There is an alarming question worldwide: why has diabetes become a global lifestyle disease? It is alarming because this sugar disease cases have increased exponentially in the last few decades. People are suffering from it and are still not aware of how to manage glucose metabolism disorder. Additionally, another concerning aspect of high blood glucose is that millions of people have it but don’t know about it. This article discusses every aspect of diabetes, including why it has become a global disease, how to understand the disease, and how to manage or reverse it. If you are interested in learning all about sugar disease, then keep scrolling…
Table of Contents
Why Diabetes has become a Global Health Issue?
Unhealthy Lifestyle
In the present time, diabetic condition has become a very common health issue all around the world. There are several reasons behind it. One of the main reasons is our unhealthy lifestyle. People are not engaging in any physical activity. Today, everyone wants comfort in every sense. Walking a few steps to reach a destination has become tiresome. People prefer cars, motorbikes, or any other mode of transport to get there. People are now used to sitting in one place and prefer to have a sedentary lifestyle.
Unhealthy Diet
Diet is another major factor contributing to the increasing number of diabetic patients. People prefer to eat fast food most of the time because it is easily available and requires no cooking at home. These fast foods are definitely not good for health. They are not only unhygienic but also rich in carbohydrates and fats.
Stress
Stress is another major factor contributing to diabetes. High stress levels are a significant culprit in increasing diabetes cases. From children to adults and the elderly, everyone is experiencing some kind of stress. The problem is that even though there are solutions to relieve stress, nobody is seeking them; instead, they let their stress escalate to the next level.
How Important Is It to Take Blood Reports Periodically?
First of all, when a person is told to undergo blood testing, it often carries a negative connotation. If the report indicates that everything is fine, people tend to think it was just a waste of time and money. However, they forget to consider what might have happened if the blood report had not been normal.
If a person has a family history of diabetes, meaning if their father, mother, uncle, or any close family members have a history of diabetes, then they should undergo blood sugar testing. Additionally, people between the ages of 35 and 40 should undergo blood testing every year. Detecting a health issue earlier can lead to earlier treatment and better outcomes.
What is diabetes?
In scientific terms, diabetes is called diabetes mellitus, where “diabetes” means excessive urination and “mellitus” means sweet. Taken together, diabetes mellitus means excessive sweet urination. Don’t confuse it with diabetes insipidus, which also involves frequent urination but without any taste (tasteless urination); “insipidus” here means tasteless.
Sugar Levels for diabetes
| Blood sugar level | Non-diabetic | Prediabetic | Diabetic |
| Fasting blood sugar | <110 | 110 – 126 | >126 |
| PPBS | <140 | 140 – 200 | >200 |
To determine the blood sugar level, a fasting blood test is conducted where a person fasts for about 8-10 hours. After this period, a blood sample is taken to test the blood glucose level. If your fasting blood sugar is less than 110, then you are considered non-diabetic. If the blood sugar level is between 110 and 126, then you are considered pre-diabetic. If the blood sugar level is above 126, then you are considered diabetic.
Another blood test is called PPBS (Postprandial blood sugar), which is done 2 hours after consuming a major meal, either lunch or dinner. If a person’s PPBS is below 140, then they are considered non-diabetic. If the sugar level is between 140 and 200, then the person is considered pre-diabetic. If the blood sugar level is above 200 (Hyperglycemia), then the person is considered diabetic.
It is important to note that a person with prediabetes can convert to non-diabetic by changing their lifestyle. However, if a prediabetic person does not change their lifestyle and continues to live a sedentary lifestyle for years, prediabetes will likely progress to diabetes. After developing blood sugar disorder, , progressive disorders may follow, leading to reliance on multiple medications. If diabetic condition is detected very late, many complications may arise in different body parts, including the eyes, kidneys, and legs.
Relationship of Sugar Intake and Diabetes
There is a common saying that hyperglycemia is directly associated with sugar intake in your daily diet. However, there are people who have never consumed sugar or who have consumed very little sugar and still have diabetes. This raises the question: does sugar intake have anything to do with the occurrence of sugar disease?
It is important to note that sugar intake is not the real cause of diabetes. It is a disease of calories. For instance, if you consume excess calories in your diet and live a sedentary lifestyle, the digested food will be converted into excessive glucose. Human body cells and tissues only recognize glucose as a source of energy. In the case of excess glucose, it will be stored in the form of fat or other forms in the body. Therefore, it is important to focus on calories and not just on sugar intake. Avoid foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. In other words, avoid foods with a high glycemic index and high glycemic load.
Types of Diabetes
There are broadly two types of blood glucose disorder: type I diabetes and type II diabetes. Let’s take a look at these two types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes:
It is also known as juvenile blood sugar disorder. In broad terms, type I diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes. The mechanism of type I disease is associated with immunological factors, which sometimes become the enemy of certain proteins in your body. These factors can attack and damage the beta cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin. In this situation, insulin production in the body is either reduced or stops completely. Type I diabetes is typically diagnosed before the age of 20. The only treatment for type I diabetes is insulin.
Type 2 diabetes
It is also known as adult-onset blood sugar disorder, which is generally seen in individuals above the age of 25. There are two classes in type II diabetes – one is associated with obesity, and the other is seen in people with a lean and thin body. In type II diabetes, there could be two situations: in the first situation, insulin is produced in the body but not in sufficient amounts. People suffering from hyperglycemia due to the underproduction of insulin make up only 1/4th of the population. In the majority of people with type II diabetes, insulin production is more than normal.
