Diabetes II - Live Life to the Fullest

Type Two Diabetes and Serotonin

From my own personal experience, I discovered that serotonin (5-HTP and St. Johns wort) lowered my blood sugar naturally without depleting my body of nutrients or causing my blood sugar to drop too far, too fast.

Another favorite way for me to lower my blood sugar is to drink a chai tea that contains cinnamon and cardamom.   Both spices can be bought in a supplement capsule form.  Chromium picolanate, fenugreek, gymnema sylvestres, berberine and even the common kudzu are other great supplements that will help you control your blood sugar.

Of course, a proper nutrient-rich diet is crucial along with exercise to achieve optimal blood sugar control.  Dr. Richard Becker's Foundations for Healing is a must read.

 His recommendations include a high fiber diet, brightly colored fruits and vegetables.  Alpha lipolic acid is the control hub of cellular energy and is necessary for a healthy heart, all organs, nerves and eyes.  Glucomannon fiber is soluble and it drops cholesterol and increases glucose levels.  Grape seed complex, a powerful antioxidant, speeds up energy burning and gets oxygen in to small capillaries.  Goji berry is a powerful antioxidant that is very good for vision.  Eyebright is also a fantastic herb for tired, itchy eyes.

Milk thistle protects the liver, especially while the body is detoxing from yeast and sugar.  It improves glucose levels as well.  Oil of oregano and olive leaf help destroy yeast/fungus overload.  They are fantastic anti bacterials and natural antibiotics.

Fish, krill, flax and omega oils that contain both EPA and DHA help not only diabetes, but your overall holistic health.  These keep veins, arteries and capillaries supple, prevent buildup of plaque and allow more oxygen to be carried to your body.  Diabetics have 4 times the risk of heart disease. Manage your diabetes and your entire body will be healthy!  Eat to Live rather than live to eat.

Scientific studies confirm that serotonin does help control blood sugar.  Stress will raise anyone’s blood sugar levels but in a diabetic, the body is unable to process sugar in the bloodstream into the cells.  When your blood sugar is high, the cells signal the brain that they need sugar – and you feel hungry.  This is a vicious cycle.  When a diabetic’s blood sugar is low, the cells are “full”.  When I most need to eat (when my blood sugar reading is below 70) – I simply am not hungry but know I must eat. 

Upside down World of Pharma

Doctors usually prescribe Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression and for diabetes related depression.  These are, in the long term, ineffective and come with numerous side effects.  There are numerous scholarly articles about insulin, diabetes and serotonin.  It seems that scientific researchers have a knack for taking a simple idea and making it complex and confusing.  Maybe that is their goal?

Serotonin is produced from the essential amino acid, tryptophan.  Be sure to eat plenty of tryptophan rich foods and supplement them with B6 and magnesium. If there is a deficiency of vitamin B3 (niacin), the body will use dietary tryptophan to synthesize niacin. It takes 60 mg of tryptophan to produce 1 mg of niacin.  A niacin deficiency may also be responsible for depression.

I read one article that explained how tryptophan needs refined carbs, like sugar, to be available to the body.  Perfect.  If your sugar is up – take tryptophan.  Aha!

Sugar consumption stimulates the body to produce insulin, the hormone which transports glucose, fatty acids and amino acids (except tryptophan) into body cells. Thus insulin speeds up the absorption of amino acids other than tryptophan. This process leaves tryptophan available for absorption and conversion to Serotonin (via 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-HTP) in the presence of vitamin B6 and magnesium.

It makes sense that a person low in Serotonin will naturally crave more sugar because the body wants to produce more serotonin.  Sugar addiction can lead to insulin resistance. High levels of insulin cause receptors for insulin to shut down.   

The Journey to Diabetes II doesn't happen overnight

Insulin resistance starts first as mild insulin resistance leading to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level also called hyperinsulinism), then to reactive hypoglycemia which is a more severe insulin resistance that causes unstable concentrations of blood glucose, and finally to complete insulin resistance that results in diabetes.

