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Vitamin C consumption may help reduce the risk of adult onset diabetesIn the UK alone diabetes affects approximately 2.3 million people. The majority of diabetics have the form of the disease known as type 2, or adult onset, diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity, diets high in refined carbohydrate like white bread and sugar and sedentary life-styles. The disease develops when the cells of the body stop responding to the hormone insulin, which is designed to move sugar produced by carbohydrate from blood to cells, where it is used to create energy; as a result blood sugar levels become chronically elevated, putting the patient at risk of heart disease, kidney disease and blindness. Diabetes is often treated with medications that simultaneously reduce the release of sugar from the liver and increase the body's response to insulin, such as metformin. However the condition can be controlled simply by adopting a blood sugar balance eating pattern, which involves obtaining the bulk of calories from high fibre fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains combined with high quality meat, fish and eggs. Natural supplements such as the mineral chromium, cinnamon and American Ginseng have all been shown to positively affect blood sugar control. Vitamin C is an essential water soluble antioxidant and is required for the manufacture of collagen, the protein that makes up skin. Vitamin C supplements are used for immune support and skin health. The consumption of higher amounts of fruit and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of developing diabetes. In a newly published study researchers examined whether fruit and vegetable intake and blood vitamin C level are associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Food frequency questionnaires were administered to 21, 831 healthy men and women aged 40-75; in addition vitamin C levels were measured. During 12 years of follow-up 735 cases of diabetes were identified. Higher levels of vitamin C and, to a lesser degree, fruit and vegetable intake, were associated with a substantially decreased risk of diabetes. The exact mechanism for this protective effect is not known. Click here to view the abstract of the study. This study follows research that has found diabetic patients to have lower levels of vitamin C, apparently due to increased urination with high blood sugar levels. Vitamin C supplementation has been shown to improve glucose tolerance and blood fatty acid profiles in non-insulin-dependent diabetics. Vitamin C has a good tolerance profile; the Food Standards Agency suggests that supplementing up to 1000mg daily is safe. |