ZINC OXIDE AUGMENTS THE PRODUCTION OF TISSUE GRANULATION

A few years ago I wrote about a condition called capirillitis, a skin condition in which the surface of the skin gets spotted with red and brown clusters.  This condition is the result of months or years of capillary blood bursts that stain the skin.  There are two formulations of zinc that can beused for wound management: zinc oxide and zinc sulfate.  For best results, use zinc oxide.  

And the NCBI explains in its typically restrained and cautioned tone how zinc oxide heals the skin

Re-epithelialization, an important mechanism in the closure of leg ulcers, was enhanced with zinc oxide applied topically on partial-thickness wounds in pigs with normal zinc status. Zinc sulfate at three different concentrations did not, however, result in this beneficial effect on the resurfacing of wounds. The inflammatory reaction was diminished in zinc treated wounds except when a high zinc sulfate concentration was applied. Bacterial growth and concomitant diseases such as diabetes can complicate wound healing.

The abstract concluded with this

In conclusion, topical zinc may stimulate leg ulcer healing by enhancing re-epithelialization, decreasing inflammation and bacterial growth. When zinc is applied on wounds it not only corrects a local zinc deficit but also acts pharmacologically.

So what this tells us is that the zinc oxide helps with wound healing.  Where have I been all these years? 

Dr. Axe highlights the skin benefits to zinc oxide. 

Has Anti-Aging Effects & Improves Healing of Tissue Damage 

Not only does zinc oxide help prevent future sun damage, wrinkles and dark spots− it also helps to improve synthesis of new skin tissue and collagen, a key substance needed to maintain skin’s youthful appearance. The body requires zinc and other trace minerals for the synthesis of collagen that helps to build and repair connective tissue.

Studies have found that treating damaged, dry or wounded skin with zinc oxide products for just 48-hours (including during post-operative treatment) helps skin to heal better, inflammation/redness to be lowered, pigment to be restored, and interstitial fluid and sebum (oil) to be better regulated. Zinc can also help increase the amount of other active ingredients that are absorbed into the skin when its used in conjunction with other anti-aging products.

More on zinc oxide when compared to topical zinc sulfate.  

Lansdown et al. looked at various studies using different formulations of topical zinc oxide on wound healing. The study concluded that the many different formulations of topical zinc oxide were effective in speeding up the time it took a wound to heal. However, all of the studies had a different duration of treatment; therefore, making a recommendation for the duration of treatment difficult. Since the side effect profile of zinc oxide is mild, it would be safe to use zinc oxide many times a day for the time is takes the wound to heal.  

How zinc oxide helps with wound healing from Skin Site.  

Zinc oxide is the only substance known to block all three forms of UV rays. It does so by creating a protective barrier on the surface of the skin and reflecting the rays, which prevent them from penetrating the skin and doing damage.

Aside from sun protection, zinc oxide also has the ability help speed the healing of wounds. This is because zinc is known to synthesize collagen and promote the proper functioning of enzymes, both of which are required for wounds to heal properly.

That sounds good.  Then there’s this.

When applied to wound sites, zinc can reduce overall healing time as well as providing a clean and moist environment which promotes healing. It also has astringent properties, which means it can help to shrink skin cells and reduce inflammation.

zinc should be used within a year of purchase. After that time it will begin to lose its effectiveness.

Zinc is a trace element very abundant in the body. While it is known that zinc deficiency can cause delayed wound healing, the actual role of zinc in wound healing was not known. A number of experimental studies and clinical trials have been conducted using zinc. Results showed that topical zinc oxide had increased wound healing, increased reepithelialization, decreased rates of infection and decreased rates of deterioration of ulcers. Topical zinc oxide has shown to improve the rate of wound healing in patients, regardless of their zinc status. Oral zinc supplementation in zinc deficient patients did not have the same effect.

http://www.woundsource.com/blog/topical-zinc-oxide-and-wound-healing.

The animal studies reviewed showed that zinc sulfate did not enhance wound healing, but delayed it. One of the major roles for zinc in wound healing was found that zinc oxide enhances the ability of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to enzymatically break down collagen fragments. There are few clinical studies, but they have all shown a positive benefit for topical zinc oxide, and of interest, especially when used for debridement in burns.

