Nutrients improve circulation, blood sugar, and lipids in type 2 diabetesAntioxidants and anti-inflammatory diets reduce chances for prostate, breast, and other cancers
Krill oil, circulation, and cholesterol
In this two-part study, doctors wanted to test the effects of krill oil omega-3 on circulation and cholesterol. In part one, 47 men and women with type 2 diabetes, average age 65, took a placebo or 1,000 mg of krill oil omega-3s per day for four weeks. About three in four participants also had high blood pressure or imbalanced lipids.
After four weeks, while the placebo group had not changed, circulation had improved in the krill oil group, which saw an increase in the ability of blood vessels to relax and dilate.
A smaller group of 34 continued in the second part of the study, taking krill oil for 17 more weeks. HDL, the good cholesterol, increased on average to 49.09 milligrams per deciliter (mg/ dL) of blood from 43.48 mg/dL. HDL protects against circulatory diseases, particularly at levels above 60 mg/dL.
Probiotics, blood sugar, and lipids
Doctors know the body needs a balance of microbes for good health. Those with type 2 diabetes usually have a microbial imbalance, called “dysbiosis.” In this study, 43 men and women with type 2 diabetes for at least one year took 120 grams of fermented milk per day, alone as a placebo or with the probiotics lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and bifidobacterium animalis.
After six weeks, long-term average blood sugar, and total and LDL cholesterols had declined for the probiotics group while increasing for placebo. Measures of inflammation and insulin sensitivity improved in both groups, which doctors attributed to beneficial sugars and proteins in fermented milk.
Reference: BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care; 2015, Vol. 3, e000107, Published Online
Natural Insights for WellBeing July 2016
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