Diabetes; a new understanding of causes

I received a very interesting article from Vitamin Research Products today on the relationship between free radicals (a.k.a. Reactive Oxygen Species) and diabetes. It fills in some gaps in my own understanding of the relationship between alkaline living and diabetes. Over the years we've had many diabetic users report ****** effects of drinking our water. At the same time I have personally experienced the antioxidant effect of drinking our water for the last ten years.
*Suppressed for Australian compliance purposes

When most of us think of insulin resistance— the inability of your cells to use blood sugar, we usually think diabetes. After all, diabetes is one of the earliest warning signs of this common disease. Now new research points to the fact that the threat of insulin resistance may reach further than once thought—revealing links to the metabolic syndrome, cognitive decline and depression plus colon, breast and kidney health and more.

The new kid-culprit on the block behind this deadly connection: excessive free radicals - molecules generated by damaged mitochondria, exposure to toxins, stress and even as a natural consequence of aging.

New cell culture studies have shown that higher free radical levels trigger insulin resistance, while lower levels halve it. It's the first solid evidence that directly implicates free radicals as an actual cause of this destructive process.

Human research has confirmed this finding, revealing a significant increase in insulin resistance among subjects with the highest levels of oxidative stress—even after factors like obesity, the metabolic syndrome and impaired fasting glucose were accounted for.

The conclusion seems to be that managing insulin resistance isn't a single-step process. Slowing the descent toward full-blown diabetes—not to mention the long list of other complications linked to insulin resistance—requires both superior antioxidant support and blood sugar control.

So.. simplifying the findings.. A good antioxidant supply is going to be a great help in prevention of diabetes. And an alkaline lifestyle gives abundant, live, natural antioxidants every day.

References:
1. Jin T. Why diabetes patients are more prone to the development of colon cancer? Med Hypotheses. 2008 May 2. [Epub ahead of print].
2. Goodwin PJ, Ennis M, Bahl M, Fantus IG, Pritchard KI, Trudeau ME, Koo J, Hood N. High insulin levels in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients reflect underlying insulin resistance and are associated with components of the insulin resistance syndrome. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 Apr 25. [Epub ahead of print].
3. Pischon T, Nöthlings U, Boeing H. Obesity and cancer. Proc Nutr Soc. 2008 May;67(2):128-45. 4. Houstis N, Rosen ED, Lander ES. Reactive oxygen species have a causal role in multiple forms of insulin resistance. Nature. 2006 Apr 13;440(7086):944-8.
5. Meigs JB, Larson MG, Fox CS, Keaney JF Jr, Vasan RS, Benjamin EJ. Association of oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and diabetes risk phenotypes: the Framingham Offspring Study. Diabetes Care. 2007 Oct;30(10):2529-35.