Is it possible to improve a diabetic condition?  What is the cause of diabetes and what can be done about it. 

Just tell me what to take

For a Simple explanation about Diabetes

For a simple explanation regarding Diabetic Nerve Pain

What is Diabetes?

Glucose is a simple sugar which serves as the body's fuel to produce heat and energy.  When food is eaten and digestion occurs, the food is broken down into simple glucose molecules which then circulates in the blood to the cells where it can be used.  When it  is found in the human bloodstream it is referred to as "blood sugar"   Carbohydrates are long chains of glucose molecules which are broken down to glucose. 

                                                                

How does this become the condition known as diabetes?   Glucose cannot penetrate the cell wall unless it is attached to molecules of insulin.  The sugars and starches you eat are converted to glucose, which enters your bloodstream to be transported to the cells.. This is where insulin comes in. It "unlocks" your cell walls so the glucose can enter, but in order for this to work, your cells need to be sensitive to insulin.  Without this, the glucose does not enter the cells but accumulates in the blood and circulates helplessly, eventually entering the kidneys and then the bladder for excretion in the urine. 

When your cells aren't sensitive to insulin, your body has to do something with the glucose. It converts some of it into fat, and the rest can become AGEs (advanced glycation end products) -- which can build up in the tissues, and affect cellular function. The bottom line is you want to be sensitive to insulin.

While circulating, this excess sugar will react with oxygen to form unstable molecules called free radicals which can cause havoc by stealing electrons from your body's healthy molecules to balance themselves.  This type of damage is thought to be associated with all the complications of diabetes.

Although genetics may make a person susceptible to diabetes, a diet high in refined, processed foods is present in most cases of the disease.  This diet results in damage caused by chronic exposure to high levels of insulin.

Diabetes is generally divided into two categories: 

Type I, called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes, and Type II, or non-insulin dependent diabetes.  

Type I diabetes is associated with the destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas, which manufacture insulin.  This type of diabetes occurs mostly in children and young adults.  Their bodies don't manufacture enough insulin. 

Type II is by far the more prevalent form.

In this type of the disorder, the Type II diabetes, the pancreas does produce insulin, but the insulin produced is ineffective. With the constant inflow of high carbohydrate and sugary foods, the body produces more insulin.  When this continues day after day and year after year, the cells become insulin resistive - the doors to the cells which are called cell receptors close up. The body produces more insulin to get the glucose into the cells. The body is then producing too much insulin, the cells don't respond to the insulin anymore, so more and more insulin is put into the blood stream which in turn creates more insulin resistance. 

It appears that there are many reasons why diabetes develops, but the  main reason is poor food selection; a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars.   Your typical American diet. 

Side effects of too much Glucose in the blood:

If you have too much sugar in the blood, it will lead to increased thirst in the body's attempt to get rid of the extra sugar.  This leads to increased urination..  However, too much sugar causes narrowing of the small blood vessels throughout the body.  The higher the blood sugar level, the more the small blood vessels narrow.  The blood vessels thus carry less blood, and circulation is impaired.  Poor circulation in turn results in the complications: kidney disease, poor wound healing and foot and eye problems.  This sugar imbalance also alters fat metabolism, increasing the risk that cholesterol-laden plaque will build up in the large blood vessels.  Excess sugar also sticks to proteins, causing their structural and functional properties to be changed and is a reason that wounds don't heal, they have trouble making quality collagen, the connective tissue that is the major structural protein in the body. 

It is for these reasons that  people who have diabetes are at considerable risk of these "complications". 

Stress results in the adrenal glands putting adrenaline into the bloodstream which increases the free fatty acids and shuts off the release of insulin.   In obesity, less and less insulin is able to reach the insulin-responsive muscles.   There is not enough supply of insulin to meet the demand.

Another complication is Diabetic Neuropathy (damage to nerves caused by diabetes, by the excess sugar in the blood).  This affects the peripheral nerves, such as those in the feet, hands and legs.  Symptoms include numbness, tingling and pain.   See our article on neuropathy.

