All we need to Scientifically know about Diabeties. (The Relationship between sugar consumption and diabetes .)

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My Mum is the least consumer of sugary contents as long as my family is concerned, she tries everything possible to stay away from the consumption of any sugary product especially the consumption of soft drinks which we would conveniently take on a regular, it came as a shock to me when she was diagnosed of diabetes two days ago. I was really confused because I thought that the reason behind diabetes was the consumption of excessive sugar, why would my Mum who tries her possible best to stay away from sugary content be a victim of diabetes?

The reason why people have diabetes.

The presence of diabetes in the body literarily translates that, the body of the individual is not able to process glucose properly from food consumed, there are actually different types of diabetes which are present for different reasons but the end product of all these diabetes type revolves around having excessive glucose in the blood stream of the victim.

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Normally, the body is supposed to transport sugar found in the body into the cell and convert into energy, when this does not happen, there is a developed extra sugar found in the bloodstream of the individual involved. Diabetes should not be taken with levity, because when it is uncontrolled, it can result to the damage to trivial organs and tissues in the body such as the kidneys, nerves, kidney and even the eyes.

For a diabetic patient; the pancreas no longer makes sufficient insulin needed for the body to operate. Insulin is a hormone in the body that is produced by the pancreas, the pancreas is an organ that can be found behind the stomach. The pancreas functions by releasing insulin into the bloodstream, it is the insulin that is responsible for opening the cell wall door, with the unlocking process been done, glucose is allowed to enter into body cells, since glucose is responsible for the provision of energy which would in turn allow the proper functionality of the tissues and organ, when glucose is unable to access the appropriate channel then problem occurs at the presence of diabetes, the pancreas stops producing the required insulin, in some cases, no insulin at all is produced. In some cases, the pancreas even makes insulin, but the body cells just fail to respond to it and cannot use it as appropriately as it should be used.1

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There are different classes/categories of diabetes, and they may be more severe one than another, there is a need for us to explore the different types of diabetes and understand the symptom of each one of them.

Exploring different categories of diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes is a stage where the individual's immune system which is supposed to fight against viruses and harmful bacteria's begins to attack and destroy the insulin producing cells that are found in the pancreas, after this destruction is done, the body is left with little or no insulin at all, in this case instead of having sugar being transported into your cells, sugar begins to build up in the individual's bloodstream.
In the case of type 1 diabetes, the major cause is still unknown, but it is usually diagnosed in children as well as young adults, it can however develop at any age. People who have type 1 diabetes are to take insulin on a daily basis, that is a reason why it is also referred to as an insulin-dependent type of diabetes. 2,1

Having established the fact that, the major cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, there are other signals that can increase the risk of having type 1 diabetes, those signals are; family history, if you have a sibling or relative that has type 1 diabetes, there is a great possibility of having it yourself.

Exposure to varial/environmental illness has a great role to play in the occurrence of type 1 diabetes.

Geographical location is a great cause of type 1 diabetes as well, countries like Finland, Sweden has a greater percentage of type 1 diabetes. 3

Type 2 Diabetes In this situation, the body fails to produce sufficient insulin and in some cases, the body does not just respond appropriately to the insulin produced, this diabetic type happens to be the most common type of diabetes, according to survey, up to 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, another name for type 2 diabetes is insulin-resistant diabetes. 1

Type 2 diabetes is believed to have a genetic link, which run between families, if someone in your family had or has diabetes, then there is a great chance of having it yourself too. At this point, the body becomes extremely resistant to insulin and sugar begins to build up in the blood. 4. There is a greater chance of having type 2 diabetes when there is absence of physical activity and there is a case of obesity, extra weight in the body often create resistance to insulin, and it is really common for those with type 2 diabetes, excessive belly fat can also be linked to insulin resistance.

In this case, the muscle, liver and fat cells does not use insulin properly, as a result of this, the body requires more insulin to help glucose enter into cells, in defence at first, the pancreas produces more insulin to keep up with the new demand, over time, it happens that the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin, blood glucose level in the body begins to rise.2

Age is also one of the associated reasons behind type 2 diabetes, even if there is a rising condition amongst adolescents and younger adults.

Gestational diabetes happens to pregnant women, there is an increased possibility of a woman who had gestational pregnancy to have type 2 diabetes, having a baby that weighs above 9 pounds, also creates a risk of having type 2 diabetes.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition in women who have irregular menstrual cycle, who have excessive hair growth and who are obese, the presence of this condition increases the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes The prediabetes stage is the occurrence before type 2 diabetes, for this condition, the blood glucose levels are usually higher than usual but definitely not high enough to be properly diagnosed as a type 2 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes Is a diabetic condition experienced by pregnant women, after pregnancy phase, gestational diabetes is likely to go away. However, the pregnant mother has an increased possibility of having type 2 diabetes. During pregnancy as well, there may be complications for both mother and child, the problem could be; premature birth, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, jaundice, the presence of still birth and even excessive weight during childbirth.