Okay, we’re starting to get somewhere.  There's this from Podiatry Today:  

 What has been clearly demonstrated, however, is that zinc oxide does have a positive impact on the wound. In a 1991 study, researchers found that using zinc oxide increased the degradation of collagen in necrotic wounds.⁵ In another recent study, zinc oxide was found to promote epithelialization of full thickness skin wounds by the activation of zinc-dependent MMPs, which facilitate keratinocyte migration. The study also demonstrated that zinc oxide augmented endogenous expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which is fundamental in the production of granulation tissue.¹ In a randomized, double-blind study of the efficacy of locally applied zinc oxide on the healing of leg ulcers, 37 geriatric patients (19 with arterial and 18 with venous leg ulcers) were treated with either a gauze compress medicated with zinc oxide or an identical compress without zinc oxide. The treatment was assessed from ulcer size measurements and the presence or absence of granulation, and ulcer debridement over a period of eight weeks. The zinc-treated patients (83% success rate) responded significantly better than the placebo-treated patients. Researchers found that infections and the deterioration of ulcers were less common in zinc oxide treated patients.⁶ In another animal study, reepithelialization was enhanced when zinc oxide was applied topically on partial-thickness wound in pigs with normal zinc status. The inflammatory reaction was diminished in zinc-treated wounds except when researchers applied a high zinc sulfate concentration.⁷ Researchers also assessed bacterial growth in full-thickness wounds and demonstrated a reduced rate of growth with topical zinc oxide but not in hyperglycemic diabetic rats. The antibacterial mechanism of zinc oxide was described to be more indirect (mediated via local defense systems) rather than being directly toxic to the bacteria.⁸ When one applies zinc on wounds, it not only corrects a local zinc deficit but also acts pharmacologically. Getting Results With Zinc Oxide: A Few Case Studies A 47-year-old type 2 diabetic patient presented to the office with a chronic grade 1-A (University of Texas Wound Classification System) ulceration that had been present on and off for over two years. After providing effective pressure relief and debridement, the patient was treated in the office and at home with zinc oxide. Within 14 days, the wound completely closed.  

Use this vitamin C liquid first as an astringent on your skin before applying the zinc oxide.

LONGEVINEX ADDRESSES 5 MAJOR THEORIES OF AGING

Here are the video's show notes: 

While resveratrol has recently gained widespread public and scientific attention for its age-prolonging qualities, Longevinex® is a unique multi-ingredient dietary supplement that is more than just resveratrol. The ingredients in Longevinex® are designed to address five major theories of aging: the free radical/antioxidant theory, the hormonal theory (estrogen/testosterone), the mitochondrial (cell energy) theory, the cell cleansing or autophagy theory, and the metabolic, calorie restriction/Sirtuin gene activation theory. There is another theory of aging, Overmineralization, also addressed by the ingredients in Longevinex®, which may supercede and better explain other theories of aging.

The over-mineralization theory of aging explains best why we age.  At a certain age, we reach an actual decline of aging, a steady state of minerals.  The barrel is full.  We don't need any more.  But what do we do with the excess minerals of iron and calcium that cause us to rust? 

UPDATE, Dec. 4, 2017
Sardi mentions a Greek monastic order on the island of Mt. Athos in Greece.  Their eating habits are just that--habits--but live-giving, good habits.  Not bad habits; for instance, they don't eat junk food, least not what you might find at Albertson's here in California.  But neither do they have all of the age-related problems, nor do they suffer from all of the age-related disorders of youth.  

With studies that show they are among the healthiest people on earth, the plan is inspired by the Greek monks of Mount Athos and their Mediterranean diet. Amazingly, research has shown that within their tight-knit communities Cancer is almost unheard of, strokes and cardiac arrests are pretty much non existent and diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are extremely rare. The monks have also been proven to live, on average, several years longer than men living in mainland Greece. 

So what do they eat?

meals are based around a typical Greek peasant diet (don’t panic, it’s better than it sounds), with a high proportion of vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, whole grains and olive oil.

Olives are permitted on Fasting Days

Remember that it is a diet plan.  

The plan focuses on a pattern of three varying diet days – three days for ‘fasting’, three days for moderate eating and one ‘feast’ day, where you can eat and drink whatever you like. 

Throughout the process, you are encouraged to have a high intake of seasonal vegetables, fish and chicken while also allowing yourself – as the monks do – a moderate intake of red wine.  

Meals are broken up into "Days," Fasting Days, Moderation Days, and Feast Days.  CalledThe Mount Athos Diet, the diet is about changing the way you eat and your relationship with food.  Here is a sampling of their diet.  Remember, this is a diet that serves two objectives: longevity and disease free.  I will list just the foods permitted on Fast Days.  For the other days, you can easily check out this list from Healthista. 

