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For those suffering from diabetes, there has been a lot of misinformation about how Glucosamine Chondroitin might affect them. Frankly speaking, the use of Glucosamine for diabetics will not have a negative impact on them. This fact is surprising to many.
From a technical standpoint, Glucosamine is a type of sugar. In spite of that fact, clinical studies have found that Glucosamine has no effect on either insulin sensitivity or blood sugar levels. That is true even though a few authors have stated that those who suffer from diabetes might be adversely affected by using Glucosamine. Those early opinions have since been found to be wrong.
Many years ago some researchers had suggested that Glucosamine may make insulin resistance worse. If that was true, Glucosamine had the potential to increase blood sugar in those who have Type-2 diabetes. However, all subsequent clinical trials found that there was no possibility of this happening. If you are diabetic, you can use Glucosamine.
Medical doctors used to rely heavily on the early theories that Glucosamine would elevate blood sugar or escalate insulin sensitivity. Unfortunately, some of them still hold that belief. This writer thinks that is understandable. Doctors who practice in areas of medicine other than joint care have no reason to keep up to date on these things. It is that simple. Doctors are busy people and trying to keep up with everything is impossible.
If you have a doctor who is not aware of Glucosamine being acceptable for diabetics, you might discuss this with them.
Why should diabetics care about Glucosamine? We have to step back and look at what the clinical trials say about Glucosamine. To do that, let’s take a look at two diabetic patients and see how Glucosamine was handled by them.
The first patient we are going to discuss had Type-2 Diabetes and heard great things about a Glucosamine product. She was under the impression that she could not use Glucosamine because it was a type of sugar. This goes along with the impression that some very early researchers had. Namely, that it would increase insulin sensitivity and increase blood sugar levels.
Her friend had nothing but good things to say about her experience with Glucosamine, but she did not have diabetes. Fortunately, the patient’s doctor was one who was aware that there was no risk associated with using Glucosamine if you are diabetic. She told her friend what the doctor had to say and that ended the concern. The patient with diabetes began using liquid Glucosamine and was able to experience her joints feeling normal again.
There are individuals who are diabetic who still worry constantly about possible problems if they use Glucosamine. Even when informed by a doctor that he had no risk issue using Glucosamine, he decided that although he wanted to use Glucosamine, he also was convinced his blood sugar would go up.
Patient number two did finally begin using Glucosamine and was very happy with the way his joints felt. However, he insisted on checking his blood sugar levels regularly to give himself a comfort level about using it. Of course, his blood sugar did not go up and he finally realized that his concern about this issue was just plain wrong.
It is shocking to learn that about half of those suffering from Type 2 Diabetes also have Osteoarthritis (Arthritis). Clearing the way to use Glucosamine is a big thing for those who are affected. Why do so many diabetics have arthritis (OA)? The two medical conditions have some shared risk factors.
48-49% of those who have Diabetes also have Arthritis. What is even more disturbing is that roughly 60% of those who have Osteoarthritis are also at risk of becoming Diabetic.
Much of what causes this is that both those who have these diseases also suffer from inflammation. There also appears to be a common theme of obesity and lack of exercise involved. Those that are overweight and not physically active are at an elevated risk.
The earlier theories about Osteoarthritis was that age had caused “wear and tear” on cartilage. That is no longer the culprit according to modern medicine. Now, the greatest number of victims of the two diseases are overweight, older and inactive.
In addition to the factors we spoke of earlier in this article, there appears to be some direct evidence of Diabetes contributing to the development of Osteoarthritis. That is, higher blood sugar levels cause the development of certain molecules in your body that ultimately causes inflammation.
If there is one critical area that affects both Diabetes and Osteoarthritis, it is weight control. When we are overweight, it adds to insulin resistance. It also puts added pressure on joint structures. The pressure creates a serious amount of change to joint health. If you are 10 pounds overweight, your knees are trying to handle 4-6 times that amount of weight. Taking off those extra pounds removes that burden from your knees as well as all other lower extremity joints (hips and feet). Losing 10 pounds of weight can also reduce blood sugar levels.
“Crash diets” are not the answer. You have to eat regular meals to keep your blood glucose levels steady. Eating protein and some healthy fats with all of your meals helps. Vegetables are also important as long as they are not the “starchy ones” (potatoes for example). Of course, whole-grain bread is better than white for the carbohydrates you need.
If you can swim, try to get some exercise doing that. It is far and away the best low-impact exercise there is. Another low-impact activity like riding a bicycle is also good for you. You should also try to find some exercises that add strength to your body and any exercises that give you more flexibility. Try to set a goal of getting at least 2 and ½ to 3 hours of exercise weekly. That is a minimum goal you should set. Change to your joint health can happen but only if you are willing to help along the way. If you want to reduce the problems diabetes and OA can cause, these steps will help.