Latest news with #Endocrinologists
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6 days ago
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Endocrinologists Are Begging People With High A1C Levels To Stop Doing This One Thing ASAP
Endocrinologists Are Begging People With High A1C Levels To Stop Doing This One Thing ASAP originally appeared on Parade. More than than one in 10 American adults has some form of diabetes and, of those, up to 95% have type 2 diabetes. Having this condition means needing to be on top of your glucose levels, including your A1C levels, an average measure of your blood sugar over two to three months. High A1C levels usually mean you have diabetes, but it can also be a marker of prediabetes, a condition in which your blood sugar is elevated but not quite high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).Why does this matter? Having high A1C indicates that your body isn't using blood sugar properly. 'The goal function of the body is to place sugar from the food into cells to nourish,' explains , endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at GW Medical Faculty Associates. 'Failure of this process is when sugar from food is absorbed into the blood, but cannot move into cells either due to insulin resistance or deficiency.' When that consistently happens, you could be at risk of developing organ damage to your kidneys, eyes, heart and nerves, Dr. Baldwin says. If you have elevated A1C levels or have already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it's best to aim for an A1C that's less than 7%, per the ADA. (If your A1C level lands between 5.7% and 6.5%, you're considered to have prediabetes.)Related: 'Maintaining a healthy A1C indicates that your blood sugar is not high and that greatly reduces the risk of long-term complications,' says , chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical 2 diabetes is a complicated condition, and it's hard to say that doing any one thing will help your A1C levels come back down. But endocrinologists stress that certain lifestyle factors are crucial with blood sugar control, even if you're on medication. While endocrinologists say it's important to tackle blood sugar control from a variety of angles, there's one habit they repeatedly encourage their patients with high A1C to break.🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊 The No. 1 Habit Endocrinologists Want People With High A1C To Break ASAP Endocrinologists recommend that people with high A1C rethink how much fast food they eat. 'Fast food typically contains ultra-processed foods that can be toxic to beta cells—cells in the pancreas that produce insulin,' Dr. Baldwin says. (In case you're not familiar with it, insulin is a hormone that helps sugar enter cells, where it's used for energy.)While there is a range with fast food, she points out that foods in this category tend to be high in simple carbohydrates. These carbs 'can be rapidly metabolized into sugar, compounding the problem.' When you eat a lot of simple carbs, it can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash, making symptoms of type 2 diabetes—and your A1C levels—worse, Dr. Buettner says. Related: Fast foods also tend to be high in saturated fat, which can worsen your body's ability to use insulin properly, according to Dr. Buettner. It's also often low in fiber (a nutrient that lowers blood sugar), and high in calories, raising the odds of weight gain and worsening blood glucose control, he explains, adding, 'These factors make it harder to manage blood sugar and maintain or lower your A1C."Things that tend to go along with fast food can also be problematic for blood sugar management, points out , endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health. 'Fast food is frequently consumed alongside sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, compounding the glycemic impact,' she says. Even if fast food isn't a consistent thing for you, Dr. Baldwin suggests being mindful of ultra-processed foods. These are foods that are altered from their usual state and have added ingredients like artificial colors and flavors, along with preservatives for shelf stability and ingredients to preserve texture. (Ultra-processed foods usually come in a package.)Related:Cardiologists Are Begging People With High Cholesterol to Stop Doing This One Thing ASAP Foods To Focus on Instead There's no one diet that's going to be "perfect" for every single person with Type 2 diabetes. But the ADA has certain guidelines to help you make choices to support better blood sugar management in the future. 1. Opt for non-starchy vegetables This should be the foundation of your plate. These vegetables, which include broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, are a good choice because they help fill you up without delivering as many calories and carbs as starchier foods. 2. Eat plenty of protein Protein is a macronutrient that can help fill you up and support muscle growth. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram per day for people aged 18 and up, which translates to about 30 to 35 grams of protein per meal for most people. If you eat a plant-based diet, the ADA recommends focusing on beans, hummus, and lentils. Just be aware that these foods have carbs, which may impact your blood 3. Try to limit carbs when you can Dr. Buettner suggests being mindful of how many carbs you're eating. 'Do not eat a lot of carbs as they get broken down to glucose in your body and raise blood sugar,' he says. 4. Enjoy fruit too Fruits count as carbohydrates, but they're different from, say, having white bread thanks to their vitamin, minerals and fiber content. 5. Mix in healthy fats Healthy fats, which include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, can help regulate blood sugar and protect your heart. The ADA suggests focusing on olive oil, nuts, avocados and certain types of fish. 6. Load up on nutrient-dense food Foods with high nutritional value support good blood sugar management while giving you the vitamins and minerals you need for good health. The ADA suggests looking for foods that have a good mix of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber. 7. Hydrate responsibly Water and zero-calorie drinks are a better choice for blood sugar management than options that contain added sugar, per the the ADA recommends using the "diabetes plate" strategy. This is designed to be a jumping-off point for creating healthy meals. With this strategy, take a nine-inch plate and fill half of it with non-starchy vegetables (think: broccoli, spinach, asparagus). From there, have lean proteins fill one-quarter of your plate. The other one-quarter should focus on quality carbs like starchy vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products or whole grains.'Portion control and consistent meal timing help reduce glucose variability throughout the day,' says Dr. Jaisinghani. Focusing on good hydration, quality sleep and doing what you can to manage stress levels is also important, she adds. Of course, if you know you have high A1C levels and you've done all of this, it's important to talk to your healthcare provider. They should be able to look at your current management strategy and provide personalized advice from there. Up Next:Sources: Type 2 Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention What Is the A1C Test? American Diabetes Association Dr. Chelsey Baldwin, MD, endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at GW Medical Faculty Associates Dr. Christoph Buettner, MD, Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Dr. Priya Jaisinghani, MD, endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health Petrus, R.; Sobral, P.; et al. The NOVA classification system: A critical perspective in food science, Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2021. Tips for Eating Well. American Diabetes Association Endocrinologists Are Begging People With High A1C Levels To Stop Doing This One Thing ASAP first appeared on Parade on Jul 24, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
29-06-2025
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This Simple Dietary Switch Could Be a Game-Changer for Women With Diabetes, Endocrinologists Say
This Simple Dietary Switch Could Be a Game-Changer for Women With Diabetes, Endocrinologists Say originally appeared on Parade. A major breakthrough in research revealed how certain dietary choices may impact women with type 2 diabetes—and it shows that changing your habits can potentially lead to greater weight loss and even the possibility of long-term remission from the new study, conducted at the University of Nottingham, School of Life Sciences, showed that one habit specifically can give women with diabetes a huge boost in their insulin resistance, sustained weight loss and even their triglycerides (AKA cholesterol, which is great news not just for metabolic health, but also heart health).So, what was the swap and how did it work? An endocrinologist and diabetes specialist explain the study, the healthy diet swap and why it's a great move, not just for women with diabetes, but possibly for everyone.🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊 Believe it or not, switching beverages from diet soda to water may make a huge difference for women with type 2 observed 81 women with type 2 diabetes who were overweight or had obesity over 18 months in a weight management program. The women regularly drank diet soda. The participants were randomly chosen to either keep up with their diet soda intake five times per week after lunch or to swap it out for water. The weight loss program lasted six months, while the weight management program lasted a full year. At the end of the study, according to the American Diabetes Association, 90% of participants in the group that drank water actually achieved diabetes remission, while just 45% of the women who drank diet soda were in remission. Body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, insulin levels, insulin resistance, postprandial glucose (your blood sugar levels after a meal) and cholesterol levels were all also significantly improved in the group that hydrated with H2O instead of diet drinks. "These findings challenge a common belief in the U.S. that diet drinks have no potential negative effects for managing weight and blood