How can Flaxseeds Help with Diabetes?

Diabetes is a very debilitating disease that is caused by many different factors. There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 (juvenile) and type 2 (adult-onset) of this disease. There are also other subforms of it such as gestational diabetes.

What Causes Diabetes?

How this disease is cause depends on the type of the disease. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that generally strikes before the age of 20. This disease is caused when for a reason still not pinpointed by doctors, a person’s immune system starts attacking the cells in the pancreas that produce beta cells. These beta cells are what notify person’s body of when to use glucose and how much to use. A person that has type 1 of this disease therefore has difficulty regulating their body’s glucose levels because of this disease. There is still no cure for type 1 of this disease.

Individuals that are afflicted with type 2 diabetes generally fall prey to this disease when they are adults. This disease is more likely when people have several contributing factors present. Type 2 of this disease’s contributing factors include smoking, drinking excessively, obesity, family history, and being a part of certain ethnic backgrounds. Type 2 of this disease can generally be reduced in severity and even cured if a person adjusts certain bad habits such as eating a better diet and quitting smoking.

Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women that generally have many of the same contribute factors that individuals with type 2 of this disease have. However, women with gestational diabetes generally do not experience this disease after they are no longer pregnant. However, women that have had gestational diabetes in the past are far more likely to have it in any future pregnancies as well.

Diabetes and Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds and flax seed oil can be potentially be helpful in treating this disease. This is due to the fact that the oil may actually have the ability to help stabilize blood sugar levels (glucose). While this does not necessarily treat the cause of the disease, it can lessen the severity of it. This property of flax seed oil is still being researched and has yet to be proven by scientists.

Individuals considering purchasing flaxseeds or flax seed oil to help with their diabetes should consult their doctor first. This will help consumers avoid potentially negative side effects they may experience with the oils. Or perhaps it does not react well with many of their current medications. They can also discuss with their doctor whether or not the potential benefits of the oil outweigh the potential risks.