| It has long been known that if the nutritional needs of a | | | | falls below normal an alarm reaction to stress is set |
| diabetic can be reduced, the disease sometimes | | | | off, increasing the need for protein, vitamin C, |
| disappears. If a diabetic has been under stress and the | | | | pantothenic acid, potassium, and other nutrients. |
| stress is removed-for instance, a sick child who | | | | Cortisone given as a medication, which simulates the |
| caused worry has recovered -he may no longer need | | | | body's reaction to stress, has caused both diabetes |
| insulin. Overweight diabetics can frequently stop insulin | | | | and inflammation of the pancreas in patients. |
| after reducing. In each of these cases, the body | | | | If pantothenic acid is undersupplied, the blood sugar |
| requirements have decreased, and the effect is the | | | | drops so quickly after insulin is given that the danger of |
| same as if the diet were improved. | | | | insulin shock, or a blackout, is tremendously increased. |
| Adequate nutrition stimulates insulin production in a | | | | Certain individuals, known as "brittle" diabetics, are so |
| variety of ways. The insulin output has often increased | | | | unusually sensitive to insulin that their blood sugar falls |
| after diabetics have taken vitamin C; and guinea pigs | | | | rapidly from extremely high to extremely low, causing |
| given too little vitamin C produce insufficient insulin, | | | | insulin shock to be common. This condition appears to |
| have high blood sugar, and lose sugar in the urine. This | | | | result largely from a deficiency of pantothenic acid, |
| vitamin is needed before several amino acids that | | | | though brittle diabetics also have unusually high |
| form insulin can be utilized. Deficiencies of protein, | | | | requirements for potassium, protein, vitamins B2 and C, |
| pantothenic acid, and particularly vitamin B2 reduce | | | | niacin amide, and lecithin. When these nutrients have |
| insulin synthesis in rats; and conversely, generous | | | | been increased, the sensitivity to insulin has |
| amounts of these nutrients stimulate insulin production, | | | | disappeared. |
| as does a factor in yeast. A lack of vitamin B12 or | | | | Similarly, when diabetic diets have appeared to be |
| potassium causes rats to have prolonged high blood | | | | adequate in vitamin B1, neuritis has developed, and was |
| sugar. Cortisone injections normally increase insulin | | | | relieved as soon as larger amounts of this vitamin |
| production, but such an increase cannot occur if | | | | were given. Vitamin B1 is said to be especially valuable |
| vitamins B1, B12 and pantothenic acid are deficient.A | | | | in preventing damage to the brain during diabetic |
| wide variety of animals develop diabetic symptoms | | | | acidosis. The more insulin needed, the higher is the |
| when given 2 meals daily but not if allowed to eat | | | | requirement for vitamins B1, pantothenic acid, and biotin. |
| frequently. | | | | Because of stress, urinary losses, and destruction by |
| Diabetic patients have improved remarkably and many | | | | saccharine and other artificial sweeteners, the |
| have been taken entirely off of insulin when 300 to | | | | vitamin-C requirement is also unusually high in diabetes, |
| 600 units of vitamin E have been given daily. Results | | | | and huge amounts of this vitamin sometimes bring |
| have been especially striking when 3 tablespoons or | | | | unexpected results. |
| more of lecithin were taken daily with vitamin E. Natural | | | | Diabetic patients are frequently deficient in potassium, |
| insulin production has been increased by giving patients | | | | which, though needed to utilize sugar, drops far below |
| vitamin B1, vitamin C unusually large amounts of protein, | | | | normal when the blood sugar falls or acidosis develops. |
| pantothenic acid, and small frequent meals each | | | | The loss of potassium caused by salt retention during |
| containing some carbohydrate. | | | | stress is especially dangerous to diabetics who suffer |
| After diabetes has been diagnosed, the diet should be | | | | from high blood pressure or heart disease and |
| made. As long as any pancreatic cells are able to | | | | increases the likelihood of a heart attack. Because a |
| produce insulin, the emphasis should be on keeping | | | | potassium deficiency can also be induced by eating |
| these cells healthy and on helping them to increase | | | | too much salt, diabetics should not eat such foods as |
| insulin production. The conclusion that diabetes is | | | | ham, smoked fish, and salted nuts when under stress |
| permanent is justified only when the insulin-producing | | | | or spilling sugar unless they take potassium. During |
| cells have been largely or completely destroyed. | | | | severe acidosis a lack of potassium can be fatal. Low |
| Nutritional needs are high. The dietary requirements of | | | | blood potassium also has been found to increase to |
| a diabetic are undoubtedly many times greater than | | | | normal if magnesium is given. |
| those "of a healthy individual. Because the urinary | | | | When diabetic patients with coronary disease have |
| losses of water-soluble nutrients are unusually high, to | | | | been given 2 to 5 grams of potassium chloride by |
| improve health the diet must more than compensate | | | | mouth before an insulin injection, it has prevented an |
| for these losses. For example, inositol was isolated | | | | excessive drop in blood sugar and an increase in blood |
| from diabetic urine over 100 years ago; and the urinary | | | | pressure and pulse rate; when given after the blood |
| losses of this vitamin are much greater than in other | | | | sugar fell, blood pressure and pulse have immediately |
| persons, a fact that contributes to the tragic incidence | | | | decreased and the blood sugar and |
| of severe atherosclerosis. Both the urinary losses and | | | | electrocardiograms quickly changed toward normal. It is |
| the requirements of magnesium and vitamin B are | | | | probably wise for diabetics to use-with their doctor's |
| markedly increased. Although the National Research | | | | permission-potassium chloride generously as a salt |
| Council considers: milligrams of vitamin B adequate for | | | | substitute and to carry I-gram tablets of potassium |
| adults, conscientious objectors obtaining this quantity | | | | chloride to take at the first indication of insulin shock. If |
| from army rations excreted excessive amounts of | | | | either stress or a pantothenic-acid deficiency has been |
| xanthurenic acid. | | | | prolonged, however, ordinary table salt (sodium) is |
| Every time when acidosis develops or the blood sugar | | | | needed rather than potassium. |