Having diabetes, is not a death sentence, there are various survivors of diabetes and there are a wide range of treatment for every of these mentioned diabetic type.

Treatments for diabetes.

The major treatment for type 1 diabetes is insulin, the insulin is used to replace the hormone that the body is unable to produce.

Exercise and improvement in diet is a good way to manage type 2 diabetes, with lifestyle changes, the blood sugar gets reduced but in cases where lifestyle changes does not appear sufficient to help the course, medications are usually the next best option. Eating more fruits, more vegetables and whole grains would help your condition better, eating smaller quantity of food would also help.

Controlling diabetics in children is extremely important because diabetes can actually affect important organs in children, which could include their kidney and their organ. 5

Diabetics control/early treatment is very important because the refusal to treat diabetes as quick as possible could result in possible life-threatening complications like;

  • Nerve damage.
  • Cardiovascular disease.
  • Kidney damage.
  • Damage to the eyes.
  • Damage to the foot.
  • Skin conditions.
  • Hearing problems.
  • Depression.
  • Alzheimer's disease.
  • Subsequent gestational diabetes in pregnant mothers.

Diabetes can be prevented by making simple lifestyle choices.

  • The consumption of more healthy and balanced food.
  • Getting engaged in more physical activites.
  • Loosing excessive pounds as quickly as they come. 3

It is a smart choice to regularly check blood glucose level with a blood glucose meter, Icheked mine the last time I was ill, a verified personeel will tell you how often it is required to check blood glucose level.

With the mention of diabetics, it is normal for people to easily relate it to high sugar, but the blood sugar could either be too high or too low, the both conditions are not good for the body.

There are symptoms to help you realize when your blood glucose level is low(hypoglycemia).

  • Having moist skin and excessive sweat.
  • Signalled confusion.
  • Fast heart beat rate.
  • Pale look/skin.
  • Having blurred vision.
  • Headaches and siezures.
  • Nervousness and iritability.
  • Unsteadiness.

High blood sugar level is called hyperglycemia.

The relationship between sugary food and diabetes.

At the beginning of thia article, I wrote about my Mum always trying to avoid sugar and I am surprised at the diabetics, but according to medical research, sugar itself is not the direct cause of diabetes, but the consumption of food rich in sugary contents can lead to weight gain.

Weight gain can increase the possibility of increasing cardiovascular disease, increase blood pressure, increase triglyceride levels and even increase cholesterol,create tooth decay, increase the chances of cardiovascular disease and cause the build up of fat in the body.1

Conclusion.

After studying extensively and studying about this topic, I have realized the possibility of having diabetics even without directly consuming sugary contents.The best thing is to realize the presence of high or low blood sugar in the body and treat it as quickly as possible.

References.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7104-diabetes-mellitus-an-overview

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/symptoms-causes

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes#takeaway

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Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my podcast channel Here and I also have a youtube channel where you can listen and watch any of any episode for free, do not forget to subscribe and share with friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from members of the community and do well to keep them coming.



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7 comments
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Thanks for this very informative post. I had nothing specific to say as the post was clear enough, but I was a bit sad to see there was not a single comment. So here I am :)

Have a nice end of the week!

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@lemouth are you not just far too kind? I apologize for responding late as well, it hasn't been easy juggling health issues (Mine and Mum's) with online activities, hence the reason behind my absence. I am fully back now (hopefully), thank you so much.

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This is very sad to read. I hope your health and that of your mum will quickly get better. Take care!

Cheers!

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Yeah people over-blame sugar. And they underestimate the sugar-high that 'healthy' meals give you. You can eat just one banana, and even tho its glycemic index is low, its glycemic load is high (if I remember correctly). Anything with potatoes, more than half a cup of beans, grains...: sugar-bomb, i.e. high glycemic load. Yet it's all considered healthy eating. Vegans are especially prone to this, their teeth even often get messed up because of how much sugar they consume, but it's not in the form of the white powdery substance we're used to panicking about. Frankly, it's tough getting your calorie quota for the day without over-consuming carbs or fats, and apparently nutrition science is still out on what's better for us; but given the prevalence of diabetes, I'd err on the side of (healthy) fats being better for you than healthy carbs.

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