Strategies to Help Prevent Diabetes

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The good news is that many factors that can reduce diabetes risk are within our control, such as diet and exercise.
The good news is that many factors that can reduce diabetes risk are within our control, such as diet and exercise.
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A healthy diet is crucial for preventing and controlling diabetes. One strategy is to get more of the fats in your diet from plant sources, including nuts.
A healthy diet is crucial for preventing and controlling diabetes. One strategy is to get more of the fats in your diet from plant sources, including nuts.
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Cinnamon helps bring down blood glucose, whether taken in capsules or mixed into food.
Cinnamon helps bring down blood glucose, whether taken in capsules or mixed into food.

It’s never too early to develop the healthy habits that can prevent diabetes, a disease that is all too common in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 18.2 million Americans are diabetic, and another 16 million have pre-diabetes — elevated blood glucose levels that indicate they are developing the disease. In fact, a child born in the United States today has a one-in-three chance of developing diabetes during his or her lifetime, according to a 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The good news is that many factors that can reduce the risk of diabetes are within our control. A healthy diet and regular exercise will help prevent diabetes. For those already diagnosed as diabetic, these healthy habits can help reduce symptoms, and a number of herbs and supplements are worth exploring, as well.

What Is Diabetes?

Awareness of this disease dates back to the first century or earlier, but only within the last 100 years have scientists been able to pin the problem on insulin, a hormone that is produced by the pancreas.

Insulin ushers glucose from the blood into the body’s tissues. In type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin. This form of diabetes often begins in childhood or adolescence, so it is sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes.

  • Published on Feb 1, 2006
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