FAST DAYS

Fast days are for eating exactly as the Mount Athos monks do. You should stick to what is essentially a low-fat, teetotal vegan diet. Three days a week should be dedicated to fasting, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

WHAT YOU CAN’T EAT ON FAST DAYS

NO DAIRY.  No milk, no cheese, no butter, no yogurt, no cream

NO MEAT.  No beef, no pork, no meat products

NO FISH OR SHELLFISH.  No prawns, no squid, no fish products.

NO EGGS.

NO SNACKS.  No chips, no fried foods, no pastries, no pies, no crisps and other snack foods

NO CANDIES.  No sweets, no chocolate, and no confectionary

NO SODAS.  No sugar and no sugary drinks

NO ALCOHOL.

NO OILS or FATS.  No mayonnaise and no fatty salad dressings

WHAT YOU CAN EAT (Unlimited)

VEGETABLES (however, no avocados and no potatoes)

FRUITS

HERBAL TEAS

WATER

SPICES, HERBS, & PEPPERS

FOODS IN MODERATION

POTATOES

PASTA

GRAINS. Rice, bulgur wheat, couscous, quinoa, barley, & oats

BREAD.  Preferably whole meal.

PLAIN CRACKERS (does this mean saltines?), oat cakes, and breadsticks

FRUIT JUICE.  No more than 2 small glasses per day.

AVOCADOES.  No more than ½ a day.

PULSES.  Peas, lentils, beans, butter beans, kidney beans.

OLIVES & OLIVE SPRAY.

HONEY.

CONDIMENTS & SAUCES.

DRIED FRUITS, NUTS, & SEEDS.  No more than 1 handful a day.

TEA & COFFEE but not milk or sugar. 

SALT.

Here are the kinds of foods you can eat on Days of Moderation.  

And here are the foods you can eat on Feast Days.  Religions are as much about caring for this life as it is about taking care of the beyond, about sending a message to your progeny on how to conduct their lives.  

GLUTATHIONE: YOUR MASTER ANTI-OXIDANT

I am posting this video, one, because it's got Dr. Mark Houston, a cardiologist expert, and two, he recommends glutathione. I liked what he said about glutathione, and I'd certainly read enough about this over the years, but my attentions get distracted by the value of this, that, or the other nutritional compound. But being a cardiovascular expert, Dr. Houston pointed out how glutathione is the master anti-oxidant for the heart. This is good news.

Antioxidants neutralize free-radicals. 

Exogenous anti-oxidants can be found in food and other nutritional sources, including certain fruits and certain vegetables.  But there are also endogenous antioxidants, or radical scavengers, found within the cells of the human body. 

Glutathione, the master anti-oxidant, performs the following functions:

Increases average life lifespan.

Strengthens immune system.

Neutralizes free radicals.

Protects DNA

Removes toxins & Carcinogens. 

Improves Athletic performance.

Increases Stamina & Endurance.

Slows the Aging process.

Yeah, help me find the downside to any of these. 

Houston adds that 

Glutathione is the master antioxidant within the cell. Neutralizes huge numbers of free radicals.  Detoxifies. Slows down aging, prevents cardiovascular disease. 

Experts say that it is nothing short of extraordinary. 

From this point, the video turns more to promoting a product called Action Whey.  I am sure that it provides some benefits.  The formulator of the product, Rob Keller, talks about how his dad's Parkinson's Disease improved with this whey product.  He says, and I quote, "Glutathione brought remarkable results."  And I guess like every other nutritional compound, we can suffer from a deficiency of it.  In this case, what might be called Glutathione deficiency.  The key then is to figure out how to help the body maintain or increase glutathione levels. 

Houston explains that 

Glutathione is deficient in our culture.  Precursor to Glutathione called Cysteine, rate limiting step, difficult to get that into your diet. 

The Action Whey, according to the video, improves recovery time.  Houston endorses the product, saying that whey is a good product to get get good glutathione levels.  Interesting. 

But there are other ways of getting glutathione.  In Bill Sardi’s list of vitamin C benefits, he lists at #16 how to activate more glutathione in your liver by way of adding vitamin C to you diet.

Does you doctor say you have a liver problem?  Take vitamin C to improve liver glutathione levels (glutathione is a key antioxidant).  

So, what you often and unfortunately get from folks who review nutritional compounds is a lot of general information that is not actionable, that does not provide you with any answers to yours or anyone else's particular situation.  Believe me, even the nurses and doctors I know are incapable of providing actionable information.  It's like people have a low-grade interest in life and have come to accept low-level production if not the inevitability of death. 

