We keep hearing about obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other dreadful health issues in the media these days. But, is the dire news true or just media hype?

On the diabetes front, the US Center for Disease Control  has just released a study with some pretty shocking predictions.  The government agency’s scientific findings show that if we stay on the current path, 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes by 2050.  In part, the CDC attributes this large increase to poor nutrition, lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyle.

While many people think that diabetes is a disease that can be “cured” by insulin, they are wrong.  Medication or insulin injections only help manage the most extreme symptoms of the disease and keep diabetics alive.  However, some of the worst ramifications such as amputations, anemia and diseases of the eye develop for even the most diligent patient.  The costs to the individual, their families, our healthcare system and society are enormous!

So what are we to do?  There is general advice that Americans modify diet to avoid diabetes.  Let’s talk a little about what that really means.

High levels of fats and triglycerides in the blood play a large role in diabetes since the diabetic’s insulin is less able to assist with the uptake of these fats into the cells.  Consequently, Type2 diabetics also have a 6 times higher risk of heart attack and a 3 to 8 time higher risk of heart disease than those without the disease.  While reducing sugar and starch intake is essential in a preventative diet, it is equally important to reduce fat.

In studying diet, a multitude of studies demonstrated a surprising finding.  There is a strong impact of eating fish on diabetes and heart disease.  One such study at Harvard Medical School in Boston tracked over 4,000 nurses with diabetes but no heart disease over a period of 16 years.  The researchers found a strong link between fish intake and risk of heart disease.  Eating fish once per week gave those women a 40% less incidence of heart disease, while those who ate fish 5 times per week saw a whopping 64% reduction in heart disease risk.

The fish that made a difference were dark-meat fish such as salmon, sardines, bluefish and swordfish, along with shellfish such as lobster, shrimp and scallops.  The common factor in these foods is Omega 3 fatty acids.  These are the same fish eaten by populations such as the Inuit in Alaska and Asians such as the Japanese who have very low incidence of heart disease.

But like so many conflicting studies, these dark fish contain large amounts of mercury and other heavy metals.  Health advisories warn about consumption of large amounts of fish due to these concerns.  So what’s a conscientious person to do?

Further research noted that Omega3 supplements had the same effect as fish consumption without the dangers of heavy metal contamination.  Clearly, you’ll want the purest form of Omega3 available.  Boomerang Wellness offers just that combination of concentration and purity.  Go to www.boomerangwellness.com for details on this amazingly clear choice for reducing fats in the blood and impacting the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

You can find the sources for our information at these links.

US Centers for Disease Control
www.boomerangwellness.com

US CDC Diabetes Article
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=48&art_id=104176&sid=30042155&con_type=1&d_str=20101026
Harvard Medical School Study
http://www.oilofpisces.com/diabetes.html [scroll down to 2nd major section]
http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/