Simple Measures Can Decrease Diabetes Risk (and Even Reverse It)
A new study of 85,000 people showed that simply keeping your room dark at night is associated with a markedly lower risk of developing diabetes. Participants who had the highest 10% of light exposure (about 48 lux, or the equivalent of dim overhead lighting) were 1.5 times more likely to develop diabetes than those in the darkest bedrooms. That's about the risk increase you'd get from having a family history of type 2 diabetes.
It is suspected that this occurs from disruption of the circadian (day night) rhythm and secondary hypothalamic dysfunction. Which also occurs from increased stress and is seen in conditions such as long COVID. So sleeping in a dark room may also be helpful for those with CFS or fibromyalgia, where hypothalamic dysfunction also plays a key role.
With diabetes risk skyrocketing, and 1/3 of the population likely to eventually get it unless they take preventive measures, it's important to know that simple things slash risk, and even help the disease when present.
For example, diabetes risk can be decreased by:
- Going for walks in the sunshine,
- Cutting back on sodas, fruit juices, and other sugary drinks,
- A good multivitamin with vitamin D, magnesium, and up to 55 µg daily of selenium,
- And even drinking whole milk instead of skim.
All of these are associated with lower diabetes risk.
Once people have diabetes, many effective, safe, low-cost, and available natural measures (in addition to the above) are still available to people without prescription. These include:
- The herb Hintonia latiflora, which decreases glycosylated hemoglobin a dramatic 1%. As does the herb berberine 500 mg 2 to 3 times a day.
- Using highly absorbed forms of curcumin in decreased glycosylated hemoglobin 0.38% in multiple studies.
- Even taking melatonin has been associated with a significant drop of 0.3%
Even a drop of 2.5% in glycosylated hemoglobin, which the above four measures can easily give) can be the difference between uncontrolled diabetes and no longer being considered diabetic. It takes a year to see the full effect, although the initial effects are seen within 3 to 4 months.
So diabetes can be prevented and often even reversed with simple natural measures. For those using the medication metformin, which is an excellent medication, it is important to realize that this safe medication will routinely cause vitamin B12 deficiency – often even if B12 blood levels are normal. And what is often diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy may simply be nerve injury from B12 deficiency. Which is one more reason why a good high potency multivitamin with at least 250 µg of B12 is important.
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.