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Researchers have found that 670 nanometers (nm) of red light stimulated energy production within mitochondria, leading to increased consumption of glucose. In particular, it led to a 27.7% reduction in blood glucose levels following glucose intake, and it reduced maximum glucose spiking by 7.5%. Mitochondria provide energy for vital cellular processes, using oxygen and glucose to produce the energy-rich nucleoside adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Previous research has established that long-wavelength light between approximately 650–900 nm (spanning the visible through to the near-infrared range) can increase mitochondrial production of ATP which reduces blood glucose and also improves health/lifespan in animals. To explore...

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — a commonly used type of antacid medication — improved blood sugar control in people with diabetes. Antacids improved blood sugar control in people with diabetes but had no effect on reducing the risk of diabetes in the general population, according to a new meta-analysis published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Type 2 diabetes is a global public health concern affecting almost 10 percent of people worldwide. Doctors may prescribe diet and lifestyle changes, diabetes medications, or insulin to help people with diabetes better manage their blood sugar, but recent data...

The use of color-changing dye can potentially detect changes in each of the three biomarkers — glucose, albumin, or pH — in the body’s interstitial fluid, which transports oxygen and glucose between cells. The albumin sensor is a yellow dye that turns green in the presence of albumin, the changing concentration of glucose causes the sensor’s pigment to go from yellow to dark green, and the pH sensors ranges from yellow to blue at normal levels, researchers said. So far, the tattoos have only been tested on pig skin and are not ready for human use, according to the researchers....

New Inhaled Insulin Drug Helps People With Diabetes PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — National Diabetes Month is observed every November so individuals, health care professionals, organizations, and communities across the country can bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. More than 400 million adults were living with diabetes in 2015 and this number is expected to increase to around 642 million or one in ten adults by 2040. One in two adults with diabetes is undiagnosed. Daniele Hargendader makes sure to stay fit as a personal trainer. She often works out in Pennypack Park. Daniele also has Type...

Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have been found to effectively slow the progression from prediabetes to diabetes diagnosis in a clinical trial. Yuan said that traditional Chinese herbs can be used to control blood sugar levels, either by consuming alone or in combination with other treatments. The study will be published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).

Walking or other light exercise after meals may reduce glucose levels by more than half in both healthy people and type 1 diabetes patients.... Dr. Yogish Kudva, who led the study at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, stated that, "Minimal activity sustained for 30 minutes (walking 0.7 miles in 33 minutes) lowers post-meal glucose concentrations. Such activity has little or no risk for almost everybody."

Chokeberry bushes have for centuries been residents of eastern deciduous forests where their bright red and dark purple fruits continue to be favorite snacks of local bird species. Native Americans have also traditionally eaten dried chokeberries and prepared teas from parts of the plant, and several domesticated varieties now grace contemporary lawns and gardens from coast to coast. However, the chokeberry (Aronia) is enjoying a new claim-to-fame as a potentially powerful antioxidant, and can now be found for sale in the dietary supplement and "health food" aisles of your local pharmacies and grocery stores. What makes the humble chokeberry so...

Scientists have used stem cells from human bone marrow to repair defective insulin-producing pancreatic cells responsible for diabetes in mice. The treatment also halted damage to the kidneys caused by the condition. Researchers from New Orleans' Tulane University are hopeful it can be adapted to treat diabetes in humans. The study, featured in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was welcomed as "interesting work" by Diabetes UK. Stem cells are immature cells which have the capacity to turn into any kind of tissue in the body. The US team treated diabetic mice who had high blood sugar and damaged...

SALINA, Kan. — A high school science teacher was suspended for allowing students to use the same instrument to draw blood from their fingers as part of a class project, district officials said Tuesday. About 50 juniors and seniors in two science classes at Salina High School South used the same lancet, or small pin, to prick their fingers on Monday, said Carol Pitts, spokeswoman for the Salina school district. The science teacher, who was not identified, was suspended with pay during an investigation, Pitts said....