Could Medicines Affect on Pancreas to Produce Insulin? - Diabetes 4

Niacin (vitamin B3), just for illustration (credit to Shuvani)

Previous post (please read: Why Pancreas of Type 2 Diabetic Persons Produce Less Insulin? - Diabetes 3 | Tanza Erlambang Update), we mentioned several factors may affect on beta cell to produce insulin in pancreas.

Factors lead to harm beta cells are distinguished at least in three groups:

- Medical or pharmacological

- Biological or metabolically

- Environmental factor

We discuss effect of medicine on beta cells in this post. Some drugs have negative effect on beta cells:

- antimicrobial drugs

- antidepressants

- Niacin (vitamin B3)

- anti seizure medicines

- HIV medicines

- Pneumonia medicine such as Pentamidine

- Glucocorticoids (asthma and rheumatic arthritis drugs)

- Statin

Statin tablets (credit to AARP)

Two medicines that got attention recently are Statin and Niacin. Both are used to lower cholesterol level in the blood.

Niacin is a supplement, mean we can buy without doctor prescriptions. It is sold not only in drug stores, but also in groceries (I saw in some groceries).

Statin is a prescription medicine. In addition to combat bad cholesterol, Statin also known for heart protection, and avoiding stroke. Unfortunately, Statin may develop risk of diabetes.

Niacin as vitamin B3, a supplement that could reduce arthritis and stimulate brain function. Proper dosage is 15 mg per day.

Negative effect of Niacin that it increases the level of sugar in the blood. Thus, It may harm beta cell, then affect on diabetes patients.

Finally, diabetes patients should aware about negative effect of any medicines. If doubt, just come and ask physicians.

Why Pancreas of Type 2 Diabetic Persons Produce Less Insulin? - Diabetes 3

Pancreas organ produces insulin (credit to Surgita Ltd)

You might know that insulin is an important hormone to bring glucose from blood into cells, then broken as source of energy.

The glucose also be stored by cells for future purposes. Hence, insulin would maintain blood sugar in the normal level, not lower (hypoglycemia) or not higher (hyperglycemia).

It is fact that people with type 2 diabetes have their pancreas produced less insulin than normal people.

The question then, Why Pancreas of Type 2 Diabetic Person Produce Less Insulin?

Generally, pancreas produces less or even stop producing of insulin at all due to several factors:

- damages to some part of pancreas because of cancer and trauma

- negative effects of using certain medicines

- diseases such as hormonal diseases

- gen mutation

Beta cell in the pancreas (credit to PLOS Biology)

If we observe the pancreas, there is the tiny spot (an area) called as “the islet.” This area contains “beta cell”

The islet accommodates of 50% to 70% of beta cell that contribute to insulin production.

Here, how Beta cells have connections to diabetes:

- if beta cell damaged or degeneration, then caused to insulin dependent (type 1 diabetes)

- if beta cells are reduced in numbers (because regeneration rate less than death rate), then, caused to insulin production less (type 2 diabetes).

In addition, beta cell deficiency of functioning, together with body resistance to insulin may lead to type 2 diabetes as well. 

What is the Relationship between Eggs and Diabetes? - Diabetes 2

An egg yolk, illustration only

Based on early studies (1970’s), there was indication that diabetes type 2 was stimulated by cholesterol in the eggs.

Not only to diabetes, egg’s cholesterol also believed to contribute to cardiovascular diseases.

Health communities then advocated diabetic patients to limit their eggs daily consumption.

Some experts to suggest to eat no more than 4 eggs per week or every other day for one egg.

Recently, after several researches conducted, scientists “doubted” the relationship between eggs intake and diabetes.

Hence, myth about effect of eggs on diabetes (especially type 2) has been modified.

Hens in a small farm, illustration purpose only

Eggs are nutrient riches content, some of them are:

- lower carbohydrate (0.4 gram)

- lower calories (80 caloric)

- 216 mg cholesterol

- 1.8 gram saturated fat

In addition, eggs are sources of vitamin D, fatty acid and protein that are important to:

- build strong bond.

- oxygen transportation and energy resource (in case no glucose)

- fix and build tissues, make hormone and enzyme in the body. 

