Diabetic Digest - May 14, 2014

Readers:

The other day I discovered a fascinating article. The title is what got my attention - Clues to type 2 diabetes discovered on Mount Everest. What?

Usually you'd think a new species would be discovered, or some ancient civilization, or maybe Amelia Earhart, but not the clues to type 2 diabetes.

Read the article below and see what this amazing study has discovered about the biological triggers for type 2 diabetes. Just fascinating!

Regards,
Steve

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Comments? Questions? Email Steve


*-- Diabetic News --*
Clues to type 2 diabetes discovered on Mount Everest

Study found low oxygen levels in healthy people at high altitudes led to increase in signs of insulin resistance.

By: Robert Preidt

(HealthDay News) -- Research conducted on climbers atop Mount Everest offers new insight into the biological triggers for type 2 diabetes.

Specifically, the British investigators learned more about how low oxygen levels in the body (hypoxia) may be linked with insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes. Insulin resistance occurs when cells in the body fail to respond to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.

Increases in several indicators of insulin resistance occurred when the climbers were exposed to hypoxia at high altitudes for six to eight weeks. These changes were linked with increased blood levels of markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, according to the study in the April 14 issue of the journal PLOS One.

"These results have given us useful insight into the clinical problem of insulin resistance. Fat tissue in obese people is believed to exist in a chronic state of mild hypoxia because the small blood vessels are unable to supply sufficient oxygen to fat tissue," study leader Mike Grocott, a professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Southampton, said in a university news release.

Scientists were able to observe things in healthy people at high altitudes that normally are only seen in obese people at sea level, Grocott noted.

"The results suggest possible [treatments] to reduce progression towards full-blown diabetes, including measures to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation within the body," added Grocott, who is head of the Critical Care Research Area within the Southampton National Institute for Health Research Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit.

During the Everest expedition in 2007, 24 people traveled to the mountain and were checked for blood sugar control, body weight changes and signs of inflammation at base camp, which was at an altitude of 5,300 meters (about 17,388 feet).

Half of the participants remained at base camp while the other half climbed Everest to a maximum altitude of 8,848 meters (29,028 feet). Measurements were taken in each group at week six and week eight of the trek.

The study was part of a research program examining hypoxia and human performance at extreme altitudes, in an effort to improve care of the critically ill and other patients where hypoxia is a primary problem.

"These exciting results give us a unique insight into the possible mechanism of insulin resistance in diabetes, and provide some clues as to where we should be thinking about focusing further research on novel treatments for this disease," study co-author Daniel Martin, senior lecturer and honorary consultant at University College London division of surgery and interventional science, said in the news release.

"It also demonstrates the value of using healthy volunteers in studies carried out at high altitude to patients at sea level. Our high altitude experimental model for investigating every day illnesses that involve tissue hypoxia is a fantastic way to test hypotheses that would otherwise be very difficult to explore," he added.

SOURCE: University of Southampton

Original Article: Clues to type 2 diabetes discovered on Mount Everest


*- Diabetic Recipe -*
Chicken Salad with Potatoes, Green Beans, and Tarragon Dressing
Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 pound small red potatoes, cooked
1/3 pound green beans, stem ends pinched, cut into 1 inch pieces, blanched in boiling water to cover for 2 minutes and drained
1 4-ounce plum tomato, diced
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 teaspoons crushed dried tarragon
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions
1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Grill chicken or bake at 350 degrees F until done. (Either way should take about 10 minutes.) Dice chicken into bit-sized cubes and place in a bowl.
2. Dice the cooked potatoes and add to the chicken, along with the green beans and tomatoes.
3. Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, tarragon, vinegar, salt (if using), and pepper in a small bowl. Fold into the chicken and vegetables. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 264 calories (6% calories from fat), 31 g protein, 2 g total fat *0.4 g saturated fat), 30 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 67 mg cholesterol, 203 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges: 3 very lean protein, 2 carbohydrate (1 1/2 bread/starch, 1 vegetable)

Original Recipe: Chicken Salad with Potatoes, Green Beans, and Tarragon Dressing

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