healthy subjects with normal fasting blood glucose levels after consuming either 300 grams of rice pudding or 300 grams of rice pudding plus 6 grams of cinnamon.

The Swedish researchers report that addition of cinnamon to the rice pudding reduced gastric emptying from 37 to 34.5 per cent, and also delayed the rise in blood glucose levels after eating. No effect of cinnamon was found on the state of being satiated.

Also in a study with rats:

A placebo-controlled, double-blind study published in 2006 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, reported that cinnamon and a cinnamon extract called Cinnulin PF, could reduce blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Maybe readers to this post have tried cinnamon or are now using it, if so, it would be nice to have their input and hear what they think.

——————————————————-

Note about Cassia:

The presence of this moderately toxic component has prompted European health agencies to issue a warning against consuming large amounts of cassia. The amount considered high is not specified but according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Germany, 2 milligrams of coumarin per kilogram of food is considered a safe amount to consume.

Return to List of Topics