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Antioxidants and Diabetes ? What's the Link?

Antioxidants have been in the health news quite a bit recently, and many

people with diabetes wonder if these substances can help them. The

answer is ? maybe. Researchers have been studying the role of

antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its

complications for several years, and their findings are promising.

Antioxidants (such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene and

alpha lipoic acid) help clean up waste products created by normal

chemical processes in the body. When the body converts food into energy

it creates waste by-products called oxidants that can cause trouble if

they build up. This is where antioxidants come in ? they prevent the

oxidants from combining with other cells, thus making them harmless.

Healthy individuals who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables

normally have enough antioxidants in their bodies to take care of this.

But research has shown that people with diabetes have lower than normal

levels of these important substances.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern

Medical Center in Dallas found that in people with diabetes, the level

of antioxidants available to the body was associated with high blood

sugar levels ? people with higher blood sugar tended to have lower

levels of antioxidants. In addition, those who had developed various

complications of diabetes tended to have the lowest levels of

antioxidants.

Experts believe that high blood sugar contributes to oxidative stress in

several ways. For one thing, when the body can't use the sugar in the

blood for energy, it oxidizes fat and protein instead, and these

substances produce higher levels of oxidant waste. In addition, high

blood sugar changes the way enzymes work in the body to process glucose,

creating more by-products that lead to oxidative stress.

Another study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

looked at the effect of vitamin E supplements on the oxidation of

low-density lipoproteins (LDL?the " bad " cholesterol). Oxidation of LDL

is believed to contribute to heart and blood vessel disease. In this

study, patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned

to receive either a placebo or high-dose vitamin E supplements, 160

times the recommended daily amount, for eight weeks. At the end of the

study, patients who'd been taking the vitamin E showed significantly

reduced levels of oxidized LDL.

Another antioxidant that appears to have a role in preventing diabetic

complications is alpha-lipoic acid. This substance has been used in

Europe for many years to prevent and treat diabetic neuropathy ? damage

to the nervous system. It also appears to improve control of blood

sugar.

Randomized studies in both Europe and the United States have found that

people with diabetes who receive supplements of alpha-lipoic acid show

improvements in heart function and in neurological symptoms such as

pain, burning, tingling and numbness.

Alpha-lipoic acid is also being studied in patients with Parkinson's and

Alzheimer's disease because in addition to protecting the nervous

system, it also appears to help it recover from damage. In animal

studies, alpha-lipoic acid has been found to improve nerve function by

increasing both blood flow and the speed of conducting impulses from one

nerve to another.

So what does all this mean to people with diabetes? First of all, don't

rush out and buy these supplements without talking to your doctor first.

Vitamin E in particular can cause illness if too much is taken because

rather than excreting what it doesn't need, the body stores the excess.

While alpha-lipoic acid doesn't seem to cause adverse effects when taken

in large doses, there hasn't been enough research to be sure.

The best source of antioxidants is food ? eating a good variety of

fruits and vegetables usually provides for the body's needs. Citrus

fruits and dark green or orange veggies such as spinach, broccoli and

sweet potatoes are especially high in antioxidants, but so are others

such as tomatoes and blueberries? so go for variety.

If you are interested in supplementing your diet, talk to your doctor

and consult with a nutritionist who specializes in working with people

who have diabetes. A nutritionist can help you find out what nutrients

you're short on and the best way to get more of them.

Research is ongoing into the role of antioxidants in diabetes and the

potential of nutritional supplements in preventing and treating its

complications. You can expect to hear more about this exciting area of

research in the coming months and years.

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