How Insulin Affects Us

How Insulin Affects Us - The glycemic index helps us to understand which foods are best and worst for controlling our blood glucose levels.

As we have seen, when blood glucose levels get too high, insulin is released into the bloodstream by the pancreas to help disperse the glucose. The insulin transports the glucose to cells needing extra energy. The cells have "insulin receptors" positioned so that insulin can bind to them, facilitating glucose entry and utilization in the cells. Once inside the cells, the glucose is burned to produce heat and adenosine triphosyphate, (ATP) a molecule that stores and releases energy as required by the cell.

When cells become less sensitive to the effects of insulin, they accept less glucose, so more glucose than usual remains in the bloodstream. Result? The pancreas over-compensates by working harder and releasing even more insulin.

The combination of insulin-insensitivity and insulin over-production typically leads to one of two results:

Either, the pancreas gets worn out and insulin production slows down to abnormally low levels. Result? We develop type 2 diabetes. (About 30 percent of cases)

Or, the insulin-resistant patient doesn't develop diabetes (because the pancreas continues to produce sufficient insulin) but, instead, contracts hyperinsulinism (abnormally high levels of insulin in the blood), which can cause chronic obesity as well as high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, heart disease, and possibly some cancers.

Low GI Foods Cause Lower Insulin Levels

This is why experts are beginning to recognize the health advantages of following a low GI diet. Because lower GI foods are converted into glucose much more slowly, causing less insulin to be produced.

This is not the last word on this subject, by any means. Research into insulin insensitivity and the relationship between insulin levels and obesity is ongoing. However, the overconsumption of high-GI foods (and high-fat fast-food) is a major cause of concern.

The new carbohydrate-classification system known as the Glycemic Index rates the carbohydrate quality in foods according to its immediate effect on blood glucose level. Thus carbs that break down quickly into glucose during digestion, causing a rapid rise in glucose levels, have a High GI value. Those carbs that break down more slowly, are given an Intermediate or Low GI value.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 - Special areas in the pancreas gland, the Islets of Langerhans, produce a hormone called insulin. This hormone is a protein of small size. Insulin stimulates muscle cells and other body cells to take up glucose from the blood and convert the glucose to glycogen, a kind of starch, and then store the glycogen. By need the body cells convert the glycogen to glucose and use it as fuel. In this way insulin keeps the glucose level in the blood at a normal size.

By diabetes type 2, the cells in the body do not react properly by stimulation from insulin. Therefore they do not take in enough glucose from the blood to store it or to use it as energy source. This condition is called insulin resistance. The amount of glucose in the blood therefore rises. Also the insulin production can rise to regulate the glucose amount down, but this effort to reduce the blood glucose is not effective enough. If the disease persists for many years, the insulin production may tire out, so that the amount of secreted insulin decreases.


THE CAUSES AND MECHANISMS OF DIABETES TYPE 2

The exact mechanism that causes the disease is not known. There may be an autoimmune response to insulin or to the molecules on the cell surfaces that the insulin connects to. However, these lifestyle factors can cause the disease:

-Too high consume of sugar and fat
-Over-weight
-Too less exercise over many years.

Therefore diabetes type 2 can be prevented by a right diet and with regular exercise.

When the glucose uptake into the body cells is reduced, but glucose instead accumulates in the blood, the following physiological effects occur:

-The body cells do not get enough fuel for the work they shall do.
-The molecular thickness (osmality) of the blood increases. This causes water to be pulled out from the body tissues and into the blood. The tissues thus get dried out and the urine production increases.
-The tissues begin to break down protein and fat to get energy, causing weight loss and muscular reduction.

The symptoms of diabetes type 2 are a consequence of these mechanisms.


THE SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES TYPE 2

Diabetes type 2 is the most common kind of diabetes, actually 10 times more common than diabetes type 1, where the insulin production is reduced or stopped.  The disease usually appears after the age of 50, but the high sugar and fat consume in western countries nowadays also causes young persons to acquire the disease. Symptoms of diabetes type 2 come gradually. The symptoms are.

-Increased urine production
-Dehydration, that is a lack of water in the body
-Abnormal high thirst
-Dry mouth
-Increased appetite
-Slow healing of physical injuries
-Itching in the skin
-Infections caused by yeasts
-Impaired vision

In the long turn, the disease can cause atherosclerosis with blood vessel narrowing, heart disease and stroke.



THE TREATMENT OF DIABETES TYPE 2

The treatment of diabetes type 2 is most often diet with a low sugar amount and weight reduction. These measures will lighten the burden upon the blood sugar control of the body so that it manages to normalize the blood sugar levels.  If this does not work good enough, medicines to lower the blood sugar is used.

If the insulin production is reduced, insulin injections are also used.