 Then there's Bill Sardi.  He is the nutritional guy's guy.  Andrew Saul had this article by Bill Sardi published at his site.  Sardi explains in detail that just blows your hair back:

There is also no daily requirement for sulfur, a mineral required for the production of glutathione, the major antioxidant produced within all living cells (plants, insects, animals, humans). Glutathione consumption from foods ranges from 25-125 milligrams per day. With the provision of sufficient amounts of sulfur, the liver will produce far more glutathione (up to 14,000 milligrams per day) than what the diet provides. Sulfur-rich foods (garlic, eggs, asparagus, onions) may be lacking in various diets and the provision of sulfur in food supplements (sulfur-bearing amino acids like N-acetyl cysteine, taurine, and lipoic acid) or glutathione itself, may be advantageous. 

So you need sulfur to get adequate amounts of Glutathione.  What foods get you from here to there?  Superiorsites explains

Garlic, onions, asparagus, and eggs—in all cases, raised without pesticides. In regard to eggs, he told us about chickens that ate purslane, which gave their eggs high levels of omega-3 fatty acids that are protective for our nerves.  

Dr. Russell Jaffe, Md, makes some pretty good scientific points that are terrific if you're a, well, scientist.  If you're a member of the lay community, however, you can and will still understand him.  He is certainly intelligent and his points are intelligible, but sometimes when people don't breakdown scientific or chemical terms it tends to leave readers or listeners puzzled.  One, he says that we tend to use up faster than we replenish sulfur-rich, myalenating compounds in our bodies.  And he attributes this to lifestyle, diet, food, activities, and so forth.  Mindbodygreen explains that

Glutathione contains sulfur groups, which are sticky compounds that adhere to toxins and heavy metals and carry them out of the body. This is a good thing and you want lots of it! I haven't met anyone (including me) with any type of autoimmune condition that has adequate methylation and levels of glutathione.

Second, Jaffe made the point about metallothionien, another compound used to sponge up toxic metals in our bodies, is perfect for health, but again we tend to use these up faster than we replenish them.  He's clearly knowledgeable. 

In terms of how to get Glutathione--you get it through sulfur-rich foods: onions, shallots, garlic, and others.  If you rolled your eyes at any of these because, well, you're not a 5-Start Hotel chef, then you can always rely on capsules to get the benefits.  One of the products I use regularly is Bill Sardi's Garligest.  I seem to prefer a formulated product than to experiment with any products that you might find at a health food store or online at Amazon.  I still shop for a few things on Amazon, but for the most part I buy formulated products from vendors whose products I've researched, that I've tried, and that I've liked, meaning who benefits do what I want and expect.  As to taking any supplement, one, it is best to take with food.  I can attest to this. You just get a better effect than taking them without food.  Oh, you'll get an effect without food, but when taken with food you the effects are exponentially better.  Two, take nutritional compounds togther.  So when you take vitamin C, be sure to take a D, an E, B vitamins, A, and so forth; in other words, a multivitamin.  Yep.  Again, what makes a nutritional compound good or great is absorption.  And when taking all the vitamins together you are getting a synergistic effect that activates and that potentiates all vitamins at once.  So, multivitamin.  The one I take has been the best stopgap for me.  Again, on this score of multivitamins, I rely on Bill Sardi.  His Molecular Multi is excellent.  

KANSAS NURSING HOMES: FAR TOO DEPENDENT ON MIND-ALTERING MEDS TO CONTROL PATIENTS

File under Ghastly.

Kansas has always ranked at or near the top in percentage of medicated residents, suggesting there are thousands of residents in the state’s certified nursing facilities who have been given drugs that aren’t medically indicated for them, and could actually harm them.  

Then there is this: 

Kathy Greenlee, a former Kansas Secretary of Aging who was appointed to U.S. Assistant Secretary of Aging under President Barack Obama, said the overuse of anti-psychotics is an unintended consequence of removing physical restraints from nursing homes in the 1980s and 1990s.

Like I said, ghastly. 

I don't know why adult children put their parents in nursing homes.  Why not use that same money to buy or rent an apartment.  That way the other tenants will involve him or her in their social life.  I mean if the complex is 10% ethical.  Most people are neutral.  Hopefully, there will be a 10% ethical influence among the tenants, which is enough to move things in the right direction.  Hopefully, people will do the neighborly thing.  As to regular meds, why rely on sedatives for your mom, dad, husband, or wife?  Don't you want your loved to thrive in all that he does? One neighbor I had was an older gentleman whose family lived back in Chicago.  He had emphasema but he still got around, drove around town, in fact, quite a bit with this portable oxygen tank.  Great guy.  But he left a pan with boiling water on the stove too long.  The water evaporated and the heat turned his pan into a conductor and smoke began filling his apartment house.  I smelled the smoke as it billowed out his window, so I stepped over to his apartment and knocked but his door was locked.  He was asleep and couldn't hear me knocking and pounding on his door or my screams of "Bob!"  I phoned the fire department and they broke into his kitchen window, woke him up, and extinguished the smoke.  I apologized for making a big to do about it, but he was grateful.  Somebody was looking out for him.

Red and brown onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks contain Benfotiamine.

Also, there are alternatives to dementia.  Ignore that information at your peril.  See at the bottom of this post for THE key ingredient to stave off dementia.  Understand that nutritional compounds, for them to work, require several weeks at resetting your biology, one that perhaps has been undernourished for years if not decades.  Too many folks expects miracles over night.  And still some vitamins actually do produce immediate miracles depending on your level of deficiency through diet, conditions, and lifestyle.  There is a lot to correct.  With Benfotiamine, you have to be on this B1 compound for 18 months for it to produce benefits.  Lots of folks will simply wax cynical, "Oh, yeah, of course, manufacturers [or nutritional reviewers] are going to say that so they can keep you on the product for months and years and profit from your desperation."  Not if it's noted up front.  If you didn't know that Benfotiamine requires 18 months to be effective, what would happen is that you would try it for a few weeks and give up, exclaiming "that stuff is not worth it."  Read that article.  It is the only effective B1 compound that protects nerves from dementia.  So there's that.

Leeks

For foods that contain Benfotiamine, you're already familiar with: onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, and other members of the allium family of vegetables.

In the interview seen here, Charlene Wagner explains that the St. John's nursing home was giving her husband, who was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, sedatives Seroquel and Adol, saying that the nursing homes use these meds to sedate her husband, not cure, relieve, or heal her husband's condition.  Or, she says, "I would rather say that they use the meds to control them."  Yeah, that's about right.  Read what Seroquel is typically used for:

Seroquel is the brand name of the generic drug quetiapine, used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic-depression).

Seroquel changes the levels of neurotransmitters (naturally occurring brain substances) including serotonin and dopamine.

Seroquel belongs to a class of medications called atypical antipsychotics.

Here is the article.

Kansas nursing homes have 'become far too dependent' on mind-altering meds.

  by Andy Marso and Kelsey Ryan.  

Allen Wagner used to light up when his granddaughter entered the room, but when she visits him at his nursing home in Overland Park now, he hardly reacts. He’s sleepy and uncommunicative.

He’s sedated.

Wagner, 78, has Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s disease. But his wife, Charlene, said it’s hard to tell how much of his lethargy is due to that and how much is due to the anti-psychotic medications he was first given during an extended hospital stay and has continued taking in nursing homes.

“I’ve seen a change since he went to the nursing homes,” Charlene Wagner said. “Not because of the care. The care is good. I believe it’s the medicines.”

Anti-psychotics are contraindicated for people with dementia and include a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning that they increase the risk of falls, stroke and other potentially fatal side effects.

The federal government started tracking the off-label use of such medications in nursing homes in 2011. Since then, Kansas has always ranked at or near the top in percentage of medicated residents, suggesting there are thousands of residents in the state’s certified nursing facilities who have been given drugs that aren’t medically indicated for them, and could actually harm them.

“There’s something about that dementia coupled with the anti-psychotics,” said Margaret Farley, a board member for Kansas Advocates for Better Care, a group that represents nursing home residents. “This is not just us saying, ‘Gee, that’s not very good, you’re robbing them of their personality, they won’t talk, they’re not active, etc, etc.’ This is hardcore. This is a 1.6 to 1.7 times increase in deaths that most of the time is related to cardiovascular changes or it’s related to the development of pneumonia.”

Kansas also led the nation last year in percentage of skilled nursing facilities cited by the federal government for a broad slate of medication-related violations, some of which relate to anti-psychotic use.

Kathy Greenlee, a former Kansas Secretary of Aging who was appointed to U.S. Assistant Secretary of Aging under President Barack Obama, said the overuse of anti-psychotics is an unintended consequence of removing physical restraints from nursing homes in the 1980s and 1990s.