In hypoglycemia, wild fluctuations in blood sugar levels causes the body to produce excess adrenaline, which functions to convert glycogen (stored sugar) into glucose in an attempt to stabilize the supply of glucose to the brain. The brain normally has no other source of energy than glucose and needs a stable supply.  Over time, this process can lead to adrenal burnout.

The overproduction of adrenaline can cause nervousness, panic attacks, anxiety, phobias, extreme mood swings and bouts of aggression to name a few. Depressant drugs, such as alcohol, tranquilizers, benzodiazepines and sleeping pills may temporarily counteract the effects of adrenaline. It should be no surprise that most drug addicts have been found to be hypoglycemic.

Hypoglycemia and/or insulin resistance is believed to result in a dysfunction of dopamine metabolism.  Many addictive drugs such as heroin and cocaine increase the amount of dopamine, by blocking (inhibiting) the reabsorption (reuptake) of dopamine by brain cells.  Tai chi, yoga, prayer and deep meditation can also release dopamine, naturally.  Meditate, don’t medicate!

You are what you eat

In addition to meats and dairy products, other specific tyrosine-rich foods that help increase dopamine levels are almonds, avocados, bananas, lima beans, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.  The last two are wonderful when added to salads.

Vitamin B-Rich Foods (folate)

Vitamin B6, found in abundance in leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry and whole grains.  These will increase serotonin levels.  Those who have been diagnosed with clinical depression have low levels of folate in their bloodstreams. Leafy green vegetables and starchy beans, such as chickpeas, kidney and black beans, are rich in folate, but it is easily destroyed by cooking. Enjoy your leafy greens raw as often as possible.

Omega-3 Fats

Cold-water fish, such as tuna, herring, salmon and mackerel, are high in the B vitamins, which help trigger the production of serotonin and rich in the polyunsaturated fatty acid known as omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish also help trigger the production of serotonin. A third reason to consume fish is that it is a good food source of the trace mineral selenium. A low intake of this mineral has been linked with depression. You can meet your selenium needs by eating more fish.

Good Health begins in the Gut

Dysbiosis: The Common Cause of Disease

A healthy gastrointestinal tract produces serotonin!

The gastrointestinal tract is home to over 400 species of good bacteria and other flora.  Healthy gut flora mostly belong to the genus names beginning with Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria. Healthy gut flora:

*Produce short chain fatty acids that contribute to a large proportion of our energy.

*Produce a number of valuable nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin K.

*Metabolize drugs, hormones, and carcinogens

*Protect us from pathogenic bacteria

*Enhance immune function

Harmful bacteria include yeasts/fungus (which thrive on sugar), parasites and coliform bacteria (such as E.coli).

When there is a severe candida overgrowth, it will morph into a harmful fungus that grows rhizoids (long, burrowing legs) that hook into and penetrate the mucus membranes in the intestines. This fungal yeast can burrow through the intestinal wall leading to Leaky Gut Syndrome, where partially digested proteins and yeast enter the bloodstream where they become toxins.

What is Dysbiosis?

Dysbiosis is the imbalance of the bacteria in the digestive tract.  70% of our immune system starts in the intestines.  Improper digestion can lead to putrefaction  which can lead to food allergies and overall inflammation.  The kidneys can easily become stressed trying to rid the body of the pathogens.

Whatever disease you are dealing with begins in the gut.  It’s as simple as that.  The journey to healing begins with a proper diet and taking a good probiotic.  Allow your body to detox slowly and naturally.  Avoid sugar and high glycemic carbs.  There are so many beneficial supplements that can help your body during this process.

Further Reading

Actually, the internet has hundreds, if not thousands, of articles about these subject.  If you are interested in learning all you can – simple search for Diabetes and Serotonin, the Serotonin connection, Leaky Gut Syndrome, etc etc   If you are dealing with diabetes or any other disease, you must take charge of your own health and become proactive.