If, 200 years ago, some diabolical force wanted to create a set of conditions that would result in a population of obese and diabetes-prone people, it couldn’t do better than create a setup like the one we live with today, according to Ron Hunninghake, MD.
What would go into such a demonic creation? We’d have to invent things that would stop people from moving on their own, things like cars and escalators. Then we’d need forms of entertainment that are alternatives to sports and other outdoor activities, things like TV and video games. Then to top it off, we’d need to flood the diet with processed foods containing sugar, white flour, and lots and lots of fat. Sound familiar?
Dr. Hunninghake is just describing the scenario that brings a flood of patients to his practice every year. Medical director of The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning in Wichita, Kansas, and coauthor of Stop Prediabetes Now, Dr. Hunninghake knows he’s facing a challenge of monumental proportions to get people to eat a different way.
“That’s our whole culture,” he says. “People don’t even know it’s ever been another way. People are digging their graves with their knives and forks. It’s hard to convince people to do something different.”
According to the American Diabetes Association, 2.8 million Americans have diabetes. But 54 million Americans have prediabetes. And population studies show that approximately two-thirds of the people in this country are significantly above their ideal weight.
“Prediabetes and obesity are two sides of the same coin,” says Dr. Hunninghake. “If you have obesity, you likely have prediabetes. The designation of prediabetes is important. If you act on prediabetes, you can actually reverse it. This is the core issue that most Americans are facing.”
What exactly is prediabetes?
Also known as syndrome X, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome, prediabetes is exactly what the name implies—a set of changes in the body that indicate that an individual is well on the way to developing full-blown diabetes. These include increased blood sugar (glucose) levels, increased insulin levels, and excess weight.
The first order of business for reversing prediabetes, says Dr. Hunninghake, is committing to four important dietary changes.
Eat a greater percentage of whole foods. While prepared and processed foods may be convenient, the health problems they engender are anything but. Focus more on making your own meals from fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, lean meats, and fish.
Eat more omega-3s. We need to eat two categories of essential fatty acids—omega-3s and omega-6s. In the diet of our ancestors, says Dr. Hunninghake, the ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s was 1 to 1. Now we eat a much greater percentage of omega-6s, which come mainly from vegetable oils, such as safflower, corn, sunflower, and soybean oils. Many of these oils find their way into processed foods in the form of trans fats. They also find their way into our bodies through such fast-food items as french fries. Nutrition experts now estimate that the current ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is somewhere between 10 and 20 to 1.
The problem here, according to Dr. Hunninghake, is that eating such an imbalanced ratio of omega-3s versus omega-6s contributes to inflammation in the body, which, in turn, contributes to a whole host of health problems, from prediabetes to heart disease.
To get more omega-3s, you simply need to eat more fish. The best choices are fatty fish, such as salmon, anchovies, and sardines. You might also take a fish oil supplement, which may help the body burn excess fat, says Dr. Hunninghake. One component of fish oil, DHA, apparently helps block the formation of new fat cells; and, at the same time, helps the body use the energy contained in existing fat cells, he explained. He suggests taking 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams of fish oil daily.
You can also try a great new product now widely available in supermarkets—eggs that come from chickens that have been raised on a diet designed to increase the omega-3 content of their eggs. You’ll pay a little more for these eggs, but they’re a good way to increase your consumption of this important nutrient.
Eat more foods that come from plants. “Plant matter is important,” says Dr. Hunninghake. “Foods are your best sources of antioxidants, much better than you can take out of a pill bottle.”
Antioxidants are nutrients that neutralize free radicals, naturally occurring molecules that damage the body. If you take a supplement of a single antioxidant, say vitamin E, you are getting one single antioxidant, explains Dr. Hunninghake. But when you eat fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, you’re getting literally hundreds of phytochemicals, including a variety of antioxidants, that work in synergy with each other. Plant foods also contain fiber, which helps slow the rate at which sugars enter your body.
Your best bet is to put a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables on your plate every day.
Eat low on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is merely a measure of how fast the sugar in your foods reaches your bloodstream, explains Dr. Hunninghake. If you eat sugary foods and refined grain products like white bread and pasta, your meals flood your body with sugar and contribute to the problem of insulin resistance. Better choices include foods low on the glycemic index—whole grains, beans, fish, and vegetables. And keep sweet treats to a minimum.
