Diabetes looms large. The disease affects nearly 250 million people worldwide, and 7 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 percent of all cases. Although type 2 diabetes occurs in genetically predisposed persons, environmental factors determine its onset and severity. In addition, serious complications can result from undiagnosed and uncontrolled diabetes. Therefore, it’s critical to identify those people who are at highest risk and for them to take early intervention measures.

Who’s at Risk?
Among the risk factors for type 2 diabetes are:

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  Family history of diabetes.

  
  


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  Obesity.

  
  


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  Race/ethnicity—African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, some Asians, and Pacific Islanders are at greatest risk.

  
  


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  Sedentary lifestyle.

  
  


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  History of polycystic ovarian disease.

  
  


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  History of gestational diabetes.

  
  

On average, there’s a four-year gap between the onset of diabetes and its diagnosis. During those four years, a significant amount of kidney, eye, heart, and brain-artery damage may occur. There are an estimated 6 million people in the United States with undiagnosed diabetes.

Is Prevention Possible?
Although diabetes is genetically determined, lifestyle changes can prevent its onset. Routine exercise and weight control will reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diet is important, too. A diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber may reduce the onset of diabetes in predisposed individuals. Dietary supplements that regulate blood sugar are also being studied.

Cinnergen May Help
Cinnergen is a nutritional supplement from NutraLab that is used to enhance the effects of the body’s natural insulin and to decrease the effects of elevated blood sugar. Cinnergen contains 16 natural substances, but its main ingredients are cinnamon bark extract, blueberry leaf extract, cranberry extract, and oat seed extract. Of these, the most widely studied in relation to blood-sugar regulation are cinnamon bark and blueberry leaf extracts. Though used for centuries in other countries, these supplements have gained recent attention in the current medical literature in the treatment of diabetes. Cinnamon bark appears to improve the effectiveness of insulin in lowering blood-sugar levels. Blueberry leaf extract appears to regulate sugar levels directly. Although current studies suggest that Cinnergen may be a useful addition to current medication and lifestyle changes in the treatment of diabetes, more study is needed to assess whether it can prevent the onset of this widespread disease.

Get Checked
Your health-care professional can screen you for diabetes. Any evaluation should include screenings for hypertension and high cholesterol, since these ailments accelerate the complications caused by diabetes. Routine exercise, weight control, and a balanced diet should lower your risk of developing diabetes. Check with your health-care professional about appropriate diet and exercise strategies as preventive measures and about any nutritional supplements like Cinnergen before you use them.

—Marie President, M.D.