A friend recently shared that with me and I wanted to pass it on to you, good reader, because it is everything I believe an internet meme should be: Funny, a little sad and very informative. On to more serious things.
Diabetes is, indeed, an increasingly widespread problem. According to the American Diabetes Association, as of January 26 2011, 25.8 million Americans have diabetes and the total cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2007 was a whopping $174 billion. Surely, something must be done. So what can you do to prevent becoming another notch in diabetes belt? Read on.
What Causes Diabetes?
Diabetes comes in two flavors: Type 1 and Type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which your body no longer creates its own insulin, a hormone produced in the fantastically named islets of Langerhans of the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. This is sometimes called "insulin dependent" diabetes because people with this form of diabetes must take daily insulin injections to survive. The exact causes of type 1 diabetes is not completely clear but it may be effected by genetic and/or environmental factors. It is also theorized that a specific virus could cause the immune system to attack the pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of the condition. It can be a case of either insulin resistance, meaning that the body cannot make use of the insulin that it produces, or an insufficient production of insulin. Again, the exact mechanism behind type 2 diabetes isn't totally understood but genetics and lifestyle are definitely involved. The condition is much more prevalent among obese, sedentary individuals.
There is no known cure for either form of diabetes but both conditions can be controlled. Type 2 diabetes is preventable.
Symptoms
Unfortunately, some of the symptoms of diabetes seem so harmless that the disease often goes undiagnosed. The American Diabetes Association lists the following symptoms:
Type 1 Diabetes
- Frequent urination
- Unusual thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unusual weight loss
- Extreme fatigue and Irritability
Type 2 Diabetes
- Any of the type 1 symptoms
- Frequent infections
- Blurred vision
- Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
- Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
- Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
Potential Treatment and Prevention
Controlling blood sugar levels is key to controlling both forms of diabetes and, unfortunately, there is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes. There is much that can be done for type 2 diabetes, however.
Ben Franklin said that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Granted, he was speaking about fire fighting, but the principal also applies to diabetes.
An interesting series of new studies hints that green tea may be able to add "anti-diabetic" to its ever growing and somewhat ridiculous list of benefits. Of particular interest is a 2004 study published in the British Medical Journal of Pharmacology which found that green tea consumption helped to control blood sugar in humans.
But the number one way to prevent type 2 diabetes is... diet and exercise! Obesity plays a huge role in type 2 diabetes so losing and controlling your weight is one of the most effective steps you an take. This has been demonstrated by Dr. Osama Hamdy of the Joslin Diabetes Center with his Why WAIT program. The program includes a balanced diet, exercise and guidance from a team of cross-disciplinary health professionals. Participants in his program have experienced enormous improvements in their diabetes-related complications and have been able to control there blood sugar levels. It is also a well established fact that exercise increases the body's sensitivity to insulin.