sugar," Dr. Hamid R. Farshchi, MD, Ph.D, obesity medicine physician, CEO of D2Type and lead author of the study, said in a statement. "However, with most women in the water group achieving diabetes remission, our study highlights the importance of promoting water, not just low-calorie alternatives, as part of effective diabetes and weight management. It's a small change with the potential for a big impact on long-term health outcomes." Related: Experts agreed that switching from diet drinks to water has a lot of benefits, but that some of the downsides to diet soda might not all because of the diet drinks themselves, but because of the behaviors associated with drinking them. "Water is metabolically neutral, additive-free, and behaviorally aligned with healthier routines. Diet sodas are often consumed alongside calorie-dense, highly processed meals, whereas water tends to be paired with healthier behaviors such as physical activity," Montefiore Einstein diabetes specialist , tells Parade. "For example, very few people reach for a diet soda after a walk or workout. This behavioral context may influence clinical outcomes. This study also found that those in the water group showed better results in BMI, fasting glucose, insulin levels and triglycerides." "It has been shown that nonnutritive sweeteners can increase glucose and insulin levels in response to a glucose load," , endocrinology and internal medicine professor at Yale School of Medicine, says. "However, other studies found no association between the use of artificial sweeteners and effects on glucose metabolism. Artificial sweeteners might also affect the brain. A recent study showed that when carbohydrates and diet sodas are consumed together, brain responses to sweet taste are altered." While not all studies are created equal, Dr. Torres says this one is promising. "This was a great study, done well, using the right methodology," he explained. "The results are compelling, but to strengthen clinical guidance, we need larger studies with longer follow-up to determine whether these benefits are sustained over time. Just as importantly, we need to better understand the mechanisms behind how diet soda consumption may influence metabolic outcomes and diabetes risk." Related: Generally, yes, experts tell Parade, especially for people with type 2 diabetes. "Diet soda provides the sweet taste without the calories. While this sounds like a solution for people with a sweet tooth, it might have negative health effects, particularly with regular consumption," Dr. Serle advises. "The nonnutritive sweeteners in diet soda, when consumed together with carbohydrate-rich food, can trigger brain responses that might lead to overeating. Together with the potential negative effects of diet soda on glucose metabolism, I suggest drinking water when thirsty and eating some fruit when craving for something sweet." Dr. Torres concurs, saying, "Water remains the gold standard. It is metabolically neutral, free of additives and behaviorally associated with healthier patterns. While diet soda may be a helpful transitional tool for some, water is the superior long-term choice for individuals with type 2 diabetes. This reinforces what we observe both clinically and culturally. Promoting water as the beverage of choice is a simple yet powerful intervention in diabetes care." Further, Dr. Torres says, "Although diet sodas are calorie-free, studies have linked them to increased risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease and impaired insulin sensitivity." That said, the reasons for those associations aren't entirely known. "Mechanistically, it is difficult to explain why such a dramatic clinical difference would exist if calorie intake is equal," Dr. Torres points out. "The theory that diet sodas increase caloric intake indirectly by affecting appetite or food preferences remains unproven and warrants further investigation. Diet sodas may also influence sweet cravings, gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in ways that are not yet fully understood." Related: All that said, you don't have to feel guilty for your Diet Coke habit. There is a place for it! "Switching from sugar-sweetened beverages to diet sodas can reduce immediate sugar and caloric intake and blunt post-meal glucose spikes," Dr. Torres points out. "For many, it serves as a transitional step in managing carbohydrate and caloric consumption." With that in mind, water is still the better choice. "The ADA poster suggests that swapping diet soda for water leads to even greater benefits," he says. "Women in the water group lost more weight (6.82 kg vs. 4.85 kg) and had twice the diabetes remission rate (90 percent vs. 45 percent). So, while diet soda may help reduce added sugar, it does not offer the full metabolic benefits that water does." Up Next:"Water Instead of Diet Drinks Associated with Two-Fold Rate of Diabetes Remission in Women." American Diabetes Association. Dr. Mireille Serle, MD, Ph.D Dr. Edwin A. Torres, Ph.D., NP This Simple Dietary Switch Could Be a Game-Changer for Women With Diabetes, Endocrinologists Say first appeared on Parade on Jun 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