There are also natural products in the market that can help to normalize the blood sugar level by diabetes type 2. Those products cannot heal the disease, but they can help the body to regulate the blood sugar. These products contain minerals that are working components of enzymes that stimulate the glucose metabolism in the body. They also contain herbs that have been used for a long time in traditional medicine to regulate the glucose level and have proven their effects in scientific studies.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 1

Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 - Special areas in the pancreas gland, the islets of Langerhans, produce a hormone called insulin. This hormone is a protein of small size. Insulin stimulates muscle cells and other body cells to take up glucose from the blood and convert the glucose to glycogen, a kind of starch, and then store the glycogen. By need the body cells convert the glycogen to glucose and use it as fuel. In this way insulin keeps the glucose level in the blood at a normal size.

By diabetes type I the cells producing insulin are destroyed. Then less glucose is taken up from the blood into the body cells and utilized there, and glucose accumulates in the blood.


THE CAUSES AND MECHANISMS OF DIABETES TYPE I

The cause of the disease is not well known. An auto-immune response attacking the insulin producing cells in the langerhansian islets may be a cause. Virus infection may be another cause. The disease also is to some extend inherited.

When the glucose uptake into the body cells is reduced, but glucose instead accumulates in the blood, the following physiological effects occur:

-The body cells do not get enough fuel for the work they shall do.
-The molecular thickness (osmality) of the blood increases. This causes water to be pulled out from the body tissues and into the blood. The tissues thus get dried out and the urine production increases.
-The tissues begin to break down protein and fat to get energy, causing weight loss and muscular reduction.

The symptoms of diabetes type 1 are a consequence of these mechanisms.


SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES TYPE 1

The disease often starts suddenly. Often children or young people are attacked by the disease. The lack of insulin causes an increased amount of blood sugar. Early symptoms of the disease are:

-Increased urine production
-Dehydration (lack of water in the body)
-Abnormally high thirst as a consequence of increased urine production
-Dryness in the mouth
-An abnormal high appetite
-Feeling extremely tired and weak
-Weight loss, even when one eats well
-Impaired vision

If the blood sugar level is not stabilized to a normal value, there will be an accumulation of chemicals in the body called ketones, and this condition is called diabetic ketoacidosis. This serious condition can lead to coma and death. The signs of ketoacidosis are:

-Vomiting,
-Pain in the stomach
-Rapid breathing,
-High pulse rate
-Somnolence (abnormal tendency to sleep)

In the long term, diabetes type 1 can severely hurt the blood vessels in vital organs. This can further cause damage to the heart, eyes, kidneys or other body organs.


TREATMENTS OF DIABETES TYPE 1

Diabetes type 1 is treated with insulin injections. Implanting insuline cells in the pancreas is an experimental treatment. Another experimental treatment is to implant stem cells in the pancreas that can develop into new insulin producing cells.

Another important module of the treatment is regulation of the amount of sugar and fat consumed through the diet so that it fits together with the insulin-amount injected. Also regular monitoring of the blood sugar level to regulate the insulin amount is an important part of the treatment.

There are also natural products in the market that can help to normalize the blood sugar level by diabetes type 2. Those products cannot heal the disease or replace insulin injections, but they can help the body to regulate the blood sugar level. These products contain minerals that are working components of enzymes that stimulate the glucose metabolism in the body. They also contain herbs that have been used for a long time in traditional medicine to regulate the glucose level and that have proven their effects in scientific studies.

Diabetes Diet

Diabetes Diet - Although a "miracle" diabetes diet does not exist to cure the disease, if you have type 2 diabetes, there are dietary rules you can follow that will ensure you stay as healthy as possible. When it comes right down to it, proper nutrition is the only “diet” you need to follow. Many people are inexperienced with following a healthy diet, but once you get into the swing of things, eating properly will become part of your lifestyle.

To start off, it’s best to follow the nutrition guidelines in the Food Pyramid, with special attention to carbohydrate intake. Also, diabetics should maintain a regular meal schedule and exercise portion control.

Starches are allowed in a diabetes diet, as long as you control portions and don’t consume too much starchy food. Starches are present in bread, cereal, and starchy vegetables.

Consume five fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. This can easily be accomplished by eating a piece of fruit for a snack several times a day, or by eating vegetables with dinner. Soups, stir-fries, and chili make good hiding places for veggies if you need clever ways to add more good stuff into your meals.

You can still eat sugars and sweets (perhaps surprisingly) with type 2 diabetes, but do so in moderation, which means once or twice a week maximum. One way to eat fewer sweets without neglecting your sweet tooth is to split a dessert in half.

Especially beneficial for diabetics are soluble fibers, so you need to get as many as these into your diet as possible. Luckily, you can find soluble fibers in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Soluble fibers are excellent because they aid in slowing down and reducing the absorption of glucose from the intestines. Legumes (such as cooked kidney beans) have the highest amount of soluble fibers, and also keep blood sugar levels in check. Insoluble fibers, found in bran, whole grains and nuts, are also part of a healthy diet because they work like intestinal scrubbers, by cleaning out the lower gastrointestinal tract.

