|
Chromium
Prevents "The Aging Disease" by Mike Hodge.
There is growing scientific evidence
that Chromium may help to prevent Diabetes and reduce the debilitating
symptoms of millions of who already sufferer with the disease.
Some types of diabetes occur when insulin is overproduced because it can
no longer efficiently trigger the removal of glucose from the
bloodstream. This "insulin resistance" means that more and
more insulin is produced to try to remove glucose. Levels of both
insulin and glucose in the blood become far too high, producing
devastating effects on bodily tissues.
Diabetes was once referred to as "the aging disease" because
of the aging-like changes that accompany its onset. The disease is so
debilitating because it affects every cell in the body and there are
many symptoms including fatigue, elevated blood pressure, hardening of
the arteries and deterioration of skin quality.
Furthermore, the pro-aging effects of insulin resistance may be much
more common than once thought. Scientists have estimated that fifty
percent of people over the age of forty-five will have some degree of
"insulin resistance" that adversely affects their health.
Insulin resistance has traditionally been linked to diet, especially the
excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates found in sugary foods,
but it is now known that sugar overload increases the rate of chromium
excretion in the urine. Scientists are suggesting that chromium
deficiency rather than excess sugar may be the real underlying cause of
insulin resistance.
Chromium is essential for the action of insulin and the maintenance of
normal glucose levels because it combines with vitamin B3 and three
specific amino acids to form a chemical called Glucose Tolerance Factor
(GTF). GTF greatly enhances the power of insulin to transport glucose
into the cells. Low levels of GTF are linked to insulin resistance. GTF
is an aging marker, with children up to about ten years old having the
highest levels, and these decrease progressively with age.
Absorption of chromium and many other minerals is compromised by modern
diets, even healthy ones, indicating a general need for supplementation.
High dosage Chromium supplements can be expensive but for an even richer
source of this valuable mineral I can recommend Brewers Yeast as a
cost-effective alternative. The chromium in brewers yeast is already
pre-formed into GTF. The GTF in Brewers Yeast has a higher activity, by
a factor of ten, than any other food source.
The GTF in Brewers Yeast is also readily absorbed when taken with meals
and can be purchased very cheaply in convenient tablet form. Three
tablets with each meal will ensure that GTF is maintained at youthful
levels.
Diabetics should always inform their doctors before taking any form of
chromium supplement as medication requirements may be affected.
|