Diabetes Overview

Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body’s blood sugar processing is disrupted. It is characterised by high blood sugar levels, also known as high blood glucose levels in the body.^1,2

In Malaysia, 1 in 5 adults has diabetes. That’s 3.9 million adults in Malaysia who have diabetes nationwide and 49% (3.7 million) who have not been diagnosed with the disease,  according to a national survey report.³ This number is expected to rise to as many as 7 million Malaysian adults, posing a significant public health risk.³ Understanding diabetes and its prevention and management strategies are important to maintain good health.

Types of Diabetes ^2,4

There are several types of diabetes mellitus, including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (About 10% of people with diabetes have Type 1)

• Autoimmune disease (the body accidentally attacks itself) that occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin.
• As a result, the body can no longer produce its own
• People with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin injections to survive.
• Type 1 is usually diagnosed in children, teenagers, and young adults.
• In some cases, genes play a role, but the exact cause or prevention method is still unknown. 

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (About 90 – 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2)

• This is a disease when the body does not utilise and respond well to insulin, causing glucose levels to rise in the blood.
• The body produces insulin but is unable to use it effectively (known as insulin resistance).

Gestational Diabetes

• Occurs during pregnancy when the body cannot produce enough insulin or the cells are less sensitive to insulin because of hormonal changes during pregnancy
• Overweight or obese pregnant women may be at an increased risk for gestational diabetes
• It is diagnosed through prenatal screening
• Usually goes away after the baby is born, however, increases the baby’s and mom’s risk for type 2 diabetes later in life

Image credit from Shutterstock

Causes of Diabetes ^2,3

Blood sugar is the body's main source of energy, and it comes from the food we eat. After eating, the body breaks down the food into glucose (sugar) and releases it into the cells to provide them with the energy for the day. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. It acts like a key that unlocks the insulin receptor (like a doorknob) so that the glucose channel (like a door) can open and sugar can be absorbed into the cell. It acts by,

1. transporting glucose into the cells to provide energy to the body (thus lowering glucose levels in the bloodstream)
2. releasing glucose from the muscles or liver (storage for excess sugar) to the body when it is starving (thus raising glucose levels in the bloodstream)

These two processes operate in a constant loop cycle to prevent your blood glucose levels from dropping or rising to dangerous levels. However, in people with diabetes, this process does not work properly because insulin becomes ineffective or resistant (insulin resistance) for the following reasons:-

• Genetic factors
• Physical Inactivity
  • Being overweight and obese significantly increases the risk because excess fat can make cells more resistant to insulin.
  • Dyslipidemia (high triglyceride levels, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol) also increase risk
• Unhealthy dietary habits
  • Poor diet - high in sugar or carbohydrates, fats, and cholesterol

Symptoms of Diabetes ²

Diabetes symptoms result from high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia). Common symptoms are:-

• Frequent urination at night
• Increased thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Weight loss without effort
• Feeling very tired
• Blurred vision
• Very dry skin
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
• Wounds that heal slowly
• More infections than usual

Complications of Diabetes ^2,5

If blood glucose levels remain uncontrolled, the long-term effects of high blood sugar levels can damage tissues and organs throughout the body including,

• Nerve pain and damage (neuropathy)
• Diabetic foot (an uncomfortable sensation in the feet and a decreased ability to feel sensations such as pain, heat or cold, increasing the risk of injuries such as diabetic foot ulcer which can lead to infections)
• Eye damage/visual impairment (retinopathy)
• Kidney disease (nephropathy)
• Stroke and cerebrovascular disease
• Coronary heart disease such as heart attack

Image credit from slideshare.net

The above image depicts the risk and complications progression of Type 2 diabetes

Progression of Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is a progressive disease that gets progressively worse over the years and causes increasing complications. Although diabetes cannot be cured, the goal is to prevent the disease from worsening and getting worse. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to serious medical complications, but you can either prevent or manage it with medications, supplements, and lifestyle changes.

