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Dr. D'Adamo's Newsletter
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| Elegance |
Martha D'Adamo
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| This month, I am committed to streamlining my life, getting rid of those unessential items and behaviors that keep me from fully enjoying my life. |
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I couldn't help but marvel at the elegance of nature this past month. Snow, rains, winds, all perfectly executed by nature and imperfectly responded to by humans. The concept of elegance has stayed with me as I looked at its expression in other areas of my life. An elegant design or piece of music, perfectly conceptualized and then perfectly executed. To me, this has a grace that is difficult to explain in words, although I certainly understand it and feel it.
I like to think there's an elegance in the work that we do at D'Adamo Personalized Nutrition (DPN), largely driven by the work that Peter does, whether it is in designing personalized systems that support optimal health and well-being; his research and design of bioinformatics systems to capture data to provide predictive information about future health trends; his computer programming (a self-taught skill) which allows him to create a platform for the company via our website; and in his product formulations. Each of these areas has the simplicity that comes from mastering a complex or complicated idea. The elegance in this process is the ability to maintain the integrity of the concepts while simplifying them, and making them understandable and useable, and I believe this is one of Peter's greatest attributes in each of these areas. There's a quote from Leonardo da Vinci, which is "Simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication." With great respect to da Vinci, I would take this one step further, "Simplicity is the ultimate in elegance," and this is what we strive to do at DPN.
I think about how this applies to me personally, as I try to refine my lifestyle to include more time and less clutter...time to enjoy, time to be, time to express myself. The clutter is not just "stuff," it is unnecessary behavior on my part that lends itself to more work or more things to do. This month, I am committed to streamlining my life, getting rid of those unessential items and behaviors that keep me from fully enjoying my life. This goes for my professional life as well, as we continually explore how we can make DPN a better company as well as a better overall experience for our customers.
A big component of this is that we are currently undergoing a website redesign, and part of this process is copyediting our product pages as well as providing new content that is useful for our customers. As I work through some of the edits, I am reminded of how unique our product formulations are as well as how radically visionary they are, in their conceptualization, their raw ingredient sourcing, and their quality. Our products are sourced organic, GMO-free, and avoid stearates and other questionable additives.
Over the next few weeks, you will see the new website, which has a new design, enhanced search menus and toolbars, and a tremendous amount of content, whether it is in product videos and audio files, an article category that is easy to navigate and which provides a wealth of information about personalized living, products and overall living a healthy life.
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And throughout the year, we will be continually adding to the site through new features which help you to continually learn more about the Blood Type diet, GenoType diet and our proprietary SWAMI personalized nutrition software.
These elements are all part of a paradigm of personalization, and your sharing this journey with us means that you are participating in the medicine of the future. It's an exciting adventure and we are glad to have you with us.
Here's to an elegant March.
Martha
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| Salacia: A Natural Anti-Diabetic Agent |
Peter J. D'Adamo, ND
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Salacia is a genus of plants in the family Celastraceae. One species in particular, Salacia oblonga, used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, is increasingly becoming the subject of considerable medical interest because of its potential as an anti-diabetic agent. The herb is a native of India and Sri Lanka and has been used in traditional Indian medicine and Ayurveda successfully for years. The active constituents, salacinol and kotalanol, inhibit alpha-glucosidase and aldose reductase. The inhibition of these substances decreases the breakdown of carbohydrates into absorbable monosaccharides and therefore decreases postprandial (after meal) blood glucose levels. (1)
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are used to establish greater glycemic control over hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus type 2, particularly with regard to the postprandial hyperglycemia. They may be used in conjunction with an appropriate diabetic diet and exercise, or they may be used in conjunction with other anti-diabetic drugs. Inhibition of these enzyme systems reduces the rate of digestion of complex carbohydrates. Less glucose is absorbed because the carbohydrates are not broken down into the simpler, rapidly assimilable glucose molecules. In diabetic patients, the short-term effect of these drug therapies is to decrease current blood glucose levels: the long term effect is a modest reduction in hemoglobin A1c level.