For many people, contacting a dietician is the best way to put together a good diabetes diet. Everyone is different, so keeping in contact with your physician and nutrition consultant will ensure your diet plan is the optimum one for you. A professional will take into account your lifestyle, medication, weight, other medical issues, and your favorite foods to come up with a plan that will keep you healthy and satisfy your cravings for particular flavors.

A Healthy Weight – and Lifestyle

If you have type 2 diabetes, it’s also very important to maintain a healthy weight ( http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/diabetes-diet ). With type 2 diabetes, added body fat actually makes it more difficult for your body to produce and use insulin. Trimming down as little as 10 or 20 pounds has the potential to improve your blood sugar significantly.

Smokers are advised to quit as soon as possible, as smoking can aggravate diabetes and make it more difficult to cope with the disease. Because diabetics often experience circulation problems in the legs and feet, smoking is a dangerous habit to continue - it decreases blood flow even more. Smoking also increases LDL cholesterol and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

If you keep your blood sugar under control, moderate alcohol consumption is allowed, but avoid drinking on an empty stomach, as this can lead to low blood sugar. To learn how much alcohol you can safely include in your diet, consult your doctor.

Fat and Carbs

You can control the amount of carbs you consume by practicing carbohydrate counting. This involves keeping track of the total number of grams of carbs you need to eat at meals or snacks, depending on your medication and exercise. Usually this method involves the use of a carbohydrate counting book, which you can purchase at a supermarket or bookstore.

Those with type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk for heart problems, so most physicians make a recommendation to limit fat below 30% of your total daily caloric intake – this tends to be done by eating less fat overall and staying away from saturated fat. You should also pay attention to cholesterol levels by eating smaller amounts of meat, and sticking to lean meats, such as poultry and fish.

It will take some time to adjust to your new diabetes diet and healthy lifestyle, especially if you haven’t followed healthy living practices in the past, but the results will be worth the effort. Not only will you be able to better manage your diabetes, but you will also become a much healthier person.

Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes Symptoms - While talking about diabetes, you may be frightened from the idea that you may have it. Or maybe, you may have it in the future. You want to know if you are at risk to develop diabetes and anxiously you're looking to find if you have any diabetes symptom.

Diabetes affects the manner in which the body handles carbohydrates, fats and proteins. If neglected, diabetes can have serious complications. The diabetic people have high blood sugar level. The blood sugar level is regulated by insulin - a hormone produced by the pancreas, which depends on your eating habits.


Diabetes is a serious disease. But the startling truth is that diabetes is reversible. Diabetes is the number one cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This disease is a condition where the body is unable to automatically regulate blood glucose levels, resulting in too much glucose (a sugar) in the blood. Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects as many as 16 million Americans.

Actually, there is no clear symptom for diabetes. The most common symptoms of diabetes are as follow:

- being all the time thirsty
- frequent urination
- increased hunger
- feeling all the time tired; having an excessive fatigue,

On the other hand, there are some other symptoms of diabetes that are prescribed as diabetes complications in fact. These symptoms are:

- vision changes;
- recurrent skin infections very difficult to heal;
- tingling or numbness you may feel in your extremities;
- gums disorders;
- Hair loss and many others.

There are two different types of diabetes.

Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes): The reason for type I diabetes is due to pancreas unability to produce insulin.

Type II Diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes or adult onset diabetes): This diabetes is a result of body tissues becoming resistant to insulin. It is usually hereditary.

Type 2 Diabetes is more common than Type 1 Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Conditions associated with type 2 diabetes include hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Up to two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Obesity is the single most important risk factor for type 2 diabetes. An estimated 20% of all cases of new onset type 2 diabetes are in individuals between the ages of 9-19. The more you know about type 2 diabetes, the more you'll be able to take the right steps to take control of your condition.

If neglected, diabetes can lead to various complications such as damage to the kidneys, heart disease, nerve damage, hypoglycemia (drastic reduction in glucose levels). Diabetes is a serious disease and there is no treatment of it. However, it can be brought under control by proper diabet diet.

Diabetes and Menopause

Diabetes and Menopause - You might be thinking "What's the connection between diabetes and the menopause?"Well, for ladies reaching that certain age, it can be very traumatic - especially when some of the effects experienced can easily be mistaken for those we have to be aware of when managing our diabetes...

For a diabetic taking medication, keeping blood sugars at the right level is a balancing act.  If sugar levels drop too low, because of not eating enough or at the right times, you suffer a hypoglycemia episode (sometimes called 'hypo' for short).  For me, this usually manifests itself as shaking; irritability; sweating and a faint-headed feeling. 