Medications often have unwanted side effects and can lead to organ damage. While it is an unavoidable form of treatment, Kordel’s range of diabetes supplements can help you reduce the unwanted effects of a medication while controlling and preventing some of the diabetes symptoms and complications depending on what stage of diabetes you are in.   

Pre-diabetes (Early Stage)

Prediabetes is a term for people with blood glucose levels that are above the normal range but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.⁵ It indicates a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes if left untreated.⁶ Doctors sometimes refer to prediabetes as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).⁷ This condition has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and even microvascular complications such as diabetic retinopathy (vision blindness) and neuropathy (nerve damage).^6,7

Changing diet and reducing obesity are important steps to prevent prediabetes. But let's face it, these changes can be challenging. Fortunately, Kordel's supplements can help you begin your journey to healthier blood sugar levels. Here are some product suggestions and the benefits they offer.

1. Dichrotin

• Kordel’s Dichrotin is scientifically formulated with two key nutrients, chromium picolinate (CrPic) and biotin to exert a unique dual action.
  • Keeps blood sugar control
  • Promotes healthy cholesterol levels

• Reduces sugar cravings

Kordel’s Dichrotin is a good choice for people who suffer from constant sugar or carbohydrate cravings and high cholesterol.

2. Bio-Charantia

• Kordel’s Bio-Charantia 150mg - formulated with Insumate^TM, a patented ingredient known as Momordica charantia, a polypeptide found in bitter melon
• Insumate^TM is clinically proven to activate insensitive or damaged insulin receptors to improve sugar and fat metabolism
• Insumate^TM has been shown to stabilise and regulate blood sugar levels by binding directly to insulin receptors to increase sugar uptake into cells, thereby lowering blood sugar levels
• Clinical studies have also shown that Insumate^TM significantly lowers blood sugar by 53% within 2 hours after a meal.⁸

Kordel’s Bio-Charantia is a highly recommended option for people with prediabetes to lower blood sugar levels as a first measure to prevent the progression of diabetes. It is also very effective for people with diabetes, diabetes in the family, or for people who do not respond well to medication.

Diabetes

At this stage, blood sugar levels remain abnormally high, leading to a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. Consistently high sugar levels in the blood, if not treated, can cause long-term damage to the body.

The goal is to prevent further increases in blood sugar levels and prevent possible complications at this stage. Some product suggestions at this stage would be,

1. Bio-Charantia

Kordel’s Bio-Charantia remains an excellent choice for people with diabetes to lower and control blood sugar levels which is the first goal of diabetes treatment.

2. Neuromag Benfotiamine Plus

• Kordel’s Neuromag Benfotiamine Plus also known as the “multivitamins for diabetes” is specially designed to provide a full spectrum of protection from blood sugar management to supporting energy production and to preventing complications.
• Benfotiamine, a highly absorbable fat-soluble vitamin B1 and methylcobalamin (active form of vitamin B12) have been shown to prevent neuropathies and improve nerve pain and damage.^9,10
• Magnesium is one of the essential nutrients because magnesium deficiency can reduce insulin sensitivity. Adequate magnesium levels can improve blood glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity.⁹

Kordel’s Neuromag Benfotiamine Plus is also recommended for people with prediabetes and diabetes as these groups of people are at high risk for deficiencies of B vitamins and magnesium. which can accelerate the progression of nerve damage.¹¹ Kordel’s Neuromag is excellent as a general dietary supplement to protect and prevent diabetes

3. R-Alpha Lipoic Acid (R-ALA)

• Kordel’s R-ALA uses Bio-Enhanced® R-Lipoic Acid – the patented R-ALA which is 4x stronger and better absorbed by the body compared to other ALA supplements on the market.
• ALA is the only water- and fat-soluble powerful antioxidant that protects nerve cells from oxidative stress and damage to prevent the progression of peripheral neuropathy. ¹²
• ALA may also reduce fat deposition in fat cells, increasing insulin sensitivity to improve sugar uptake into cells.¹²

If you are diagnosed with diabetes and start having nerve pain, it is important to have a plan. A good option is Kordel's R-ALA, which can help you control your blood sugar and protect your nerves.