Now when people visit nursing homes they’ll no longer see residents strapped to beds and wheelchairs. But they will likely see some under “chemical restraint,” through the use of anti-psychotic medications like Haldol and Seroquel, which Charlene Wagner said have caused her husband to deteriorate.

Greenlee said she knows Kansas nursing homes are not the worst in the nation overall. But the rate at which they use anti-psychotics should cause some soul-searching about how they deal with difficult or disruptive behavior of residents with dementia.

“They can be overprescribed to sedate people and then mask the need to deal with these underlying causes (of disruptive behavior),” said Greenlee, who is now vice president of aging and health policy for the Center for Practical Bioethics in Kansas City, Mo.

Groups that represent Kansas nursing homes say the state’s anti-psychotic use ranking is unfairly skewed by a handful of homes that specialize in mental illness and that they face a number of challenges that are outside their control.

It’s hard to find enough qualified staff in many parts of the state. Some facilities rely heavily on Kansas Medicaid and payments under that program have been delayed for years due to bureaucratic changes. There’s also a shortage of psychiatrists in Kansas, especially those who specialize in treating older people.

“All of those I believe do factor into our ability to continue to really tackle this issue,” said Debra Zehr, the president and CEO of LeadingAge Kansas.

Cindy Luxem, the president and CEO of the Kansas Health Care Association, said Kansas homes have brought rates down, but they need help to reduce them further.

“We’re going to take a lot of responsibility on this topic, but at the same time we look at it as something where we really better start getting family members involved,” Luxem said. “Physicians, pharmacists, you name it.”

Zehr said that when doctors and nursing home workers use anti-psychotics on people who don’t have a mental illness, it’s not ideal, but it’s done with good intentions.

“Anybody who’s spent time with people in the throes of dementia and has seen the kind of internal anguish and volatile behaviors of people with dementia at certain stages, they’re trying to help,” Zehr said.

But some facilities have found better ways to handle those behaviors. Farley said more should follow their example.

“It’s not an easy thing to be able to take care of bad behaviors without these medications, but we’ve become far too dependent upon them,” Farley said.

The fight over the rankings

On average, 20 percent of all Kansas long-term nursing home residents received an anti-psychotic medication at some point in 2016, tying it for the highest rate in the country with Oklahoma and Mississippi. The national average is 16 percent. Missouri ranked near the top at about 19 percent.

Kansas has dropped from a high of about 26 percent in 2011, but other states’ rates have fallen more since then.

SUPPLEMENTAL MAGNESIUM IS CRITICAL FOR DIABETICS

Here I review Bill Sardi's article, "On Controlling Diabetes Free of Prescription Drugs."

It is amazing to me how helpless those with diabetes talk about their condition.  It used to be called a disease.  Now it's just a metabolic condition. 

Herbal supplements, like cinnamon, are touted for their ability to control

blood sugar levels.

It can certainly become a disease.  But without a glitch each person I know who has it treats it as though it is a life sentence handed down to them from their genetic make-up by claiming that "My mother had it, my father had it, and my grandmother had it."  No doubt.  

So what I hear is a surrender to a condition that they believe the primary cause is genetic and not food or diet related.  And it certainly is difficult to see the faults in eating habits when you've lived those habits your whole life.  I should know . . . though thankfully I've not yet been diagnosed with diabetes.  By the time we're adults, I would think that most people should the know the error of their ways and jettison breakfast cereals and soda pop.  Many adults who survived the onslaught of a sugary diet from childhood celebrate the survival of childhood excesses by announcing "Oh, I ate four bowls of Captain Crunch" or "I downed 5 bowls of Coco Puffs before I drank a 6 pack of Cherry Cola.  Just the thought now of those soda binges wears me out.  Two, high-energy adults I've worked with have both been addicted to Diet-Pepsi.  I mean a 6-pack a day.  I could only shake my head at what that HFCS was doing to their hormones.  iSe la vie! 

But here again, it's Bill Sardi who lays out a new way of seeing old problems.  He's not simply pulling these assessments out of a hat but he cites research after research, collating data to demonstrate that a lot of the medical assumptions that have reached the popular culture are just wrong.  With regards to diabetes, not completely wrong, but wrong as to the causes.  The cause is the overconsumption of sugar in all of its forms.  Bill Sardi takes it apart, starting with almost a comical scene--a meeting in which the nation's largest food companies were asked to "share" some of the responsibility.  I laugh because when I emailed Pederson's bacon about their use of soy as feed for the pigs, I got a reply that went like this "If we told you, we'd have to kill you."  That was their attempt at a joke, of course, a Customer Service joke.  Ha, ha.  But one has to ask--Should customer service be joking like that?  So, I turn to honest, direct and ethical men like Bill Sardi.  He starts

At a 1999 conclave, executives of the nation’s biggest food companies walked out on a meeting that attempted to get them to share some of the responsibility for the then growing diabesity epidemic.  [New York Times Feb 20, 2013]  With sugarized bacon, ketchup, peanut butter, wrapped meats, salad dressings and processed foods dominating grocery store shelves, shockingly half the nation now is diabetic or pre-diabetic.  [LA Times Sept 8, 2015; Journal American Medical Assn. Sept 8, 2015] 

That's about right.  I couldn't imagine anything good coming from this meeting either.  Absolutely--high blood sugar levels are the causes of diabetes.  The answer then is to bring down the high blood sugar levels by removing from one's diet those foods that cause it to soar, regardless if they are traditional foods of your culture.  

Pre-diabetes means that your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as adult-onset (type II) diabetes and you have not developed symptoms yet (eyes, kidneys, heart, pancreas).  You are more likely to develop full-blown diabetes within 2 to 10 years. [Mayo Clinic] 

What I find interesting is that the theory of a disease is driven in part, perhaps in large part, by a pharmaceutical monopoly on the medicines that treat specific diseases put forth by institutions funded by the companies providing the antidote.  Wow!  Does that ever sound conspiratorial.  But it is mainly just folks jimmying with the free market.  Instead of allowing the customer or patient to find his own cure, conglommerants put enough safeguards in place so as to ensure a higher percentage of patients purchasing their prescription.  And so the narrative that folks walk around with in their heads about a condition is an old one.  Hell, it's antique.  So as the profession has a lock on the narratives that filter down to us folks, we are left with antiquated knowledge that serves as a terrible guide for greater health.  

On the diabetic front, Sardi points out important feature of diabetic drugs--

It is common for diabetics to experience frequent urination.  Elevated blood sugar has diuretic action induces frequent urination which results in loss of nutrients.  Yet replacement of lost nutrients is not the mainstay of diabetic therapy.

I wonder how many diabetics know this.  What is astounding is that physicians are phyto-phobic and mineral phobic when it comes to diabetes.  Sardi explains that supplemental magnesium is critical for diabetics.  

More than 50% of diabetics take dietary supplements, but most are unguided.  [Diabetic Educator 2011]  Even dietitians look at dietary supplements with disdain when it comes to diabetes.  One prominent dietitian says she doesn’t recommend over-the-counter supplements for fear of possible drug contraindications. 

She says: “I’d never advise anyone to take extra magnesium or to use a supplement-level doses of herbal remedies that claim to lower blood sugar.”  [Todays Dietitian Nov 2011]  Yet, as you will learn below, supplemental magnesium is critical for diabetics. 

Phyto-phobic physicians themselves issue caution over dietary supplements interfering with anti-diabetic drugs even though vitamins and minerals are essential for life.  It may be the drugs that are interfering with nutrients. [Advances Clinical Experimental Medicine Nov 2014]

And people wonder why doctors are held in such contempt.  Perhaps they hold your health in contempt.  More importantly, it is vitamins and minerals that are the first line of defense.  This goes for any non-diabetic individuals as well. 

 In development of a list of supplemental nutrients for diabetics, essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and D should be given priority over herbal or other supplements.  While there are many herbal supplements that are touted for sugar control (among them cinnamon, Gymnema sylvestre, and many others), it is important to first utilize essential nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in a daily dietary supplement regimen for diabetics. 

Could it be clearer?  If someone has diabetes, your first line of attack is a daily vitamin C and D supplement.  Commit to this regime for a few weeks first before you look for the long-term benefits from herbs, like cinnamon, to bring under control other symptoms associated with diabetes.  

