Fight DM with a Coconut
700 KARMAPOINTS
YOUR IMPACT
Provide one child with coconut water to help promote a diabetes-free generation in the Islands of Micronesia.
PREVIOUS IMPACT MAKERS

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WHY IT MATTERS
When the Micronesian nations were United States trust territories, the U.S. supplied them with food. They sent nonperishable foods: canned meats and vegetables, white flour, white sugar, and white rice. These new foods were low in fiber and high in fat and sugar. Since they were convenient in a country with difficult, sandy soil, they became the staple diet. This poor diet, high in sugar, has created an epidemic of diabetes so prevalent that 50% of those over 35 in the Marshall Islands have diabetes. Diabetes causes a number of health problems. Those with diabetes have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. It can damage the kidney and cause dental diseases. Many in Micronesia are blind from the combination of diabetes and the harsh equatorial sun. Diabetes also causes circulation problems, as well as the number one surgery–lower limb amputations–in the Marshall Islands. At the Canvasback Diabetes Wellness Center, our patients learn about the causes of diabetes and are given the keys to reverse their own cases on their own. Providing the children of Micronesia with pure refreshing Coconut Water to replace the high fructose soda's they drink helps promote healthy living and is the first step towards promoting a new healthier diabetes-free generation.
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