Diabetes-What Is It

Both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes cause serious long term health problems if left untreated or undiagnosed. They both affect the way the body uses digested food for energy. Here's how it is supposed to work.  After eating the digestive system breaks food down into various components one of which is glucose. The blood stream carries glucose or sugar throughout the body causing blood sugar levels to rise. In response the hormone insulin is released to signal the body to metabolize the glucose for energy causing the blood sugar levels to return to normal. Glucose the body doesn't need or use goes to the liver or fat for storage for later use. That is how it normally works. Type 1 Diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because it usually struck people under 20. It is simply the pancreas not making enough insulin. Insulin is the key that "unlocks" cells to glucose and other nutrients allowing them to grow. Without insulin these cells literally start dying. The result is Type 1 Diabetics are hungry all the time trying to make up for the shortfall of insulin. Amazingly though since the body cannot process the nutrients weight loss is symptomatic along with extreme thirst and excessive urination. The kidneys try to process the excess glucose to balance things out. Type 1 Diabetes is largely inherited. Type 2 Diabetes is by far the most common type of the disease accounting for 90-95% of all cases. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that 21 million Americans have diabetes and that only two thirds of them even know it. Type 2 starts in middle age or later. It is growing so rapidly because of the epidemic in obesity not only in the US but all over the world. There is no cure but there is plenty you can do to prevent it and then control it. Type 2 is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar the main source of fuel.   People with Type 2 Diabetes have insulin resistance which prevents insulin from processing glucose properly. Soon more and more insulin is produced to overcome the resistance. During the later stages of the disease as the resistance increases, the blood glucose increases to above safe levels, but the body can't use it properly and the body actually starves for more energy. If left untreated and again most people don't know they have it, disastrous results are sure to come. It increases risk for eye, nerve, blood vessel, heart, and kidney problems.

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