Everything you need to know about diabetes!

Diabetes has become a serious disease in the 21st century and affects a large number of people around the world, for example, the number of people with diabetes in the United States is about 29.1 million, which is approximately 9.3% of the US population. (This statistic was published in 2013). Unfortunately, in our country, the number of people with diabetes has increased in recent years, and this trend is expected to increase in the coming years.

Factors such as poor nutrition, reduced food quality, obesity and overweight, inactivity, smoking and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, air pollution, etc. increase the chances of developing diabetes and on the other hand, late diagnosis of this The disease complicates the healing process. Diabetes treatment is labeled.



What is diabetes and how do we diagnose it?

When the blood sugar level is too normal, it is called diabetes in medicine and to diagnose it, the fasting blood sugar (FBS) test is usually performed, if the result of the blood sugar test is less than 105 mg / dl, a healthy person If this level is between 1626-155 mg / dl, it is a condition called glucose metabolism disorder and the person is on the verge of diabetes and needs changes in diet, physical activity, selection of appropriate dietary supplements to prevent it. And even weight loss, and if he does not do them, he will get diabetes in the not too distant future. Repeat the next day, and if the sugar level in the second test is higher than 126 mg / dl, diabetes is definite.



Before we look at the causes of diabetes and how to treat it, let me first explain the role of sugar in the body and how it is metabolized:

Glucose (sugar) is considered as the body's fuel and is actually a substance that the body converts into energy and uses it for its activities. It is very important that the sugar metabolism cycle in the body is done properly so that we have enough strength and health. The following is a simple explanation of how the body converts sugar into energy:

After eating, blood sugar (glucose) rises and the pancreas releases an amount of insulin into the bloodstream that collects glucose from the blood and carries it to cells in the body that need fuel (energy). Cells that are fueled by glucose have receptors for insulin in their outer shell so that insulin can attach to them and glucose can enter the cells. After entering the cell, glucose is ignited and converted to heat and ATP (ATP) (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is a molecule that stores energy and releases it to the cell when needed to function. Use it yourself.

Some cells in the body need oxygen to convert glucose into energy, a process called aerobic metabolism. These cells have a component called mitochondria, and some other cells can convert glucose into energy without the need for oxygen. This is called anaerobic metabolism.

Glucose is the fuel of many cells in the body, one of the regular customers of which are muscle cells that can convert glucose into energy both aerobically and anaerobically. When enough oxygen is available, these cells aerobically convert glucose into energy, but when they do not have enough oxygen, they anaerobically convert it into energy, in which case part of it is converted to lactic acid. Lactic acid causes muscle cramps and pain, and this is why you feel pain in your muscles during prolonged exercise, which means that when the amount of oxygen in the blood decreases during physical activity, the muscle cells have to be anaerobic. Convert glucose to fuel, part of which is converted to lactic acid, causing muscle cramps and pain.



What is the problem in people with diabetes at what stage of this cycle?

There are two major problems with diabetes:

1) Insulin is not produced enough by the pancreas to collect sugar from the bloodstream and deliver it to the body's cells, and one of the reasons that people with diabetes suffer from enuresis is when their blood sugar levels are high. The high blood pressure of the kidneys tries to pass it through the urine, and also part of the body's water is excreted with the urine, so the diabetic person constantly feels thirsty.

2) Insulin is produced enough but the body's cells do not respond properly to it. In other words, insulin can not do its job properly and the reason is usually related to the body's overall metabolic system and problems with the thyroid and adrenal glands. They play a key role in the body's metabolism and energy production. When the thyroid and adrenal glands become less active, the body's metabolism slows down and the command and signal from these glands to the body's cells to absorb insulin and use Glucose is not sent and as a result the cells do not respond to insulin absorption, which unfortunately many doctors are not aware of enough.

 Endocrine and pancreatic function:

The endocrine glands need vitamins and minerals to produce enzymes, hormones, and proper metabolism. For example, the thyroid gland uses the elements potassium, iodine and manganese to produce the relevant hormones, and needs selenium to convert T3 to T4. The pancreas also needs the elements zinc, manganese, and chromium to produce insulin, and a lack of these elements can reduce or stop the production of insulin.

