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Abnormal Response to Wheat Protein May Provide Clue To Cause of Type 1 DiabetesRussell Phillips, PhD Aug 31, 2009 In a Canadian study involving 42 patients with type 1 diabetes, nearly half of the subjects had an abnormal response to wheat proteins. Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa, who conducted the study, found that the patients' over-reaction to wheat is linked to genes that are associated with type 1 diabetes. The findings have two implications. First, testing for sensitivity to wheat could be a way of establishing whether a person is predisposed to acquiring type 1 diabetes. Second, people at risk for type 1 might forestall its onset by eliminating wheat from their diet. The presence of wheat generates a response by the body's immune system in the form of attacks by T cell defenders. The Canadians believe that this constant over-reaction puts a strain on the immune system, eventually unbalancing it to the point that it attacks other parts of the body, including the pancreas. Given the small number of patients in the study, lead researcher Dr. Fraser Scott said that more research would be needed to confirm the link between sensitivity to wheat and the predisposition toward type 1. He noted, however, that previous research with lab animals has shown that a wheat-free diet reduced the risk of developing diabetes. The study was published in the August 2009 issue of Diabetes. All About Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. There are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 17.9 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.7 million people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have the disease. In order to determine whether or not a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends the FPG because it is easier, faster, and less expensive to perform. With the FPG test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes. In the OGTT test, a person's blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the two-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person tested has pre-diabetes. If the two-hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or higher, the person tested has diabetes. Major Types of DiabetesType 1 diabetes Type 2 diabetes Gestational diabetes Pre-diabetes Additional Information from the American Diabetes AssociationRecently Diagnosed Diabetes Learning Center Diabetes Symptoms Diabetes Risk Test Diabetes Myths Diabetes Statistics The Genetics of Diabetes Who's on your health care team? _________________________________________________________________________________ The
cause of Diabetes centers around insulin receptor sensitivity. A class of chemicals from mushrooms plug into cell receptor sites
which increase the performance of the insulin receptor. Beta-glucans have been demonstrated to increase PI-3k/Akt sensitivity through several receptors
(Chen & Saviour 2007) These beta-glutan receptors include Dectin-1, complement receptor 3, lactosylceramide, scavenger receptors
are toll like receptors. Each receptor induces specific signal transductance pathways (chemical communication pathways). Beta-glucans reduce blood
glucose after oral administration of Maitake mushrooms in clinical trails (Lo 2006). Oral administration of Maitake powder given
to diabetic mice reduce blood glucose levels and decreased hyperlipidermia and hypertension (Kim et al 2005). A beta-glucan hot water
extract from Agariucus Blazei mushroom antihyperglycemic, antihypertriglyceridaemic, antihypercholesterolemic and antiarteriosclerotic
activity in diabetic rats (Kim 2005). Decrease PI-3k/Akt activity has been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetics.
Beta-glucans have been demonstrated to increase PI-3k/Akt sensitivity through several receptors (chen & Saviour 2007). Mushroom extracts have
been shown to activite PI-3k/Akt pathways mediated by Syk kinase (lee et al 2008). Another beta-glucan, Lentanin (from Shiitake
mushrooms), binds to scavenger receptors which activate SRC tyrosine kinase and PI-3k/Akt pathways (Mineo et al 2003). In diabetes, adipose cells
are insulin resistant. Insulin mediated uptake of free fatty acids in skeletal muscles are impaired. Increased
circulating free fatty acids flux to the liver, resulting in increased triglycerised syntheses and the assembly of low density
lipoproteins (LDL) (hobbs 2006). Hypertriglyceridemia is a reult of dyslipidemia in diabetic patients. Beta-glucans
have been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol (Kapur 2008). Hypertensia (high blood pressure) is a risk factor
in diabetics and diabetes itself can increase hypertension (Martin 1996). Beta-glucans have been shown to reduce hypertension.
SHR rats (spontaneous hypertension) were place on a 5% Shiitake or Maitake diet which decreased mean systolic blood pressure
(Kimura 1989). Zuker fatty acids used in diabetic modeling were fed Maitake mushrooms which decreased blood pressure (Talput). Vascular injury contributes
to pathogenesis of Cardiovascular disease (Kibos 2007). Cardiomyopathy is 75% greater in diabetics (Bertoni 2003). Most cardiomyopathy is
iscemic (Domanski 2003). Beta-glucans have been shown to protect against heart ischemic injury (Li 2004). REFERENCES Chen J.,
McMillan. @008 "Molecular basis of pathogenesis, prognosis and therapy in chronic lymphocyte leukemia". Cancer
Biol Ther, 7:174-9 Chen J. Seviour R. 2007 "Medicinal importance of fungal beta-(1->3), (1->6)-glucans". Mycol Res,
111:635-52Fox CS et al 2004. "Trends in cardiovascular complications of diabetics". JAMA, 292:2495-9 Frank RN. 2004 "Diabetic
retinopathy". New England Journal of Medicine, 350:48-58 Gabby RA et al. 1996 __________
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