Fight Diabetes with the Power of Zinc

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 by: Anthony Gucciardi
Tags: diabetes, zinc, health news

(NewsTarget) Diabetes is an escalating issue in the United States, and there are no signs of this health ailment diminishing. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million adults and children have diabetes in the U.S. That is 7.8% of the population according to the latest data formed from 2007, and 1.6 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Luckily, there are many natural remedies that may aid in suppressing the negative effects of diabetes. Many of these remedies may completely cure or prevent diabetes when used properly.

Research shows that zinc, an essential trace element responsible for over 300 enzyme functions, can aid in normalizing the negative effects of diabetes mellitus. According to the study, zinc has been shown to mitigate the harmful effects of diabetes by improving glycemic control in type I and type II diabetes. Many of the enzyme systems in which zinc is a necessity for are involved with the metabolism of blood sugar, and therefore make zinc a natural catalyst for insulin secretion.

The pancreas is an endocrine gland responsible for producing hormones like glucagon, somatostatin, and - you guessed it - insulin. The beta cells that secrete insulin in your pancreas are also highly stored with zinc. Without the high concentrations of zinc, the beta cells suffer. Luckily, beta cells are equipped with their own special transporter called 'zinc transporter 8', which makes it easy for the beta cells to store the zinc. However, it is known that any metamorphosis of the genes in the zinc transporter 8 causes type 2 diabetes. It is also now known that antibodies against the zinc transporter are present in type 1 diabetic patients, which means that these antibodies are associated with type 1 diabetes.

It is no wonder why zinc is as popular as it is for supplementation. In addition to mending the difficulties brought on by diabetes, zinc also serves to maintain a healthy immune system, controls hair loss, halts impotence, improves brain function, prevents loss of taste or smell, and much more. Although supplementation is a viable option to obtain the amount of zinc that you need, it is not the only option thanks to the abundant amount of foods rich in zinc that are available to the general public. To reap the many benefits of zinc, one could include any of the following foods into their diet:

Oysters
Wheat Germ
Veal Liver
Sesame Flour and Tahini
Low Fat Roast Beef
Roasted Pumpkin and Squash Seeds
Dried Water Melon Seeds
Cocoa Powder and Chocolate
Lamb
Peanuts
Almonds
Avocado
Bananas
Beef
Cashew
Cheese
Chicken (dark meat)
Chickpeas (including hummus and falafel)
Crab, Dungeness
Cucumber
Eggs
Fish
Kiwi Fruit
Lettuce
Lima Beans
Liver
Milk
Olives
Onion
Peaches
Peas
Pecan Nuts
Pine Nuts
Pork
Shellfish
Spinach
Strawberries
Sunflower seeds
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Turkey (dark meat)
Walnuts
Yogurt

Sources:
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/arti...
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diab...
http://www.weightlossforall.com/foods-rich-z...
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/z...
http://www.wellnessresources.com/studies/ent...

About the author

Anthony Gucciardi is a health activist and wellness researcher, whose goal is centered around educating the general public as to how they may obtain optimum health. He has authored countless articles highlighting the benefits of natural health, as well as exposing the pharmaceutical industry. Anthony is the creator of Natural Society (http://www.NaturalSociety.com), a natural health website. Anthony has been accurately interpreting national and international events for years within his numerous political articles. Anthony's articles have been seen by millions around the world, and hosted on multiple top news websites.