As always, lots happening in the diabetes world of technology, research and more!
Fasting Diet Regenerates Beta Cells in Mice was featured on InsulinNation.com, 24 February 2017. The subtitle: The cyclical diet also restored insulin sensitivity.
Researchers from the University of Southern California and the University of California have published findings in the journal Cell that suggest that a fasting-mimicking diet induced the bodies of diabetes-model mice to grow new beta cells and restore insulin sensitivity.
They added (PLEASE READ THIS): Multiple news stories reporting on these findings contain a “do not try this at home” disclaimer paragraph, and with good reason. These findings should not be considered a license to stop insulin therapy. Also, no one with diabetes should consider undertaking a major shift in diet without discussing it with their medical team. Finally, it’s important to remember that what works in mice may not work the same way with humans; the mouse pancreas is more simple in structure than the human pancreas, and there have been many mouse “cures” for diabetes that do not provide nearly the same results for humans.
However, this study joins a growing body of research that suggests that carefully regulated, scientifically-approved fasting may induce short-term and long-term changes in the body, and that some of those changes could be found to provide health benefits for people with chronic conditions or who are undergoing chemotherapy.
Remember, we are NOT mice!
Read more:
- Fasting Diet Regenerates Beta Cells in Mice
- Fasting-Mimicking Diet Reverses Diabetes in Mice
- Cell Metabolism: A Periodic Diet
Finns Have a Higher Risk of Type 1 than Russians, as reported again in InsulinNation.com, 11 July 2016.
One in every 200 Finnish children under the age of 15 has Type 1 diabetes. In the neighboring region Karelia, which is in Russia, just one in 1200 children of the same age group has T1.
The two countries are incredibly similar – both are home to the same ethnic groups and are affected by the same geographic factors. The one major difference is that Russian Karelia is a much poorer country than Finland. Researchers now believe this economic disparity somehow shields some Russians from Type 1 diabetes.
Read more: Why Do Finns Have a Higher Risk of Type 1 Than Russians?
Type 1 Diabetes Risk May Come Down to Gut Bacteria Counts, according to research at The Joslin Clinic and reported in InsulinNation.com, 21 February 2017. Yup, seems it may boil down to hygiene again!
Some scientists decided to test whether the environmental conditions at the differing labs affected the rate of non-obese diabetes in the mice, according to Dr. Aleksander Kostic, an assistant investigator at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. They raised the mice in a completely sterile, germ-free environment, and found that the rate of non-obese diabetes quickly climbed upwards. They then transferred stool from mice raised in a non-sterile environment to mice raised in a sterile environment, and noticed that the rate of diabetes for the mice who received the transplanted stool went down.
“This seemed to indicate that a lack of exposure to microbes was somehow having a severely detrimental effect on the immune system and preventing protection from Type 1 diabetes to mice that were genetically prone,” Dr. Kostic said.
Read more: Type 1 Diabetes Risk May Come Down to Gut Bacteria Counts
Four Pivotal NIH-funded Artificial Pancreas Research Efforts Begin, as announced by NIH, 7 February 2017.
The first of several major research efforts to test and refine artificial pancreas systems is now underway. Four separate projects, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), are designed to be the potential last steps between testing the fully automated devices and requesting regulatory approval for permanent use.
“These studies aim to collect the data necessary to bring artificial pancreas technology to the people who need it,” said Dr. Guillermo Arreaza-Rubín, director of NIDDK’s Diabetes Technology Program. “Results from these studies could change and save lives.”
Read more: Four pivotal NIH-funded artificial pancreas research efforts begin
7 Ways to Treat Joint Conditions Common with Type 1 Diabetes was featured in InsulinNation.com, 20 February 2017.
Just an interesting read, if you hurt in your joints, such as frozen shoulder, trigger finger, diabetic stiff hand syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome)
