High Blood Sugar Levels and ER Stress

Scientific publications have lately been abuzz about Endoplasmic Reticular Stress, or ER Stress. In cells, the Endoplasmic Reticulum serves as a kind of all-powerful protector. Multiple studies have shown that ER stress is always present in people with Diabetes, and may therefore be used to indicate the onset of insulin resistance, or Type 2 Diabetes. “In the presence of chronic ER stress, such as we see in obesity, the effect of ER stress on metabolic regulation would lead to the development of insulin resistance and, eventually, type 2 Diabetes.” This quote is from an article published in Science Magazine in October of 2004.

In Diabetes (Types 1, 2 and Gestational), the damage caused by high blood sugar levels can sometimes or oftentimes lead to a long list of frightening complications. When the diabetic body either resists insulin or ceases producing its own insulin altogether, blood glucose control becomes impossible without injected insulin and/or oral medications. But even with insulin and/or oral medication, blood sugar levels are still inevitably elevated over time and lead to vascular damage, which causes heart disease, stroke, neuropathy, nephropathy, amputations and other serious complications. But scientists are only recently discovering that the damage caused by high blood sugar levels actually affects diabetics at a cellular level and affects every cell in the body.

The meaning of this new discovery can be that if we find ways of treating and reversing ER Stress, it might be possible to prevent some, if not all, cases of Type 2 Diabetes. Some early studies have actually shown that Alpha Lipoic Acid may be one of the most useful agents in battling cellular damage. From a study published in December of 2008: “Deficiency of LASY [Lipoic Acid Synthase/Alpha Lipoic Acid] results in an overall disturbance in the antioxidant defense network, leading to increased inflammation, insulin resistance, and mitochondrial dysfunction.”

Most Western medical doctors, however, are not keen on recommending ALA or other natural supplements as a way of treating Diabetes. Yet while insulin and oral medications are effective in treating blood sugar issues, they actually do very little, if anything at all, to treat the cellular and tissue damage caused by high blood sugar levels. In fact, many of the oral medications prescribed for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes have actually been shown to cause heart disease. So it is therefore extremely important for people living with Diabetes to recognize the whole body dangers associated with Diabetes and to take a proactive approach in trying to counteract these dangers.

For people living with Diabetes, using supplements that include Alpha Lipoic Acid as an ingredient may have significant benefit. In addition to helping control blood sugar levels, herbs and other natural agents such as Colostrum and ALA have been shown to support immune system functionality, help cause cellular regeneration and promote wound healing. Though the effects of ER Stress are still being studied, the fact is that Diabetes affects more than just the blood sugar levels: it is a whole body disease and should be treated as such.