Sometimes the increase of some elements in the body such as iron, copper and some toxic metals such as cadmium, etc. cause dysfunction of the pancreas. For example, iron replaces the elements chromium, manganese, and zinc in the pancreas, reducing or stopping insulin production, which is called bronze diabetes or iron overload diabetes.

Types of diabetes and how to treat diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, because 70% of people with this type of diabetes develop the disease under the age of 30, although it can occur at any age. According to statistics, about 5 to 10 percent of all diabetics have type 1 diabetes.

In this type of diabetes, the pancreas is unable to produce a small amount of insulin or insulin in general. Medical treatment for this is the injection and use of insulin, and the patient should check his blood sugar level regularly throughout the day to avoid a sharp drop or increase.



Causes of Type 1 Diabetes:

The immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Some medical scientists believe that this is a genetic problem, and some believe that a virus in the pancreas stimulates and attacks the immune system.

In addition to the above reasons, in some people, an infection in the pancreas stops the production of insulin, which is not yet known for this type of diabetes, and the patient must continue to take insulin for life to control his blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and almost 90% of people with diabetes develop this type and it is also called adult diabetes because it is more common in people over 35 years of age and with increasing age the chances of developing it increase. Be. According to a study and report in the United States, one in four people over the age of 60 suffers from type 2 diabetes, and factors such as aging, obesity, poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, Inactivity has a direct effect on increasing the chances of developing it. About 80% of people with this type of diabetes are overweight.

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas can usually produce some of the insulin needed for glucose metabolism and does not completely fail like type 1 diabetes. The problem is the relative deficiency of insulin production, which is due to a lack of minerals such as chromium, manganese, Zinc and others that the pancreas uses to make insulin.

Sometimes insulin is produced enough or even more than usual, but the body's cells do not respond well to it. In other words, insulin can not do its job properly because of problems with the thyroid and adrenal glands. They regulate the whole metabolic system of the body. When the thyroid and adrenal glands become underactive, the body's metabolism slows down and no command or signal is sent by these glands to the body's cells to absorb insulin and use glucose, so the cells do not respond to insulin uptake. Give!

In many patients, the sugar metabolism cycle returns to normal with lifestyle changes, diet modification, exercise, and weight loss, as well as the use of dietary supplements to regulate minerals in the body, and there is no need to take hypoglycemic drugs such as metformin. However, if the sugar level does not return to normal after observing the mentioned cases, they need to be treated with medicine under the supervision of a doctor.



Gestational diabetes:

During pregnancy, some hormones that interfere with the function of the hormone insulin increase in women, which causes the body to not be able to use insulin properly and as a result, blood sugar rises, usually after the baby is born. Blood sugar levels return to normal, but women who experience high blood sugar during pregnancy are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future and should reduce their risk of developing diabetes with regular exercise and diet. .

Symptoms of diabetes:

Here are some important and early signs of diabetes, these symptoms are related to the time when diabetes has not progressed much and blood sugar has not risen sharply.

Urinary incontinence and frequent urination: In diabetic patients, the kidneys are more active in expelling excess sugar from the bloodstream, which increases the amount and frequency of urination, a problem that is especially evident at night and at bedtime.

Excessive thirst: Excessive thirst is directly related to frequent urination, with more activity of the kidneys and frequent urination, the body becomes dehydrated and a diabetic person constantly feels thirsty.

Excessive Fatigue: Because the body's cells cannot properly convert sugar into energy, a diabetic is constantly faced with fatigue and lack of energy.

Increased fungal infections and diseases: Because bacteria and fungi need sugar and a sweet environment to grow and multiply, fungal infections are more common in people with diabetes.

Frequent headaches: Fluctuations in blood sugar cause frequent headaches.

Problems with vision: Increased blood sugar causes vision problems such as blurred vision, night blindness, etc. If sugar is too high, it can even cause blindness.

Severe weight gain or loss



If you experience more than 2 of the above symptoms at the same time, be sure to see your doctor to check and check your blood sugar status.

Last point: it has always been said that prevention is better than cure, by having a diet plan and choosing the right dietary supplements under the supervision of a doctor and exercising regularly in addition to helping maintain your fitness and beauty from the chances of diabetes, cardiovascular disease Reduce depression and many other illnesses, health is not everything, but certainly everything is nothing without health.