Tuesday 3 December 2013

Acai for the Management of Diabetes Associated Arthritis


The connection may not be readily obvious, but there is a thin line that connects diabetes and arthritis. New studies show that diabetics are more likely to develop arthritis in their lifetimes than those who are not diabetics. The reason is simply because the disease process of diabetes affects nearly all the systems of the body, and the musculoskeletal system is not spared from that. Whether it’s rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, they are both diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is basically a hormonal problem that has far-reaching effects on the whole body. Some of the musculoskeletal changes that diabetes causes include joint pain, stiffness, and nodules on the small joints – all of which are symptoms of arthritis. When a person has had diabetes for several years, it can lead to diabetic anthropathy or joint damage. Therefore, the key to avoid joint damage is to properly manage diabetes so that it does not progress and does not cause unwanted complications. Fortunately, there are supplements that you can take in order to minimize the damages that diabetes may cause, such as acai berry.

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder caused by the lack of insulin, whether absolute or relative, produced by the pancreas. Because there is little or no insulin, the glucose that is supposed to be taken inside the cell cannot go in, and therefore cannot be utilized by the cells to perform its functions.

Think of insulin as the key to the cell. Without it, the cell’s doors will not be opened, and the glucose and nutrients will remain in the bloodstream, thus resulting to high blood sugar. That is why one way to screen diabetes mellitus is through getting a fasting blood sugar sample. A non-diabetic person will have a fasting blood sugar content that falls in the range of 80-120 milligrams per 100 ml of blood. However, a person with diabetes has a blood sugar higher than 120 milligrams, even going as high as 180-200 milligrams two hours after meals.

The three classic symptoms of diabetes can be summarized into the three P’s: polyuria, polydypsia, and polyphagia. Polyuria is the medical term for excessive urination. The urine of a diabetic person contains glucose, which is not found in normal urine. Sometimes, the urine also contains proteins. The reason is simple–the body cannot metabolize glucose in the cells, so it simply disposes of the excess glucose in the kidneys.

The second P, polydypsia, is excessive thirst. Naturally, since the body loses so much water because of excessive urination, the person with diabetes feels thirsty all the time. It is the natural signal of the body to avoid dehydration. And because the cells cannot “eat” the glucose because of the lack of insulin, the cells become hungry, thus resulting to polyphagia, or excessive eating. A person with diabetes feels hungry and thirsty all the time. Other symptoms include feeling tired most of the time and being obese.

Diabetes mellitus has a lot of other consequences other than just having a high amount of sugar in the bloodstream. One can develop cardiovascular diseases and stroke because of diabetes. Diabetes can also cause nerve damage, eye damage (retinopathy), erectile dysfunction, and kidney failure.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a disease that causes damage to the joints of the body. There are several types of arthritis, but the most common and popular type is osteoarthritis. This is the type of arthritis that goes with age, since it can be described as a disease caused by the “wear and tear” of the joints.

Known to be the number one cause of disability among the elderly, arthritis has acute pain as its main symptom. The pain that a person experiences usually exacerbates during cold weather, and is caused by the inflammation and degradation of the joints. This pain is accompanied by stiffness of the joints, thus making the afflicted person unable to move that body part. There may also be muscle spasms in the tendons.

The hands, feet, hips, spine, and knees are the body parts most commonly affected by arthritis. This is because these are the body parts that people commonly overuse. There may also be the presence of bony enlargements, called Heberden’s nodes and Bouchard’s nodes, in the smaller joints, such as the toes and the fingers.

How Acai Berry Helps Diabetes Associated Arthritis

In order for you to deal with the joint pain and other symptoms that come with arthritis, you need to detoxify your body and watch what you are eating. In other words, a healthy lifestyle will do the trick.

Since joint pain is caused by the inflammation of the joints, the root cause should be the one treated first. Inflammation is usually reduced by antioxidants, so it is essential to include antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. This is where the acai berry comes in.

Acai berry is a nutritious fruit that is rich in antioxidants, and including this in your diet will prevent or reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Acai berry is known to possess the most potent antioxidants in the world. These antioxidants help in the repair of damaged cells, as well as improve communication among these cells. They also help speed up metabolism and improve overall detoxification, leading to the elimination of toxic compounds associated with inflammation and arthritis. Moreover, acai berry contains anti-inflammatory properties. Acai berry also has a low glycemic index, so diabetics are also welcome to include this in their diet without fearing that they are eating a fruit that is high in glucose content.

One way to consume acai berry is through an acai berry capsule. Acai berry capsules, pills, and powders only contain 100% acai berry, so you don’t have to worry about not getting the full benefits of acai. Also, these freeze-dried forms do not contain preservatives, unlike the liquid forms. So if you want to get all the benefits of acai, make sure you take it in its solid form.

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