Type 2 Diabetes - Can Vitamin C Help People With Diabetes?

By Beverleigh H Piepers  

Photo: fortitech.com
 
If you have received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes it's essential you get enough of the important vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy mind and body and fight off effects of the disease. If you can't do it through food, supplements are the alternative. Vitamin C is very important, as studies reveal it can help reduce or counteract Type 2 diabetes if taken regularly and in sufficient doses.
One study showed there was a 62% decrease in the risk for diabetes in people who had high levels of vitamin C in their system. This vitamin helps dilate blood vessels which allow the blood to circulate more freely. This can also help reduce the risk of amputation by increasing the blood flow to the extremities which are the highest areas of risk of poor circulation.
It has also been shown vitamin C improves your body's ability to metabolize glucose... whether you have diabetes or not. If you do have Type 2 diabetes, this is important because it can help keep your blood sugar under control more easily.
Studies have shown people with diabetes seem to need higher doses of vitamin C than non-diabetics. So even if you're getting a decent amount of this vitamin from your food, topping it up with supplements is a recommended way to help control your condition... especially if your diabetes is not being controlled properly through diet, exercise and medications.
Vitamin C:

• can decrease the levels of sorbitol in your body. The accumulation of sorbitol in your retinal cells can cause diabetic retinopathy which can impair your vision. This is a very common issue for diabetics.
• one study showed this vitamin also has the ability to reduce your cholesterol levels, another issue that can be hard to control. This is partly due to the fact many diabetics are overweight so their bodies have to work harder to stay healthy.
• vitamin C may also decrease blood pressure and decrease the stiffness of your arteries, enabling better blood flow. This means your risk of heart disease may also be lower than if you didn't have sufficient amounts of this vitamin in your system.

If your diabetes is severe, it's important to speak to your doctor before taking large doses of vitamin C supplements. You may have kidney disease and, if so, this can impede your body's ability to excrete this vitamin. The excess will be converted to oxalate which may damage your heart and other vital tissues.
Vitamin C has many other health benefits as well. It helps your:

• skin, tendons and bones stay healthy because it helps to synthesize collagen.
• brain to function healthily because it stimulates your neurotransmitters.
• carnitine production which is part of your body's energy converting system.

It's also an antioxidant which means it helps to prevent free radicals damaging your cells.
As with all vitamins, always consult your doctor before taking supplements to ensure there are no harmful side effects.

Type 2 diabetes is not really a condition you must just live with. It need not slowly and inevitably get worse. You can take control of the disease, take back your health by preventing the development of many issues.
For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body.
The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverleigh_H_Piepers

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7416102