In a randomized, double-blinded crossover study of sixty-six patients with diabetes were studied to evaluate the effect of an herbal extract of Salacia oblonga on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in patients with type 2 diabetes after ingestion of a high-carbohydrate meal. The study was divided into three groups: a control meal with a high dose (480 mg) of Salacia extract, a control with a lower dose (240 mg) of Salacia extract, and a control group given just the meal. Both doses of the Salacia extract significantly lowered the postprandial positive area under the glucose curve (14% for the 240 mg extract and 22% for the 480 mg extract) and the adjusted peak glucose response (19% for the lower dose and 27% for the higher dose of extract) compared to the control meal. In addition, both doses of the herbal extract significantly decreased the postprandial insulin response, lowering both the positive area under the insulin curve and the adjusted peak insulin response (14% and 9%, respectively, for the 240 mg extract; 19% and 12%, respectively, for the 480 mg extract) in comparison with the control meal. (2)
Salacia oblonga extract functions as a PPARα activator, providing a potential mechanism for improvement of postprandial hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis in diabetes and obesity. (3)
The PPARs (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors) receptor family is comprised of three closely related isotypes (PPARα, β/δ and γ, which have been identified in various species and are structurally homologous. PPARα and PPARγ are found predominantly in liver and adipose tissue, respectively, and PPARβ/δ is ubiquitously expressed. PPARs can be activated by fatty acids, fatty acid derivatives, and synthetic compounds, heterodimerize with retinoid x receptors (RXRs), and bind to peroxisome proliferator response elements (PPREs) located in the promoter region of their target genes. Each member of the PPAR family plays a distinct role in lipid metabolism. PPARα enhances fatty acid combustion in liver by inducing genes that encode enzymes involved in β-oxidation. PPARα, the first PPAR identified, is activated by natural lipophilic ligands, like fatty acids and their derivatives, certain leukotriene products, and synthetic ligands, such as fibrates. PPARα regulates lipid metabolism and transport, fatty acid oxidation, and glucose homeostasis. In addition, PPARα exerts anti-inflammatory effects. (4)
Like most alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, Salacia extract can cause a temporary increase in breath hydrogen excretion. (5) There is often a bout of flatulence that occurs during the early stages of treatment. (6)
Salacia extracts were determined not to be genotoxic under the conditions of the reverse mutation assay and mouse micronucleus assay, and weakly positive for the chromosomal aberrations assay. However even these mild genotoxic changes were deemed insignificant due to the enormous amount of plant material needed to produce the genetic changes. (7) Salacia extract, in a medical food consumed for 2 weeks in amounts estimated at 10-fold greater than proposed for human intake, did not result in clinical chemistry or histopathologic indications of toxic effects in male Sprague-Dawley rats. (8)
Salacia oblonga is found in Glycoscia, Dr. D'Adamo's formulation that balances blood sugar and supports insulin level regulation.
- Benalla W, Bellahcen S, Bnouham M. Antidiabetic medicinal plants as a source of alpha glucosidase inhibitors. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2010 Jul 1;6(4):247-54.
- Williams JA, Choe YS, Noss MJ, Baumgartner CJ, Mustad VA. Extract of Salacia oblonga lowers acute glycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul;86(1):124-30. [full text]
- Huang TH, Yang Q, Harada M, Uberai J, Radford J, Li GQ, Yamahara J, Roufogalis BD, Li Y. Salacia oblonga root improves cardiac lipid metabolism in Zucker diabetic fatty rats: modulation of cardiac PPAR-alpha-mediated transcription of fatty acid metabolic genes.Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2006 Jan 1;210(1-2):78-85.
- D’Adamo PJ. ‘Network Medicine’ in: Fundamentals of Generative Medicine, Volume I. 2010. Drum Hill Books, Wilton CT USA.
- Collene AL, Hertzler SR, Williams JA, Wolf BW.Effects of a nutritional supplement containing Salacia oblonga extract and insulinogenic amino acids on postprandial glycemia, insulinemia, and breath hydrogen responses in healthy adults.Nutrition. 2005 Jul-Aug;21(7-8):848-54.
- Collene AL, Hertzler SR, Williams JA, Wolf BW. Effects of a nutritional supplement containing Salacia oblonga extract and insulinogenic amino acids on postprandial glycemia, insulinemia, and breath hydrogen responses in healthy adults.Nutrition. 2005 Jul-Aug;21(7-8):848-54.
- Flammang AM, Erexson GL, Mecchi MS, Murli H. Genotoxicity testing of a Salacia oblonga extract.Food Chem Toxicol. 2006 Nov;44(11):1868-74.
- Wolf BW, Weisbrode SE. Safety evaluation of an extract from Salacia oblonga. Food Chem Toxicol. 2003 Jun;41(6):867-74.
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1 in 8 Americans Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes |
Ann Quasarano
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Shocking? Indeed.
But even more staggering is the information released from a recent Harris poll that indicates that only 21% of Americans surveyed were well-versed on the disease—including one third of the participants who were diagnosed with the disease or have a parent, child, or sibling with type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes has become one of the most common and fastest growing diseases. Fully one in eight adults (approximately 29 million people) now report that they have been diagnosed with this life-threatening condition. It's occurring in epidemic proportions and according to the Harris poll, many people are not aware of the causes or warning signs and may not seek help until serious complications arise.
Below are some factors that you might want to consider to determine your risk for type 2 diabetes:
- Weight. Being overweight is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin.
- Fat distribution. If your body stores fat primarily in your abdomen, your risk of type 2 diabetes is greater than if your body stores fat elsewhere, such as your hips and thighs.
- Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.
- Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases if your parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
- Race. Although it's unclear why, people of certain races—including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian-Americans—are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than whites are.
- Age. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, especially after age 45. That's probably because people tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. But type 2 diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.
- Prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Left untreated, prediabetes often progresses to type 2 diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of later developing type 2 diabetes increases. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms), you're also at risk of type 2 diabetes.