While the four dietary strategies are more important, there are several individual nutrients that can be helpful in reversing prediabetes.
Alpha lipoic acid is one of the body’s most powerful antioxidants, says Dr. Hunninghake. It helps the body manufacture and use glutathione, which detoxifies the liver and also helps with sugar regulation, he says. Research shows that this nutrient can help reduce appetite, promote weight loss, and speed up the body’s ability to burn calories, he says.
Dr. Hunninghake suggests taking 100 milligrams in supplement form twice a day.
The B vitamin biotin helps your body make insulin and metabolize sugar and proteins, says Dr. Hunninghake. He recommends taking 500 to 1,000 micrograms with each meal.
Chromium is a mineral that helps modulate insulin resistance, says Dr. Hunninghake. “Just about everybody we test is low” in this mineral, he says.
Chromium also helps reduce the craving for carbohydrates, according to Ryan Bradley, ND, a naturopathic physician and founder of the diabetes and cardiovascular wellness program at Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and improves mood, he says.
Doctors generally recommend 50 to 200 micrograms a day of chromium, in the form of chromium picolinate. If you’ve been told that you have prediabetes, you should discuss this supplement with your doctor, as it can alter blood sugar levels and potentially change the amount of medication you should be taking.
If you have excess sugar in your blood, as do so many people with weight problems, your body is likely wasting magnesium, which is an essential mineral, says Dr. Hunninghake. People who have excess blood sugar tend to urinate more, and along with that excess urine, much-needed mineral stores can be depleted, he explains.
In fact, in 2006, researchers working at Northwestern University in Chicago found that young adults who consume more magnesium are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome (prediabetes). The researchers followed a group of 4,637 Americans ages 18 to 30 for a period of 15 years. At the start of the study, none of the participants had metabolic syndrome. By the end of the study, researchers uncovered 608 cases. In analyzing their diets for magnesium intake, researchers found that “young adults with higher magnesium intake have lower risk of development of metabolic syndrome.”
Among other things, magnesium helps the body’s cells maintain their sensitivity to the hormone insulin, says Dr. Bradley. And insulin helps the body regulate blood sugar. Dr. Bradley suggests getting 400 milligrams a day.
Vitamin C helps the body manufacture carnitine, a substance that helps cells burn fat, explains Dr. Hunninghake. It’s helpful to take a supplement of 1,000 milligrams daily, he says.
Vitamin D helps the body regulate its sensitivity to insulin and is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, says Dr. Hunninghake.
Nationwide, a good portion of the population is short on vitamin D. And people who are obese generally need to get twice as much vitamin D in order to maintain a normal vitamin D status, according to research done by Michael Holick, MD, PhD, and colleagues. The problem, explains Dr. Holick, is that the vitamin tends to get trapped in the fat and cannot easily exit in order to meet the body’s needs.
In 2008, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore found a direct correlation between low vitamin D levels and the development of prediabetes in young adults. They looked at 834 men and 820 women over the age of 20 and found an “inverse association” between the blood levels of vitamin D and prediabetes, meaning that the lower the vitamin D level, the more likely the person was to have prediabetes.
Most experts are now recommending that people aim to get at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily. If you are obese, ask your physician about taking twice that amount.
Stop Prediabetes Now: The Ultimate Plan to Lose Weight and Prevent Diabetes by Jack Challem and Ron Hunninghake, MD
It is possible to reverse prediabetes through exercise, weight loss, and diet. If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, you should be under a doctor’s care and should consult with your doctor about any supplements that you wish to take.
Alpha lipoic acid |
100 milligrams, two times a day |
Biotin |
500 to 1,000 micrograms with each meal |
Chromium picolinate* |
50 to 200 micrograms |
Magnesium |
400 milligrams |
Omega-3 fatty acids |
1,000 to 3,000 milligrams of fish oil† |
Vitamin C |
1,000 milligrams |
Vitamin D |
1,000 to 2,000 IU |
*Chromium can have a significant impact in lowering blood sugar. If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes and are taking medication for it, make doubly sure that you discuss this supplement with your doctor.
†Fish oil has a blood-thinning effect. If you’re taking any kind of blood-thinning drug, talk to your doctor before taking fish oil supplements.