Diabetes
Diabetes is an all-too-common topic of conversation these days. Why? Because approximately 20 million Americans — or about 9 percent of the population — have it. Unfortunately, what may be worse is that as many as one-third of these people don’t even realize they have the disease.1 With smart dietary choices and a healthy lifestyle, however, there’s a lot that can be done to reduce the risk of diabetes and help manage its consequences.
Just What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolism disorder. When you eat, most food is broken down into glucose, a form of sugar that travels through the blood and provides energy to your cells. Insulin, a hormone produced in your pancreas, helps move this glucose into the cells, where it is broken down and turned into the energy you need for daily living.
In healthy people, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Consequently, glucose builds up in the blood, certain tissues and the urine. This, in turn, can lead to a number of serious health problems, including heart disease2 renal failure,3 blindness,4 nerve damage5> and amputations.6
The Two Major Types of Diabetes
There are two different types of diabetes — each with its own causes and possible treatments.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease7 that most often begins in childhood, but can appear at any age. Here, the immune system destroys cells in the pancreas and subsequently causes it to produce little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must learn to live with daily insulin injections and balance their food intake in order to keep their blood glucose levels from spinning out of control. Although it can be managed through diet, exercise and insulin, presently, there is no cure for type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is much more common, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes. This type poses an ever-growing public health concern in the United States — quite literally; about 80 percent of those with type 2 diabetes are overweight.8> Because it is closely linked to lifestyle factors, unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 can usually be prevented or even reversed through changes in habits. Although type 2 diabetes is most commonly associated with those who live a sedentary lifestyle and older people, it is also on the rise among children and teens.9
A Couch-Potato Lifestyle: Type 2 Diabetes’ Best Friend
Between 1980 and 2002, the rate of obesity doubled among adults over the age of 20 and tripled among children and adolescents.10 At the same time, the rate of type 2 diabetes doubled.13 Because type 2 diabetes is so closely related to obesity, the term diabesity has been coined to describe this condition.14
More than 50 million people in the United States have another condition known as pre-diabetes where their glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at greater risk for developing diabetes, which in turn raises the risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.15
Can I Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?
A well-balanced diet that is low in cholesterol and saturated fat and moderate in calories can help manage both pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In fact, maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and to help prevent heart disease and kidney decline18 for those already diagnosed with the disease.
Why Silk®?
Here’s some great (and great-tasting!) news: Soyfoods like Silk Soymilk can play a valuable role in helping to manage diabetes and its associated complications.
Each glass of Silk provides high quality protein, is cholesterol-free and is low in saturated fat — making it a smart choice to support weight reduction and healthy cholesterol levels. In fact, some studies show that very low-calorie diets that include soy protein are more effective for weight loss than diets that do not contain soy protein.19
Silk can also play a role in helping to reduce the risk of heart disease. This is an important consideration for all people, but especially for those with diabetes, since heart disease is one of diabetes’ most serious complications.2 Diets that contain soy protein may help reduce blood cholesterol levels.20 And when maintained consistently over many years, a diet high in soy protein may encourage an accumulative heart disease risk reduction of as much as 10 to 15 percent. 24
Other studies suggest soyfoods can help to maintain optimal glucose and insulin levels.26 Furthermore, when compared to animal proteins, soy protein may favorably affect people whose renal function is compromised 28 — another major medical complication of diabetes.3
Cheers to Your Health
Whether you choose it for the calcium, the soy protein or just the great taste, there are plenty of reasons to include Silk in your healthy lifestyle. If diabetes is a concern, there are even more. Adding Silk to your everyday routines doesn’t take much effort — try a splash in your morning cereal, drink it straight up or use it in cooking anywhere you’d use dairy milk. Drink up — your body’s going to thank you.
References
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