Relationship of Obesity with Type II Diabetes
Insulin is a hormone that attaches to its receptor, known scientifically as the insulin-insulin receptor mechanism. When insulin binds to the insulin receptor, it opens glucose channels, allowing glucose circulating in the blood to enter the cells. However, it is important to note that glucose channels only open when insulin properly binds to its receptor. In obese people, the insulin-insulin receptor mechanism is impaired, a condition known as insulin resistance.
When the insulin-insulin receptor mechanism is impaired, glucose channels fail to open, and glucose molecules from the blood cannot enter the cells. Glucose is the main fuel for cells. When cells do not receive enough glucose, they demand more insulin to meet their glucose requirements. As a result, beta cells release more insulin.
Nature of Insulin Hormone
Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas. Insulin is amphibolic in nature, meaning it has both anabolic and catabolic activities. In other words, insulin is involved in both the creation and breakdown of biomolecules. Insulin is catabolic for glucose molecules, but for others, insulin is anabolic. For instance, excess insulin in the body promotes the formation of glycogen (glycogenesis), fat cells (lipogenesis), and muscle tissue. If the body produces more insulin, it will promote the formation of fats in the body and therefore lead to obesity.
Is Muscle Building Good in Type II Diabetes?
Muscle building is crucial in type II diabetes, offering several benefits. The more muscles work, the more glucose they require as their main fuel. This increased demand for glucose can directly reduce blood sugar levels. When you train muscles to increase their size, they demand more glucose as fuel. Since the body needs more glucose than is available in the blood, stored carbohydrates and fats start to break down. This process leads to the burning of more fats, eventually resulting in weight loss.
Symptoms of Diabetes
There are certain symptoms associated with diabetes. However, not all of these symptoms are common, meaning they may not be present in every person. If you experience any of these symptoms, do not delay and undergo a glucose blood test.
- Feeling More Hungry
- Feeling More Thirsty
- Excess Urination
- Weight loss
- Easy fatigability
- Longer healing time from infections
- Family history of hyperglycemia
Can Diabetes be Reversed?
Prediabetes to non-diabetes reversal is easy. However, if a person is already diabetic and wants to reverse his diabetes to non-diabetic condition, then there are 3 major factors involved. These are listed below:
- Diet: A balanced diet should contain 50-55% carbohydrate, 20-25% proteins, and 20-25% fats. In carbohydrates, avoid foods that have high glycemic index and glycemic load. And in case of fats, avoid saturated fats and include foods that contain more unsaturated fats.
- Physical activity: As mentioned before, hyperglycemia is a disease of calories. If you are taking excess calories in your diet, it will get stored in the body in the form of glycogen and fats. On the other hand, if you undergo physical activities such as running, weight lifting, muscle training – excess calories taken in the diet is burnt and fats are not stored in the body. Besides, the blood sugar level also remains normal. It is, therefore, important to have physical activities to keep the body fit and strong.
- Stress reduction: Stress is present in everyone’s life. A small child has stress at his own level. A school-going child has stress at his own level. Likewise, people in business, and jobs experience different kinds of stress. In simple terms, when a baby is born, an ECG is used to measure the heartbeat of the newborn. ECG graph shows upstroke – downstroke – beat neutral – upstroke – downstroke – beat neutral pattern. This graph is simply called life. When the graph becomes a straight line – it is said that life has ended. In other words, life means ups and downs. These can be emotional, financial, health-related, etc. These remain present in some point of time in everyone’s life. In other words, stress remains a part of everyone’s life as long as they are alive. However, you have to find a way to come out of that stress; no one else can help relieve your stress.
If you are asked a question: does taking stress solve your problems? Your answer would definitely be a big NO. Stress can increase your blood pressure and blood sugar, further deteriorating your body. There are several measures that can reduce your stress. For example, you can practice meditation, listen to calming music, or develop a hobby like gardening, painting, reading books, or engaging in physical activity.
Instead of stressing, look for solutions. There is nothing in this world that does not have a solution. It is up to you to find the solution to your present problem. This is only possible when your mind is stress-free.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q. What should be the normal blood sugar level?
A. The fasting blood sugar level in a normal person should be below 110 and postprandial blood sugar level must be below 140
Q. Should I avoid carbohydrates completely if I have diabetes?
A. No, carbohydrate is important for your body. A balanced diet should contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the ratio of 50:25:25. However, you should check the daily dose of glycemic load in your diet.
Q. Does physical exercise help control diabetes?
A. Yes, physical exercise is essential in controlling blood sugar. Brisk walk, running, swimming or weight training is good.
Q. What is the basic difference between type I and type II diabetes?
A. Type I diabetes is juvenile blood sugar disorder as it occurs in early stage of life. It is insulin dependent meaning individual with type I diabetes needs to take insulin to control blood sugar. On the other hand, type II diabetes is adult blood sugar disorder which is insulin independent diabetes meaning insulin is produced in less or above normal amount.
Q. Can type II diabetes be reversed?
A. Yes, type II diabetes can be reversed by following three basic principles: good diet, physical exercise and keep yourself stress free.