Organic eggs in the small farm

In respect to cholesterol and saturated fat, dietitians recommend to consume:

- more than 300 mg per day for cholesterol (no specific limit from dietary guidelines for Americans)

- 11 to 13 gr per day for saturated fat.

It is suggested to eat lower calories and lower carbohydrate foods to manage fluctuation of blood sugar.

Thus, consume 1 egg per day is “good enough” for diabetes type 2 patients.

Why Diabetes Type 2 Patients Need Insulin? - Diabetes 18

Insulin injection for illustration only (credit to Google)

At early stages of type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced enough by body (specific organ in the pancreas).

The disturbance of blood sugar level, may be controlled with additional activities such as:

- Low caloric diet

- Need physical activities more

- Some medications (oral pills)

Why patients need insulin injection? Two main reasons are:

- Body reduces ability slowly to produce insulin to control blood sugar over time.

- Oral medications not effective to reduce blood sugar anymore

What mean by adding insulin to the body? Few are:

- To lower blood glucose to healthy level in quick manner

- Insulin make body take rest from hard work to break down glucose in the blood.

In term of cost, it is said that using insulin is cheaper compared to other diabetic medications in long term average.

Take out insulin

The most favorite area to inject insulin is abdomen, but other areas also perfect:

- Hip

- Buttocks

- Back of arms

- Thighs

Methods to deliver insulin into the body are developed well, in addition to syringe and needle other methods are:

1. Using a kind of pen. This method is less pain than syringe and needle, but little bit expensive.

2. Insulin pump. This method is imitating the body to control blood sugar. Specific training is needed to execute this method.

On going researches are conducted to find out the best way to manage diabetes. Improvement are seen day by day.

Does Bitter Melon Contain Anti-Diabetic Substances? - Diabetes 13

Three different sizes of bitter melon

We sometime buy bitter melon (Momordica sp) to make our traditional food. You might know that bitter melon is among most bitter of vegetables.

Many people consume bitter melon as a juice and as a tea, like a green tea.

Because of its bitterness, people in Asian countries use it for medical purposes. One of them is to control diabetes, type 2 diabetes.

People believed that bitter melon could lower blood sugar. It is because bitter melon substances bring glucose into cells, and burned down or used it for energy.

In addition, the cell processes the glucose to be stored in the organs such as muscles and liver or change the glucose to be fat.

Does Bitter Melon Contain Ant-Diabetic Substances? Yes. Some anti-biotic substances are following:

- Charantin

This is a hypoglycaemic property responsible to lower blood sugar

- Vicine

This is “a glycosidic compound,” it has been known for reducing plasma glucose in diabetes mellitus patients.

- Polypeptide-p.

This is “an insulin like compound” to control blood sugar.

Now, some pharmaceutical companies or herbal product companies or food companies extracted bitter melon and sold in capsules as a dietary supplement to “support healthy glucose metabolism.”

The size of one small bottle is range from 60 to 120 pills. Price is around US$ 2.74 to US$ 11.61.

It is suggested to consume capsules when patients have blood glucose already in the normal condition (normal range).

Have you tasted bitter melon and know its medical benefits?

What is Type 2 Diabetes? - Diabetes 1

Higher sugar food is one of risk factors for type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a form of diabetes occurs when blood sugar (glucose) increases than normal level (in-controlable) in our body, also called as hyperglycemia. 

More than 400 million people are living with this type of diabetes in the world in 2015.

In the USA, there are around 30.3 million people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2015, and more than 80 million are in stage of pre-diabetes. 

The number are estimated will be increase both in America and world in coming years.

How people could get type 2 diabetes? Body doesn’t use insulin effectively. To respond to this condition, pancreas produces more insulin than usual. 

Day by day and at the some point, pancreas ability to produce insulin decreasing, thus blood glucose can not be keep at normal level in the body. 

A corner of my city, just for illustration

Some risk factor of type 2 diabetes are following:

* Excess weight

* Physical in-activity

* Poor diet

Other factor could stimulate type 2 diabetes are older age, genetic or family history, certain ethnicity and high blood pressure. However, in term of age, children also got type 2 diabetes.

We could conclude that there are two kinds of risk factors: non-modifiable and modifiable. Please see at figure above.