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What Causes Insulin Resistance? (Excerpted from Diabetes: Fight It With The Blood Type Diet by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo) |
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Obesity is the number one sign that you may be pre-diabetic. Obesity is always accompanied by insulin resistance, which leads to diabetes. When it comes to body fat and insulin resistance, the easiest way to think of this problem is in terms of a sliding scale; more body fat = more insulin resistance.
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control, the obesity and diabetes epidemics have continued to escalate. Currently more than 44 million Americans are considered obese, an increase of 75% since 1991. During the same time frame, diabetes increased by 61 percent reflecting the strong correlation between the two.
Obesity upsets the regulation of energy metabolism in two ways; it produces leptin resistance and it promotes insulin resistance. Leptin (not to be confused with lectins) is a hormone associated with the obesity gene and has been receiving a lot of research attention in recent years. Leptin acts on the hypothalamus to regulate the extent of body fat, the ability to burn fat for energy, and satiety (the feeling of having eaten enough). When you're overweight, your leptin levels increase, but its action is stifled. In obesity, leptin levels increase in concert with insulin levels, leading some researchers to believe that leptin resistance is the precursor to insulin resistance. Leptin is also associated with the stress hormone cortisol.
As a general rule, when you are overweight you will have chronically elevated levels of cortisol. Fat tissue accelerates the production of cortisol, and high levels of cortisol promote weight gain. It's a vicious cycle. Cortisol differs from other steroid hormones, such as sex hormones, in that it's classified as a glucocoricoid. That means its primary action involved increasing blood sugar levels at the expense of muscle tissue. While this is the desired effect in a fight-or-flight situation, on a chronic basis it will lead to insulin resistance and an alternation in body composition from muscle to fat.
In addition, research shows that high cortisol tends to increase your appetite, because of an associate with leptin. Research suggests that cortisol is the primary factor that prevents leptin from suppressing appetite, increasing metabolism and decreasing body fat.
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Recipes: Low Glycemic Dinner Recipes Right for Your Type |
For more recipes, visit the Recipe Center on www.dadamo.com or www.genotypediet.com.
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Low Glycemic Dinner Recipes Right For Your Type |
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Packed with nutrients, these recipes were selected from our Personalized Living Using the Blood Type Diet e-Cookbooks by Chef Kristin O'Connor and Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo for their slow-releasing energy which helps to keep you feeling full longer and enables you to manage your weight. Each ingredient is considered low GI (low being less than 55 on the Glycemic Index) and is a good source of protein and fiber. Bon Appetit!
Click here to download a PDF of these delicious recipes!
Entrée choices
Lemon Ginger Salmon (beneficial – O, A, B, AB)
Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto (beneficial – O, B, AB) (avoid A)
Sides
Forbidden Black Rice Risotto (beneficial – O, A, B, AB)
Braised Greens with Garlic (beneficial – O, A, B, AB)
Dessert adapted from Personalized Living Using the Blood Type Diet
Walnut Butter Stuffed Pears (neutral – O, A, B, AB)
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Right For Your Type News |
Sugar's Alias
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The empty calories in sugar can be linked to the overweight and obesity rates. Sugar is in just about everything—soft drinks, breakfast cereal, canned fruits— and because of that, it's no surprise that obesity and weight problems have reached epidemic proportions.
Sugar is linked to almost every known health problem; cancer, heart disease, diabetes, adrenal exhaustion, immune problems, candida, hyperactivity...the list goes on and on.
To avoid added sugars, become a food detective; read the ingredient lists on packaged foods and look for these other names that manufacturers use for sugar: cane juice, caramel, corn syrup, dextran, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice (and concentrate), glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, molasses, raw sugar, refiner's syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, sucrose, and yellow sugar.
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Why New Moms Are Exhausted
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Four plus four may always be eight, but research shows us that new moms are exhausted not so much by the lack of sleep as they are by fragmented, or interrupted, sleep. Researchers at West Virginia University found that new mothers tend to go to sleep and awaken at the same times they did before having a child. What's different, the scientists say, is that a mother's sleep is often interrupted, and that's what makes for mommies who are perpetually pooped out.
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Winter Skin Care
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Your skin faces a lot of enemies in the winter. In addition to the weather, other drying factors include harsh soaps, dietary deficiencies, and indoor heating systems that sap moisture from the air. Dry skin is not caused by a lack of oil, but by water loss from the skin's outer layers.
To keep skin soft and supple, drink plenty of water. It's easy to become dehydrated during the winter and not even notice. Nourish from the inside—eating fish that contains high amounts of natural oils, such as cod and salmon help to keep skin (and your body) healthy. If you don't have enough fish in your diet, consider a fish oil supplement. Moisturize dry skin and fight aging at the same time with all natural skin crèmes and lotions—our Genoma Skin Care line is all natural and right for all skin types.
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Turn Off the TV!
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Trying to cut calories? Don't eat in front of the TV—if you do, you'll eat up to 288 more calories than you would eating at the kitchen table with the TV off.
Research conducted at the University of Massachusetts found that people who eat in front of the TV don't pay attention to what they are eating and, therefore, consume more calories.
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