Thinking about sugars, do you also imagine coke, cakes, or candies? But not everyone shares the same imagination. Learn more about diabetes and how to get ahead with it.
Thinking about sugars, do you also imagine coke, cakes, or candies? But not everyone shares the same imagination. In 2020, according to International Diabetic Federation (IDF), around 77 million people in India and 463 million people globally suffer from diabetes(1). This large proportion will refrain from sugars not because they don’t like it but consuming sugars is not good for their overall health. Let’s find out why this happens .
ABC of Diabetes
To understand Diabetes, let’s first focus on what happens when you eat sugars. After you have had your meal, in a way you have consumed a combination of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and other nutrients. Now, these complex forms of food will be broken down into simpler forms. Focusing on carbohydrates only, they get converted to glucose. This glucose will further enter our blood circulation and will be delivered to different cells in our body. Cells take up glucose as per their needs. What do we do when we have extra food at home, we pack it and store it in a refrigerator for the next meal. Similarly, our body stores this extra glucose either by packing it in a storable form known as glycogen or it can also be stored in the form of fat in fat cells. Likewise, food at the table can’t reach the refrigerator on its own, the same way the glucose in the blood cannot be converted to glycogen on its own. It needs to be regulated by some chemical messenger (hormone) in our body. One such hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism is known as Insulin. It is produced by a group of cells called β cells (beta cells), present in the pancreas. Now try to imagine if the pancreas fails to produce this insulin, or cells do not respond to this insulin in the body as they normally do. Both scenarios will ultimately lead to an increased amount of glucose in the blood. Due to this imbalance in blood glucose levels, our body tends to modify how it manages other nutrients like fats and protein. Thus, leading to impaired metabolic processes. With this background in our mind let’s define diabetes.
“Diabetes mellitus (commonly called diabetes) is a group of disorders of impaired carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism caused by either lack of insulin secretion or decreased sensitivity of the tissues to insulin”.
Classification Diabetes
As mentioned above, either there could be some issues with insulin production or the development of insulin resistance in the body. This yields two major types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) which includes pancreatic β-cell destruction and an absolute deficiency of insulin. It accounts for approximately 5% to 10% of diabetes and is the most common subtype diagnosed in patients younger than 20 years of age. (2)
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), This form of diabetes, which accounts for ∼90–95% of those with diabetes, also referred to as adult-onset diabetes, encompasses individuals who have insulin resistance and usually have relative (rather than absolute) insulin deficiency. (2)
The classic symptoms of diabetes such as polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia ( increased urination, increased thirst, and increased hunger respectively) occur commonly in type 1 diabetes, which has a rapid development of severe hyperglycemia and also in type 2 diabetes with very high levels of hyperglycemia. Severe weight loss is common only in type 1 diabetes or if type 2 diabetes remains undetected for a long period. Unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and restlessness, and body pain are also common signs of undetected diabetes. Symptoms that are mild or have gradual development could also remain unnoticed. (3)
Risk factors
Factors that can make a person more prone to developing diabetes
Heredity: e.g. first-degree relatives of diabetics.
Obesity: individuals with > 30 BMI (body mass index: ratio of body weight to height) are considered obese.
Recent weight gain
Sedentary lifestyles
Diabetes more or less affects every system of our body. Complications include eyes, nerves, kidneys, heart (diabetic retinopathy, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, stroke respectively), etc.
Timeline for treatments
Don’t let the increasing sugar levels decrease the quality of your life. Stop excessive sitting and stressing. If you are a diabetic then understand having diabetes is just a part of your life, it’s not the only thing in your life. Lock up that anxiety that prevents you from visiting a doctor. Get an appointment if you suspect any signs of diabetes. The most crucial role in diabetes management is played by you, the earlier you notice it, the earlier the doctor will take action, and the earlier you will get better. To do so, learn as much as you can about diabetes because knowledge is your biggest shield against it.
Without getting to the conclusion of whether diabetes is treatable or not. Let's focus on the fact that life with diabetes is manageable. So, here are some lifestyle modifications which would help you or your loved ones in managing diabetes.
Adapting a nutrient-rich diet will ensure that your body’s nutrition requirements are fulfilled, ensuring proper functioning of your body and adequate recovery from internal damages.
Avoid sedentary behavior as it slows down metabolism and leads to weight gain. Both of which are not positive indicators in managing diabetes.
Regular exercise/yoga lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body's sensitivity to insulin, countering insulin resistance, aids in weight loss, and also reduces the risk of heart diseases.
Drink water as your primary beverage primarily it will not raise your blood sugar levels and prevent dehydration. Also, drinking enough water can help your body eliminate excess glucose through urine.
Proper sleep of at least 8 hours/day will make you alert during the day, boost your energy levels, enhance how you handle stress, and an overall better mindset for monitoring and managing your diabetes. These small changes might pave the way to a healthier, hospital-free, and harmonious life.
References:
Wikipedia: Diabetes in India - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_in_India American
Diabetes Association: Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3537273/
A. Ramachandran: Know the signs and symptoms of diabetes - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4311308/
Content Credits
Ankita Choudhary
Author
Yogesh Choudhary
Editor
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