MAGNESIUM for DIABETIC CONDITIONS

Low magnesium blood levels are common among adults with diabetes. [Journal College Physicians Surgery Pakistan Nov 2014]

Low dietary intake of magnesium or increased excretion of magnesium due to diuretic use, are the most common causes of magnesium deficiency.  [World Journal Diabetes Aug 2015; Journal Renal Injury Prevention 2014]

Blood serum magnesium levels decline as blood sugar levels rise.  The hemoglobin A1c blood test, a measure of long-term blood sugar status, rises as serum magnesium levels decline.  [Diabetes Metabolism Syndrome Jan 2015]

In another study, 382 mg of supplemental magnesium taken over a 4-month period resulted in 50.8% of supplemented patients improving their blood glucose levels compared to just 7.0% taking an inactive placebo.  [Diabetic Metabolism June 2015]

One of the biological actions of metformin, a commonly prescribed anti-diabetic drug, is it raises magnesium levels. [Biology Trace Element Research July 2011]

Magnesium has been proposed as a public health strategy against diabetes.  Diabetics are commonly deficient in magnesium.  Insulin and glucose regulate magnesium and visa versa. 

There is considerable evidence that diligent magnesium supplementation may delay the progression from impaired blood sugar (glucose) regulation to adult-onset diabetes.  [Diabetes Obesity Metabolism Sept 2015]

In one study, just 100 mg increase of supplemental or dietary magnesium was associated with a 16% risk reduction for diabetes.  [Biomedical Environmental Science July 2015]

In one study of 54 diabetic patients, 300 milligrams of supplemental daily magnesium improved blood sugar (glucose) levels. [Medical Journal Islam Republic Iran July 2014]

How many diabetics have ever heard of an iron overload as one of the causes for insulin resistance?  That's what I thought.

An overlooked fact is that iron overload induces insulin resistance, that is, the inability of insulin to get into cells and generate energy. 

So how do you know if you have too much iron?  Get a blood test.  Sardi identifies that test.  It's called a ferritin test.  

There is a blood test that is not part of a regular blood panel that measures iron load in the body.  It is called a ferritin test.  Transferrin is another test that measures iron transport.  Elevated transferrin and ferritin are believed to be underlying causes of high blood sugar (glucose) and insulin resistance. [European Journal Endocrinology Aug 20, 2015]

Very few diabetics are aware of the need to measure iron storage in the body.  Men begin to accumulate iron in their body earlier than females who control iron load by monthly menstruation. 

I wonder if this is why men tend to get Diabetes II at a later age than women do.  

Men tend to have a greater risk to develop diabetes as indicated by a high ferritin level.  [British Journal Nutrition Dec 14, 2014]

Males accumulate 1 milligram of excess iron per day of life after they are fully grown.  By middle age, around age 40 years, males will have double the iron load of an equally-aged female and experience double the risk for diabetes. 

I thought that this was the most interesting point about iron accumulattion.  "Iron from plant foods is absorbed on an as needed basis.  Iron from meat is absorbed whether it is needed or not."  Ouch!

Iron from plant foods is absorbed on an as needed basis.  Iron from meat is absorbed whether it is needed or not.  The consumption of red meat, which provides the most easily absorbed iron of any food source, is associated with adult-onset diabetes. [American Journal Clinical Nutrition June 2015]  High ferritin levels, as determined by a blood test for the amount of iron stored in the body, correlates with the onset of diabetes.  [Advances Biomedical Research March 2015]  Insulin resistance occurs when ferritin (iron storage) levels rise. [Journal Pakistan Medical Assn. Dec 2014; Diabetologia March 2015]  In fact, elevated ferritin levels predict future onset of insulin resistance. [Diabetes Research Clinical Practice Jan 2015; Acta Diabetology April 2015] 

Note that the quotation above says "Iron from meat . . . ," and not "iron from red meat."  So any meat--chicken, beef, pork, etc.

FOOD SOURCES of MAGNESIUM
from Healthline

Cooked spinach, one cup, 157 mgs of magnesium.

Pumpkin seeds, 150 mgs of magnesium in a one-ounce serving.

Cooked black beans, a one-cup serving, contain 120 mgs of magnesium.

Cashews, a one-ounce serving, contain 82 mgs of magnesium.

Buckwheat, one-ounce serving, contains 65 mgs of magnesium.

Dark chocolate, a one-ounce bar, contains 64 mgs of magnesium.

Avocado, one medium avocado, contains 58 mgs of magnesium.

Tofu, 53 mgs of magnesium in a 3.5 ounce serving.

Salmon, half of fillet, contains 53 mgs of magnesium.

Bananas, 37 mgs of magnesium.  

In addition to the benefits for diabetics, magnesium is also an important bone mineral.  From Bill Sardi's book, The New Truth About Vitamins and Minerals, he writes comparing the virtues of calcium to magnesium  

Magnesium interferes with crystalization and produces flexible bones that can withstand physical stress.  Boron, a trace mineral, enhances bone hardness.  

So there's that.