Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Turmeric, Curcuma longa, is a powerful herb that is native to India. It is a bright yellow/orange spice that is commonly found in foods like curry. The health world is buzzing about this herb due to its high levels of curcuminoids, or curcumin. Curcumin is …
Stevia is a natural, no-calorie sweetener that many have chosen as a replacement to the harmful but commonly consumed white sugar. This alternative sweetener is particularly popular among individuals with diabetes, as their need to control their blood sugar intake and maintenance is much higher. …
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that protects teeth from tooth decay that works by stopping or even reversing the tooth decay process, keeping tooth enamel strong and solid. Also according to the CDC, almost all water contains naturally-occurring fluoride at low levels. Fluoride is also commonly found in toothpaste, mouth rinses, and gels, and many consider it to be essential to good oral hygiene. While the CDC reports, “The independent, non-governmental Community Preventive Services Task Force has noted that the research evidence does not demonstrate that community water fluoridation results in any unwanted health effects other than dental fluorosis, a condition that causes primarily cosmetic changes in the appearance of tooth enamel,” a recent study says otherwise.
In a study published in the Journal of Water and Health, researchers examined links between fluoridation and diabetes as, they say, fluoride is a known preservative of blood glucose. With this in mind, these findings have prompted a surge in people researching how to remove fluoride from water. It’s not just fluoride that people want to remove from water. Some commercial premises owners will look to treat hard water in such a way that removes calcium and magnesium ions in order to soften it.
Kyle Fluegge, PhD, from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine now serves as a health economist for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and a co-director of the Institute of Health and Environmental Research in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Fluegge studied data between 2005 and 2010 across 22 states, using calculations of county-level water fluoride levels, per capita county tap water consumption, and county measures of poverty, obesity, and physical activity.
Read the full study published in the Journal of Water and Health by clicking here!
Dr. Fluegge reported that a one milligram increase in average county fluoride levels predicted a 0.17% increase in age-adjusted diabetes prevalence. Also revealed were different types of fluoride additives used by each region – sodium fluoride and sodium fluorosilicate, which seem to have an opposing effect and was associated with decreases in diabetes incidence and prevalence. Countries that rely on naturally occurring fluoride in their water and did not supplement with these additives also had lower diabetes rates.
“The models present an interesting conclusion that the association of water fluoridation to diabetes outcomes depends on the adjusted per capita consumption of tap water,” explained Dr. Fluegge. “Only using the concentration [of added fluoride] does not produce a similarly robust, consistent association.” So, Dr. Fluegge adjusted his calculations to incorporate tap water consumption, instead of sticking to calculations that rely on “parts per million” measurements of fluoride in the water.
“This is an ecological study. This means it is not appropriate to apply these findings directly to individuals,” Dr. Fluegge reports. “These are population-level associations being made in the context of an exploratory inquiry. And water is not the only direct source of fluoride; there are many other food sources produced with fluoridated water.”
Dr. Fluegge says that his models indicate natural, environmental fluoride does seem to have a protective effect from diabetes. “However,” he says, “natural fluoride is not universally present in the water supply.”
Read more about Community Water Fluoridation, from the CDC by clicking here.
What is Resveratrol? Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, a natural substance that is released by plants to protect them from fungus and other microbes, from extreme temperatures and excessive dampness or drought. It is found in small amounts in the following foods: the skin of the …
Dr. Alan H. Pressman’s extensive knowledge of health, nutrition and breakthrough medicine stems from years of professional experience as a New York State Certified Nutritionist and Dietitian, Doctor of Chiropractic, and Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition. In private practice since 1963, Dr. …
In a new release announced on April 6, 2016, WHO reports that the number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries.
Scientific Director for InVite® Health, Jerry Hickey, R. Ph states, “Diabetes is a life-threatening disease that causes your blood sugar and triglycerides to become continuously and severely elevated. This excess of circulating blood sugar is very destructive, causing inflammation in the heart and circulatory system, as well as in the eyes, brain, kidneys, and nerve tissue. Diabetes may lead to a myriad of other serious health conditions as well. Diabetes occurs when your cells become resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin for various reasons. Insulin normally stores sugar in your cells. However, long before full-blown diabetes occurs, there is a period of what is referred to as “pre-diabetes”. Your blood sugar is already modestly increased and damage to the kidneys, blood vessel walls, and eyes is beginning to take place. Perhaps it should be renamed “early stage diabetes,” as even a modest elevation in blood sugar should always be looked at seriously.”
There are three main forms of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. According to WHO, the cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown and individuals with type 1 diabetes require daily insulin administration. Type 2 diabetes is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity and is now increasingly occurring in children and young people. Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition, reports WHO, that occurs in pregnancy and carries long-term risk of type 2 diabetes. This temporary condition occurs when blood glucose values are above normal but below what is considered full-blown diabetes.
Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, explains, “If we are to make any headway in halting the rise in diabetes, we need to rethink our daily lives: to eat healthily, be physically active, and avoid excessive weight gain. Even in the poorest settings, governments must ensure that people are able to make these healthy choices and that health systems are able to diagnose and treat people with diabetes.”
For more information on diabetes and World Health Day, visit the World Health Organization’s website at http://www.who.int/en/.
How are you celebrating World Health Day? Share your feedback in the comments!
