Diabetes Diet
Diabetes Facts
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Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that is related to the improper
function of energy metabolism in the body. Generally, there are two types
of diabetes: Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes commonly occurs in younger
people. It is a condition in which the body is unable to produce insulin
and so the blood sugar level of the person can then rise to extremely
dangerous levels. Type II diabetes is more common and accounts for about
90% of all diabetic patients. This second type usually doesn't show up
until later in life and it is associated with overweight people and people
with a family history of the disease. About 30% of people who have Type
II diabetes eventually require insulin, but often it can be controlled
through diet, exercise and medication.
Type I diabetes, which is more prevalent in young people,
can only be controlled by using insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is
needed to convert sugar and other food into the energy that you need for
your daily life. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body and
insulin is the hormone that takes the sugar from your blood into your
cells. When there isn't a proper amount of insulin, the sugar is not carried
to the cells and the situation can grow very dangerous. The problems are
either that your cells may be starved for energy or, over a longer period
of time, your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart may be damaged. It is not
known what brings on Type I diabetes but we do know that there is a slight
genetic element at work. Still, the risk of Type I diabetes in an identical
twin is only about 35-50%. It cannot be completely explained in terms
of genetics.
Type II diabetes, which is also called late-onset
diabetes, usually occurs in adults and mainly people over 40. It
is more common in certain ethnic groups such as Blacks, Hispanics,
Native American Indians, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as
the elderly. This type of diabetes has a slower development so it is possible
that you may not even notice that you have it for several years. Symptoms
may be very slight or even nonexistent for certain people. In other cases,
it is extremely obvious in that there is frequent urination, excessive
thirst, weight loss, general fatigue and frequent vaginal infections in
some woman. The term “diabetes” comes from the Greek word "siphon".
It originated because the Greeks used to detect the symptoms of people
who were drinking lots of water and then urinating all the time like a
"siphon". Today we have many advanced methods for determining
the presence of diabetes in a patient.
Diabetes Type II is often related to obesity. People who
are obese have a condition known as "hyperinsulinemia". This
means that they have a high level of insulin in their blood and so the
cells in their body build up a tolerance to insulin and become virtually
"insulin resistant". In the extreme case, the body is required
to produce more insulin to keep its blood sugar levels in a safe range
but the extra body fat makes the muscle cells particularly "insulin
resistant". Because of this resistance, the blood sugar cannot be
broken down. This creates a situation in which the pancreas works even
harder to produce the insulin. Losing weight improves the body’s
sensitivity to insulin and so the ability to convert the glucose is greatly
improved. .
Gestational diabetes is another rare form of the disease that affects
about 4% of all pregnant women. In gestational diabetes, hormones from
the placenta that help the baby develop sometimes block the action of
the mother's insulin in her body. In the same way that insulin resistance
causes problems for obese people, it also makes it hard for the mother's
body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much insulin to
remain in a safe zone during her pregnancy.
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