Diabetes with Complications (Advanced Stage)

At this stage, diabetics with long-term poor sugar control may experience vascular complications such as nerve pain or blurred vision. Constantly high glucose levels in the blood can damage the nervous system. The product recommended at this stage would be,

1. ALA & K2 with MECO B12 Plus

• Kordel’s ALA & K2 with MECO B12 Plus is a “nerve tonic” with nootropic B vitamins [Vitamin B1, B6, B9 (folic acid), B12], alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and clinically proven patented vitamin K2 - MenaquinGold^TM Vitamin K2-7.
• Clinical studies have proven that the patented MenaquinGold^TM Vitamin K2-7 relieves symptoms of peripheral neuropathy such as numbness, tingling, and burning in diabetics with vitamin B12 deficiency after two months of use, by repairing nerves and regenerates healthy new nerve cells.¹³

If you're dealing with neuropathy and experience numbness, tingling, weakness or pain in your hands or feet, Kordel's ALA & K2 with MECO B12 Plus is an excellent option to help relieve these symptoms and promote nerve health by regenerating new nerve cells.

Summary

There is no cure for diabetes. Treatment of diabetes, including medication and lifestyle changes, is essential to prevent or delay long-term organ damage and complications. Many have also turned to nutritional supplements as more and more evidence shows promising results in preventing and treating diabetes and diabetes-related complications. Choose Kordel’s range of diabetes supplements today and see the differences for yourself!

References

1. Diabetes. (2023). Retrieved 16 August 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
2. Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Prevention, and More. (2023). Retrieved 16 August 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes
3. Akhtar, S., Nasir, J., Ali, A., Asghar, M., Majeed, R., & Sarwar, A. (2022). Prevalence of type-2 diabetes and prediabetes in Malaysia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 17(1), e0263139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263139
4. What is diabetes? (2023) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html (Accessed: 16 August 2023).
5. Type 2 Diabetes Complications and How to Prevent Them. (2023). Retrieved 17 August 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/6-complications-diabetes#6.-Foot-problems
6. Mafauzy M, Khoo EM, Hussein Z, Yusoff Azmi NS, Siah GJ, Mustapha FI, Adam NL, Rosman A, Lee BT, Foo SH, Thiagarajan N, Mohammad NM, Moses K, Loke H. Management of prediabetes in Malaysian population: An experts' opinion. Med J Malaysia. 2020 Jul;75(4):419-427. PMID: 32724007.
7. Diagnosis | ADA. (2023). Retrieved 16 August 2023, from https://diabetes.org/diabetes/a1c/diagnosis#:~:text=Doctors%20sometimes%20refer%20to%20prediabetes,2%20diabetes%20and%20cardiovascular%20disease.
8. Hsu, P., Pan, F., & Hsieh, C. (2020). mcIRBP-19 of Bitter Melon Peptide Effectively Regulates Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Patients’ Blood Sugar Levels. Nutrients, 12(5), 1252. doi: 10.3390/nu12051252
9. Herbs and Supplements for Diabetes. (2023). Retrieved 17 August 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/herbs-supplements#using-supplements
10. Raj V, Ojha S, Howarth FC, Belur PD, Subramanya SB. Therapeutic potential of benfotiamine and its molecular targets. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2018 May;22(10):3261-3273. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_201805_15089. PMID: 29863274.
11. Nur Rosyid, F. (2022). Micronutrient deficiency in type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus: diagnosis and therapy. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 10(4), 973–979. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20220997
12. Golbidi, S., Badran, M., & Laher, I. (2011). Diabetes and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2011.00069
13. VK, K., Upase, D. P., Dound, Y. A., Jadhav, S. S., Bhave, A. A., Mehta, D. S., & Vaidya, A. D. B. (2013). The effect of vitamin K2-7 in peripheral neuropathy due to Vitamin B12 deficiency and/or diabetes mellitus. The Indian Practitioner, 66(10).