OPCs, Diabetes & Microvascular Complications

According to the CDC roughly 34.2 million Americans have diabetes which is 10.5% of the US population.  And 1 in 5 of them don't even know they have it. 

Diabetes is a chronic health condition in which your body doesn't make enough insulin OR your body can't use the insulin it makes as it should.  When there isn't enough insulin or your cells stop responding to insulin, too much sugar stays in your bloodstream.  

That build up of uncontrolled sugar over time can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. 

The microvascular complications of diabetes are complications that affect the small blood vessels.  Typically these include: retinopathy (damage to the blood vessels in the eye), nephropathy (deterioration of kidney function), and neuropathy (weakness and numbness usually in the hands and feet). 

The long term consequences of diabetes involve the decay of the entire vascular system.  That extra sugar floating around in your bloodstream causes damage to all those tiny blood vessels. 

Damage and degeneration of the coronary arteries can lead to heart attacks, and damage to the cerebral arteries can lead to stroke.  Nerve damage in the feet can also occur due to the elevated sugar in the blood which causes ulcers that are very difficult to treat. 

There are other organs effected like the kidneys, the elevated sugar causes them over time to degenerate to the point of failure.  Lastly, your eyesight can be effected as well, causing worse and worse vision over time.  

OPCs form the natural nutritional factor in the management of these microvascular problems.  

OPCs DO NOT replace insulin, but they do support the vascular system (which we know diabetes wrecks havoc on) and helps to give it the support it needs. 

Because of OPCs capacity to give dynamic support to the vascular system, OPCs were researched in cases of diabetic retinopathy.  The researchers found that especially in cases of developing diabetic retinopathy, OPCs had a favorable effect.

In addition to taking OPCs here are some other recommendations from the CDC on how to help prevent or delay those complications: 

1. Follow a healthy diet: eat more fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein and whole grains.  Eat fewer processed foods like chips, sweets and fast food.  Drink more water, and skip the soda!
2. Aim for a healthy weight: if your overweight, even losing a modest amount of weight can make a difference in lowering you triglycerides and blood sugar!
3. Get physically active: being active makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which allows the cells in your body to use that sugar for energy (instead of leaving it floating around in your bloodstream).  Physical activity also helps control blood sugar levels and lowers your risk of heart disease and nerve damage.  Start with something simple - like taking a walk!
4. Lastly, manage your "ABCs"

C: Control your cholesterol levels 

S: Stop smoking or don't start 

Our OPCXtra is packed with 6 powerful plant based sources of OPCs:  pine bark extract, red wine extract, grape seed extract, bilberry extract, green tea extract and citrus bioflavonoids.  

Here is what some of our OptiLifer Family has to say about taking OPCXtra for diabetes support: 

"I've used OPC for years. It has many benifits. Different for each user. When I first started using the product I lost a little weight. The biggest benifit that I believe has been overall health. Diabetes runs in my family on both sides.My Dad developed diabetes when he was 49. I've had times when i wasn't taking care of myself when my blood sugar elevated.I'm 66 years old and most of the time my bloodwork is good in most areas.I would recommend this product." -Mike N. 

"I have been using it for about 10 days now and I feel much better than I did before. I like the energy boost that it gives your body and I also believe that it has helped my type 2 diabetes." - Tony W. 

"My mother and father take it as well for diabetes, asthma and thyroid problems, among other things I can't remember. I could write more but this is a review, not a term paper. We all swear by OPCxtra. Thanks Optihealth for making such a great product. By the way, nobody paid me or offered me anything in return for this review; it's just that good of a product." - Andrew V.