Taming Type 2 Diabetes

Atherosclerosis is one of those scary medical words you hear more and more as you get older. It refers to a build-up in the arteries that can impair the flow of oxygenated blood to the organs, or according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,

“Atherosclerosis “is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries . . . [the] blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body.

“Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries, limiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body. This can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death.”

So, there’s a good reason it sounds scary: It is! And if you have diabetes (which is scary enough in itself), you have even more reason for concern because heart disease and stroke are strikingly common among those with diabetes. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC):

• In 2004, heart disease was noted on 68 percent of diabetes-related death certificates among people ages 65 years or older.
• In 2004, stroke was noted on 16 percent of diabetes-related death certificates among people ages 65 years or older.
• Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about two to four times higher than adults without diabetes.
• The risk for stroke is two to four times higher among people with diabetes.

Image by jovike via Flickr

Fortunately, there’s good news on this front from a study cited in NaturalNews.com. The study, which was published in Atherosclerosis and was conducted at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, looked into the connection between consuming pomegranate juice and the development of atherosclerosis, or rather on the connection between consuming pomegranate juice and reducing the development of atherosclerosis.


The study found that diabetics who drank 6 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for 90 days actually seemed to reduce their risk of developing atherosclerosis. This despite the fact that pomegranates contain the same sugars as other fruit juices, sugars which can increase blood sugar. On the contrary, the sugars in pomegranate juice didn’t seem to affect the diabetics adversely. In fact, the sugars in pomegranate juice are attached to a type of antioxidant that makes them protectective against atherosclerosis.


For diabetics, and especially for those who like fruit and want to avoid atherosclerosis, this is pretty exciting news and opens up a lot of speculation about what other promising new findings might turn up. Of course, as with everything, if you choose to add pomegranates or pomegranate juice to your diet, moderation is an important consideration for diabetics and everyone.