Chronic diseases, like type-2 diabetes, are on the increase because people eat too much junk food, are overweight and get too little exercise, warn the experts. Obesity and type-2 diabetes often go hand in hand. And both are on the rise the world over. A major problem is that many people with the disease do not even know they have it. However, early detection can slow its progressio

Can you prevent it?

Yes, you can. Some people have a higher risk of developing the disease, particularly those with a close familymember (brother, sister or parent) with the illness. But even if you are at risk you can take a number of steps to prevent developing the disease.

Research has shown that the main causes of type-2 diabetes are:

• Too little exercise;
• Obesity;
• Eating the wrong foods.

An unhealthy diet not only gives you chronically high blood sugar levels, but also deprives you of the vital nutrients your body needs to function properly and stay healthy. Some of the important nutrients you need for good health are antioxidants. Their main function is to protect your cells against free radical damage.

Free radicals

Free radicals are thought to play a part in the destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas. These cells are responsible for producing insulin. Free radicals are the natural by-products of breathing or burning food for energy. For this you need oxygen. Unfortunately, some oxygen molecules are damaged during this process. These damaged molecules are called free radicals and they can cause much damage in the body if their levels aren’t controlled. Diabetics suffer from an abnormal glucose metabolism, which leads to increased free-radical production. Free radicals and constantly high blood sugar levels eventually damage capillaries and cells. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels whose main function is to carry nutrients to tissues and individual cells, and remove waste. When they are damaged, cells and tissues will suffer, because they do not receive the nutrients they need. This can also lead to complications such as nerve and kidney damage and heart disease.

Antioxidants

The most effective way to prevent or limit this damage is to increase your intake of antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals before they can damage cells. The body produces its own antioxidant enzymes to keep free radicals under control. But, to produce enough of these enzymes, the body needs fuel in the form of foods rich in antioxidants, like fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, few people nowadays eat sufficient quantities of these to boost their antioxidant systems. Many nutrients also are lost in the harvesting, storing and cooking processes of food. As a result, most of us need to take nutritional supplements like PROCYDIN. A natural product made from grape-seed extract, it provides a rich source of proanthocyanidins, a powerful antioxidant complex that studies have shown can benefit diabetics. But supplements alone cannot prevent diabetes. You also have to follow a healthy, low-fat diet and lose weight. Statistics show that more than 90 percent of all people diagnosed with type-2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Fat and insulin Researchers believe there’s a relationship between body fat and insulin resistance. Studies show that as the body gains weight, it becomes more resistant to the action of insulin. It is thought that free fatty acids, the fat cells that circulate in the blood stream, may play a role by affecting the functioning of the beta cells in the pancreas, the cells that produce insulin. Fat cells are released into the body during the breakdown of stored fat. Overweight people have larger reservoirs of fat cells that can become free fatty acids.

Exercise

It’s essential to exercise if you want to reduce your risk of developing type-2 diabetes, or to help control your blood sugar levels if you already have the disease. When you exercise, an enzyme is released that switches on another enzyme, which in turn triggers the uptake into the muscles of glucose and fatty acids from the blood and turns them into energy. Exercise can also help you to lose weight, increase the heart’s ability to pump blood, improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure. Getting at least 30 minutes a day of exercise, like brisk walking or cycling, will do the trick.
           

Prevention is better than cure.

Together with a balanced diet and exercise, antioxidants like PROCYDIN can play a significant role in helping to prevent type-2 diabetes, or, if you already are a diabetic, limit the complications associated with it. One of the most serious complications of type 1 and type 2 is poor blood circulation, which may contribute to weakening eyesight, heart and kidney diseases and strokes. PROCYDIN is a natural product made from grape-seed extract. Grape seed is a rich source of a special complex of powerful antioxidants called proanthocyanidins.

Research shows that the proanthocyanidin complex has many beneficial properties:

• It can help to improve blood circulation, also to the capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that feed individual cells. Improved blood circulation will help cells to function better.
• It can help to protect the eyes because proanthocyanidins help to strengthen the walls of arteries and the capillaries that transport nutrients to the eyes. They usually are the first to be damaged when blood circulation slows down. In France, doctors regularly prescribe proanthocyanidins to patients with diabetes to help prevent their eyes from deteriorating.

• It helps to prevent blood from becoming too “sticky”, reducing the risk of heart attacks or strokes. Diabetics have a high risk of strokes and heart attacks.
• It is anti-inflammatory and can be useful in treating or preventing a wide range of inflammatory diseases. Inflammation has been linked to heart disease.
• It helps to strengthen vascular walls, especially those of the capillaries, protecting against heart disease. 

PROCYDIN is a nutritional supplement and not a medicine and should not be used as a medicine or in place of medicines prescribed by a physician.
 

Antioxidants have many benefits

Recent studies show that antioxidants may help prevent many complications in diabetics, such as blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage. Diabetics have high levels of glucose which increase free-radical production. In addition, diabetics have depleted antioxidant reserves and their levels of vitamin C are especially low. This deficiency has been linked to peripheral artery disease – a circulatory condition in which the blood vessels in the legs become blocked. Oxidative stress and inflammation increase with diabetes due to high blood sugar, which produces a lot of free radicals, damaging insulin-producing cells. This can worsen diabetes, says Dr. Kenny Jialal, endocrinologist at UT Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, Texas. A survey by the American Heart Association shows that 63 percent of all diabetic patients suffer from some form of heart disease, including circulatory problems, high blood pressure and heart failure.“Diabetics face increased risks for heart attacks and strokes,” notes Dr. Sridevi Devaraj, a clinical pathologist. “Antioxidants provide secondary prevention by reducing inflammation.”The proanthocyanidin antioxidant complex, the main ingredient of Procydin, has anti-inflammatory
properties and regenerates used vitamin C in the body to become active again.