There are two types of diabetes: 

Diabetes Insipidus:  This is a rare metabolic disorder caused either by a deficiency of the pituitary hormone vasopressin or by the inability of the kidneys to respond properly to this hormone. Failure to produce adequate amounts of vasopressin is usually the result of damage to the pituitary gland.  

Diabetes mellitus:(mellitus means "honeyed" in Latin)  This results from a defect in the production of insulin by the pancreas.   Without insulin, the body cannot use the glucose (blood sugar). As a result, the level of glucose circulating in the blood is high and the level of glucose absorbed by the body tissues is low.  The glucose can not get inside of the cells where it is needed.

More information about the Symptoms of Diabetes

Symptoms of Type I diabetes include irritability, frequent urination, abnormal thirst, weight loss despite a normal (or even increased) intake of food.  In children, frequent bedwetting - especially by a child who did not previously wet the bed - is another common sign.

People with Type I diabetes are subject to episodes in which blood glucose levels are very high (hyperglycemia) and very low (hypoglycemia).  Either of these conditions can lead to a serious medical emergency.

Episodes of low blood sugar, which strike suddenly, can be caused by a missed meal, or a reaction to too much insulin.  The initial signs of hypoglycemia are hunger, dizziness, sweating, confusion, palpitations, and numbness or tingling of the lips.  If not treated the individual may go on to experience double vision, trembling, and disorientation; may act strangely; and may eventually lapse into a coma.

In contrast, high blood sugar can trigger an episode over a period of several hours or even days.  This risk is greatest during illness, when insulin requirements rise. The blood sugar can creep up, ultimately resulting in coma, a reaction also known as diabetic ketonacidosis.  Once of the warning signs of developing high blood sugar is the inability to keep down fluids.  Possible long-term complications include stroke, blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, gangrene and nerve damage.

The second category of diabetes mellitus, often referred to as maturity-onset diabetes, is most likely to occur in people with a family history of diabetes. (But, then again, eating habits run in the family)  Symptoms include blurred vision, itching, excessive thirst, frequent urination of large amounts of fluid, systemic hyperacidity, rapid weight loss, severe itching, fatigue and marked weakness, drowsiness, skin infections, slow wound healing, and tingling or numbness of the feet.  The onset of type II diabetes typically occurs during adulthood and is linked to a poor diet.  Other signs that may be associated with diabetes include lingering flu like symptoms, loss of hair on the legs, increased facial hair, and small yellow bumps know as zanthomas anywhere on the body. 

Important Note:  If you are diagnosed as having diabetes your doctor will give you instructions on what to do if hypoglycemia occurs. If symptoms of hyperglycemia develop, go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.  This is a potentially dangerous situation and intravenous administration of proper fluids, electrolyte, and insulin may be required to lower blood sugar. 

What can you do about it?

Diabetes is now ranked as the fifth largest killer in the United States, but this does not take into consideration many of the heart attacks, strokes and deaths by other complications brought about by too much sugar in the blood.  

The discovery of insulin in the 1920s was thought to be a miracle cure. It has saved countless lives and has extended the life spans of childhood diabetics from months to decades.   The problem with insulin is that it is prescribed universally, not just to those with true insulin deficiencies.

Diabetes is a disease that if you don't take effective action against, it simply gets worse.

RECOMMENDED:

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More information about these vitamins.

There are lots of rave success stories and it should be checked out. Go Diabetes Success Stories

To Order the Diabetic Pack

There is also a great Vitamin C which is a missing ingredient for Diabetics. See Vitamin C here.  

To receive the Diabetes Newsletter, including recipes, diet & exercise please signup here:

The Wellness Support Network also has supplements to help with control of the desire to eat sugary foods - Go to Sugar & Carbohydrates… A diabetics worst Enemy -  Stop Cravings 

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More Information about making health food choices go to  Diabetes Files

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We have used our best judgment in compiling this information. The Food and Drug Administration may not have evaluated the information presented. Any reference to a specific product is for your information only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease