Importance Of Blood Sugar Metabolism During The Covid-19 Era

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have learned that diabetes significantly increases a person’s chances of developing serious complications from the virus. These complications could potentially be life-threatening. While diabetes has increased globally, it has risen exponentially in developing countries due to sedentary lifestyles and fast food diets rich in artificial sugars and fat. Such diets can lead to obesity and other disorders. Obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and impaired glucose metabolism are now collectively known as ‘metabolic syndrome’.

While a healthy diet is critical for maintaining optimum blood glucose levels, scientists at the Dr. Rath Research Institute have shown that an optimum intake of micronutrients is equally essential towards controlling blood sugar levels and other aspects of metabolic syndrome.

Fructose is a type of sugar that is abundantly present in processed foods. A study carried out by scientists at the Dr. Rath Research Institute compared the effects of a specific combination of micronutrients and metformin (a common antidiabetic drug) on various aspects of sugar metabolism in young mice fed a high fructose diet. Among many parameters examined in this study, the researchers measured levels of fructosamine in serum as a marker of changes caused by high blood glucose in the prior one to two weeks.

The researchers observed that levels of fructosamine were 4 percent lower in mice receiving the micronutrient combination. However, mice taking metformin had a 15 percent increase in fructosamine, thus indicating more damage to body proteins. While mice taking metformin also had reduced levels of insulin, insulin was restored to normal levels in those receiving the micronutrient combination. Moreover, the micronutrients also showed additional benefits by reducing blood pressure, total cholesterol, and counteracting the effects of high fructosamine. This could further reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sustained high blood sugar levels can lead to serious diabetic complications such as atherosclerosis, stroke, kidney failure, neuropathy, impaired wound healing, cataracts, and long-term disability. In addition, the Dr. Rath Research Institute scientists have learned about the importance of controlling blood sugar levels in relation to the increased risk of serious complications from COVID-19 infections.

Conventional medicine relies on drugs that artificially reduce blood sugar levels. This approach does not address the root cause of this ever-increasing problem. Diabetes can be very profitable for pharmaceutical companies, as it leads to a variety of health complications that require additional treatments. The majority of patients affected by diabetes-related disability are between 15 and 69 years old. This puts a tremendous financial burden on society due to the resulting medical expenses and lost workdays.

In the United States, a person with diabetes is estimated to spend between $15,000 and $20,000 annually to manage the disease. The total global healthcare cost of managing diabetes is estimated to be $825 billion annually, with the largest expenditures incurred in countries including China, the United States, and India. With this background, the Dr. Rath Research Institute’s study findings give hope that the prevention and management of high blood sugar problems is possible without the devastating side effects of prescription drugs.