Research Program

Diabetes Action has provided grants to over 230 separate research studies at universities and medical institutions across the United States.  In addition to funding basic research to cure diabetes with gene therapies and beta cell transplantation, Diabetes Action funds research that examines how nutritional and complementary therapies may prevent and treat diabetes. Diabetes Action has funded innovative studies that include: 

• Cure of type 1 diabetes using a generic drug
  Dr. Faustman, Massachusetts General Hospital

• Cinnamon and chromium antioxidant studies
  USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center

• Wheat Gluten as a Trigger in type 1 Diabetes
  Virginia Tech

• Antioxidants to improve islet cell graft function
  UCLA

• T cell vaccination to prevent type 1 diabetes 
  Dana Farber Cancer Institute

• Antioxidants to prevent diabetic complications
  University of California, San Francisco

• B vitamins to treat hyperhomocysteinemia
  University of California, Davis

• Nutritional approaches to improve beta cell function
  Joslin Diabetes Center

• Acupuncture for treating neuropathy
  Harvard Medical School

• Chromium with Metformin Study
  Bastyr/Washington State University

• Lower Carbohydrate Diet
  Jefferson University

 Research Projects

Dr. Dongmin Liu, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Dr. Hwyda Arafat, Thomas Jefferson University

Dr. Deanna Francis harvests wild blueberries for a study of their effect on blood sugar levels.

Education Program

Diabetes University

Diabetes Action hosts the annual Diabetes University©, a free informational program for the public that highlights complementary, alternative, and nutritional research and treatments for diabetes.

Topics have included "Cinnamon Improves Risk Factors for Diabetes", "Current Management of Diabetes", "The Anti-Inflammatory Diet", "Essential Herbs for Diabetes", and "Complementary Medicine in Diabetes".

Past programs are available online for free viewing.

Diabetes University

 

 

President Pat DeVoe and Dr. Ryan Bradley

Dr. Richard Anderson discusses his research on cinnamon and diabetes

International Relief

In 2009 Diabetes Action provided over $1.4 million of medical supplies to the countries of Thailand and to Sierra Leone, where the aftermath of years of civil war have left a population in continued poverty and dependent on rural clinics for medical care.

The supplies sent to Sierra Leone were distributed to various rural clinics and government hospitals by The Faith Healing Development Organization.

In Thailand the supplies were distributed by the Ministry of Public Health to the Sirindhorn National Rehabilitation center, the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Pranungklao Hospital.

Send a Kid to Diabetes Camp

Diabetes Action funding provides scholarships to enable children with diabetes to attend 55 summer camps in 50 states across America. These special diabetes camp programs nurture self-esteem and self-reliance by offering a support system that is not available in any other setting. Camp activities and nutrition are carefully coordinated with the special needs of the campers.

By attending camp, children learn diabetes management and develop active lifestyle habits that will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Many children report that their time spent at summer camp is the only time when they feel that others understand them and what it means to cope with diabetes.