The alarming rise in type 2diabetes is astounding primarily because it is preventable in the vast majority of cases.

Pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are lifestyle diseases.

Poor eating habits are the foundation of many health conditions, but there are other aspects that contribute to ill health and diabetes: chemicals in food, heavy metal in the soil and air, and pharmaceutical drugs are all riddled with chemicals that have an inflammatory and toxic effects on the body- and especially the kidneys.

There are 57 million Americans in a pre-diabetic state where their blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type2diabetes.

Close to 25% of the American population is either in a pre-diabetic or diabetic state, and this has created an enormous health challenge nationwide. The economic impact of health complications caused by diabetes affects health insurance costs and has driven insulin prices out of reach for many, causing government interference to force pricing to affordable levels.

According to the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland:

• Diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputation, kidney disease and nerve damage.
• 40% of diabetics suffer some degree of hearing impairment.
• 66% of diabetics die from a heart attack or stroke.
• 28% of diabetics develop kidney disease
• 23% of diabetics have foot problems including numbness and amputations.

Nitric oxide is derived from the essential amino acid, L’arginine. Nitric oxide is the master signaling molecule for the cardiovascular system. It’s also a critical neurotransmitter that helps to mediate pain and is necessary for tissue repair and wound healing.

Lower nitric oxide levels reduce wound healing and tissue repair within the arterial wall. That means vasodilation is affected, putting pressure on the cardiovascular system. This further impairs nitric oxide production. It’s a negative cycle indeed, and it happens to those in a pre-diabetic or diabetic state.

Many of the complications of diabetes, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, eye problems, neuropathy, kidney disease, bruising, and poor circulation to the extremities, are all aggravated by low nitric oxide production.

One study found that when people with type 2 diabetes took L’arginine, their nitric oxide production went up and also led to increased insulin sensitivity, allowing for better blood sugar control.

So, in addition to boosting energy levels and increasing circulation to the kidneys and limbs, nitric oxide also helps to repair damage to arteries that inevitably follow a diabetic condition. And while L’arginine does not prevent people from developing diabetes, it does improve blood sugar control and help reduce inflammation.

Nitric oxide is an important and natural way to help reduce complications attributed to diabetes. It costs less than medication and offers benefits not just to kidneys but the entire body.