If you are diabetic and have ever had low-blood sugar you may recognize some of these symptoms, amongst others.  A quick 'glucose fix' usually settles it within 5-10 minutes.

Now, compare that to some of the symptoms of starting the menopause; hot flushes [I call them 'power-surges' ;)] - similar to the sweats of a hypo; mood swings - akin to the irritability you might experience during a hypo.  It's very easy to confuse the symptoms you are feeling.

When I first started the menopause, I frequently confused waking at 2 a.m. in the morning in a cold sweat as a hypo and took a quick sugar boost to settle myself.  That pushed my blood sugar levels up when I didn't need it.  Not a good idea!

It was only after visiting my Doctor to talk about these frequent, unexpected hypos I discovered I was starting the menopause (I was in my late 40s, so it was rather unexpected, normally it doesn't occur until early-to-mid 50s).

If you are a lady, with diabetes controlled by medication, and you are in your early 50s and you start having frequent, unexplained hypos - check your sugar levels before 'treating the condition'.  And get your Doctor to check your symptoms.  You may be confusing symptoms of diabetes and the menopause.

And guys; if your lady normally has great control of her diabetes and suddenly seems to be showing the same symptoms when she was getting her diabetes into balance (if you knew her then) please be supportive and understanding, she's going through one hell of an experience, but I promise, she will come through and be her normal, loving and charming self once again

Living With Diabetes

Living With Diabetes - One of the most dreaded diseases is diabetes. It is a killer disease and it is really very difficult to control. Going by the official US stats, diabetes is the third biggest giant killer among the deadly diseases in the United States of America. The global statistics is also mind-boggling!

First things first, how does a person become diabetic? When your body is unable to produce insulin that is necessary for its normal functioning, it becomes unable to absorb glucose (sugar). When the levels of glucose take a course to the blood stream, you become a diabetic patient.


Once you become diabetic, you have a problem for life. You live hour by hour, during the day. Medication becomes part of your life, which is likely to demand a good portion of your pension! Your lifestyle will be changed. You will suddenly become a thinking man now—thinking about diabetes. You might find your self pronouncing the term diabetes, diabetes, and diabetes hundreds of times a day!!

When it has finally seized you, it is not only diabetes alone! Many other dreaded diseases live in waiting to take hold of you. Some of them are kidney failure, heart diseases, nervous breakdown, blindness, blurred vision, limb amputation and the ultimate for the human body—death!

The prescriptive medicines complete the remaining process of the damage. Many toxic side effects are reported- skin rashes, weight gain and respiratory ailments, are few to quote. Notwithstanding the claims of many over-the-counter drugs that promise cure, the one thing that can really help you is your diet control and perfect discipline as regards to time management.

For example, your morning walks. Now, all the medical practitioners agree that morning walks do great service to tame the intensity of diabetics. So, you need to take a complete brief about the articles of food that is suitable for you, vegetables included! If anything will have the exacting affects to take you out of the influence of this disease, it is nature! So, have a perfect dietary discipline. It has taken many to the path of complete recovery! Some of the local treatments have the intrinsic capacity to tame your high blood sugar and such cases are the only hope for the diabetic patients!

So, do not think that everything is lost for you! From the dark ashes, sprouts a seedling

Diabetes and Insulin

Diabetes and Insulin - Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not manufacture sufficient amounts of insulin or does not properly use insulin.  Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that is necessary for the transport of sugar from the blood stream into the cells for use as energy.  Type 2 diabetes results when our bodies become insensitive to insulin and cause our blood sugar go out of balance.  For this reason, we want to do everything we can to remain insulin sensitive.  When we are insulin sensitive, our bodies do a much better job of moving glucose from the blood and into cells. 


Various herbs, foods, vitamins, and minerals have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity and help maintain proper blood sugar levels.  Vanadyl sulfate increases the body's insulin sensitivity.  Gymnema sylvestre is a well known herb helpful in blood sugar control by controlling sugar cravings and nourishing the pancreas. 

Exercise also increases insulin sensitivity. People involved in athletics are known to require less insulin.  Besides improving insulin sensitivity, exercise helps us to control our weight and reduce body fat.  Weight control is a very important aspect in maintaining insulin sensitivity. 

Another important factor in maintaining proper blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity is a healthful diet.  Complex carbohydrates found in most vegetables, apples, grains, and nuts are slow to digest.  Slowing the process of digestion promotes healthy blood sugar levels and avoids the highs and lows associated with the intake of refined sugars.  We should also avoid saturated fats.  The healthy fats contained in fish, olive oil, and flaxseed help us to maintain insulin sensitivity. 

Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and results from insulin resistence.  The above methods have been shown to be extremely helpful in maintaining insulin sensitivity, promoting lower blood sugar levels, and avoiding the complications associated with diabetes