A Far Better Way to Treat Diabetes

Diabetes affects about one-tenth of all Americans. Roughly 95% of diabetic people have Type II; the remainder has Type I. A novel method is being evaluated to treat the problem's cause rather than using insulin to adjust the symptoms.

Diabetes

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7104-diabetes-mellitus-an-overview Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease that prevents blood glucose control levels in the body. Both Type I (T1DM) and Type II (T2DM) require insulin to keep blood glucose levels in the normal range.

T1DM is an autoimmune disease (https://beyondtype1.org/type-1-diabetes-with-other-autoimmune-diseases/). Beta cells in the pancreas make insulin. The body's immune system attacks and destroys beta cells. Insulin can no longer be produced and must be provided by alternate methods.

T2DM is not an immune disease. (https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/type-2-diabetes-mellitus-a-to-z). Insulin activates cells in the body to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. When cell sensitivity to capture glucose is degraded, it takes more insulin to transfer the same amount of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells.

Beta Cells

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/body/beta-cells.html Beta cells respond to blood glucose levels as they rise from eating food. Amylin and C-peptide are also generated by beta cells. Amylin controls the release rate of glucose in the bloodstream and C-peptide provides repair assistance to the arteries and prevents neuropathy.

Beta cells in people with T2DM have difficulty producing enough insulin to cope with blood glucose levels. High levels of blood glucose over time (chronic hyperglycemia) leads to beta cell wear out. Beta cells are no longer capable of handling the demand for insulin when needed.

The Study

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/could-transforming-alpha-cells-into-beta-cells-treat-diabetes  Two hormones, insulin and glucagon, are created in the pancreas and control blood sugar levels. Insulin is made by beta cells and glucagon is produced by alpha cells. These two hormones oppose each other; one stimulates insulin production, and the other increases blood glucose.

Scientists used studies of diabetic mice to attack both the problem of the immune system destroying beta cells that reduces or eliminates insulin production and beta cell wear out. Can one solution address both issues? Alpha cells might hold the answer. https://www.pnas.org/content/114/10/2753?ijkey=bd5a39a88e1d2e0ea092fcf98b96e8f1a74a07b9&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

A synthetic monoclonal antibody was injected into diabetic mice. This antibody blocked glucagon receptors in the liver. The result was transforming alpha cells in the pancreas into beta cells. Additional beta cells provide the extra levels of insulin to assist both T1DM and T2DM.

The autoimmune attack of beta cells in people with T1DM means that converting alpha cells to beta cells restores the body's ability to manufacture insulin for daily needs. Beta cells are continually killed by the immune system and are replaced by alpha cells. Scientists know that people surviving decades with T1DM have enough alpha cells that are not destroyed by the immune system dysfunction.

Additional Studies

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/9/e2022142118 The latest studies confirm that mice with T1DM and T2DM could provide adequate levels of insulin to meet demand. The regulation of blood glucose levels was restored. The published results tell us that a once-a-week injection of the monoclonal antibody was enough to maintain normal pancreatic function.

Another Option

https://gero.usc.edu/2017/02/23/fasting-mimicking-diet-may-reverse-diabetes/ Is it possible to control blood glucose levels without antibody injections? Dr. Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, has been working on treating both T1DM and T2DM with fasting, abstaining from food.

He discovered that cycling a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) with normal eating can reprogram the pancreas to grow new beta cells in laboratory animals. Human studies using FMD show that the body increases the Ngn3 protein during fasting that accelerates insulin production.

Information about the FMD can be seen at https://www.raowellness.com/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-fasting-mimicking-diet/

Conclusion

Remarkable progress is being made in the treatment of diabetes. I do a 72-hour-fast monthly to rebuild my immune system. I started this extended fasting option several years ago when I read about Dr. Valter Longo's studies on fasting and immune system improvement.

About three years ago, I read about his success with a five-day-fast that resulted in the pancreas growing new beta cells, even in patients with T1DM. I have incorporated several five-day-fasts over the past couple of years. My fasting is water and/or unsweetened iced tea only.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O'Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com