Bifidobacteria and the control of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (also referred to and known as diabetes type 2) is an increasingly common health complaint within the Western world; This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of frequent urination, increased thirst) and increased hunger. Worldwide, at least 171 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, which is about 2.8% of the world's population. The 3 main types of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

This phenomenon has been attributed to a variety of different factors, which are considered in more detail as follows.

1) People are no longer as active as they should be and so lead very sedentary lifestyles whereby they do not gain sufficient exercise due to the over-reliance upon cars.
2) The Western world is notorious for having a diet which contains unacceptably high levels of refined sugar, saturated fat, salt and cholesterol which in turn accelerates the weight gain process, and places additional pressure upon the heart.
3) The downtu
of the economy has meant that the value of currency has been significantly devalued in recent years, forcing people to work longer periods of time and with little rest or leisure.
4) The ready availability as well as cheapness of fast food and other junk food items has helped to ensure that so called “comfort eating” (the consumption of food in response to negative, emotional stimuli) has increased.

One of the primary problems and symptoms associated with the presence of diabetes mellitus is that the blood sugar/glucose regulation of the body is significantly impaired as a direct consequence of the lack of insulin within the body of the diabetic. As a consequence, this means that even a slight imbalance within the blood sugar level can have potentially lethal complications for the diabetic.

Bifidobacteria is a probiotic agent that has been identified as a potential ally in the fight against diabetes, and the reason for this is due to the fact that it serves to help stimulate and increase the production and secretion of the hormone insulin within the pancreas. With an increase in the production of insulin, this means that the body is able to more effectively and deftly handle the control of the blood sugar levels within the body; thereby minimising the degree of harm that the diabetes has upon the quality of life of the diabetic.
Does this mean that Bifidobacteria is the new, super-cure for diabetes mellitus as we know it? Unfortunately, the answer is no and the reason for this is that scientists have yet to identify the precise quantities and concentrations that diabetics would be required to ingest of the Bifidobacteria and Bifidobacteria based probiotic capsules. As such, Bifidobacteria must remain for now nothing more than an exciting new medical discovery and breakthrough which has significant potential.

What this means then is that increasing your daily consumption of Bifidobacteria will not allow you to effectively avoid becoming diabetic: and so exercise in addition to a healthy, nutritious and well-balanced diet must remain your primary weapons against the onset of the disease.