Diabetes Research: Antioxidants and Diabetes

November 5, 2008

Twenty-four million Americans suffer from diabetes and rates have been climbing steadily over the last 20 years. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and stroke in adults. High blood glucose has been established as the root cause of these and other long-term complications seen in diabetes. Just how exactly does high blood glucose do its damage?

Researchers have suggested that high blood glucose triggers something called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when cellular metabolism creates more reactive oxygen species, or ROS (a class of molecules that includes free radicals), than available antioxidants can deal with. Overabundant ROS can attack and destroy cellular structures and ultimately cells themselves. Cell loss can then lead to tissue damage that eventually gives rise to the diabetic complications mentioned above.

People with diabetes need to maintain tight control of their blood glucose levels as well as get all the help they can to fight ROS. Supplemental antioxidants can provide the right “weapons” to keep ROS in balance and prevent diabetic complications in the long term, as science has shown.

A number of diabetes research studies have shown that supplemental vitamin E can improve glycemic control, cardiovascular health, vision and kidney function in people with type 2 diabetes. Population studies of people with diabetes have shown that antioxidants, especially vitamin E taken in conjunction with vitamin C, reduce the risk of retinopathy. In a study with type 2 diabetics, CoQ10 reduced blood pressure and improved glycemic control. Alpha lipoic acid also appears to have a beneficial effect in people with diabetes.

Antioxidants often work best in a synergistic manner and increasing the diversity of antioxidants has been shown to provide significantly greater protection against oxidative stress than concentrated levels of individual antioxidants. Eating the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables daily will not provide diabetics with the protective amount of antioxidants needed to maintain antioxidant levels in the body and fight long-term complications. It appears that supplementing with different antioxidants is the most effective way to protect diabetics from the complications of the disease.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Diabetes is fast reaching epidemic proportions. The disease can cause degeneration of many systems of the body, and often goes undiagnosed for years. Make sure you get your blood sugar checked annually. And if you develop diabetes, supplement your diet with antioxidants to help protect against potentially serious complications.