What Is The Cause Of Diabetes And Is There Anything You Can Do?

Diabetes is the failure of the body to deal with sugar, before the discovery of insulin the prognosis was not good for diabetics, most died within two or three years.

However diabetes is rarely due to one single cause it is normally caused by many things. In some people the pancreas which produces insulin does not work effectively and the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. In some people the pancreas works perfectly but there body cannot deal with sugar, and their sugar levels will spike even if they have not eaten.

The pancreas contains enzyme producing cells that secrete two major hormones insulin and glucagon. They are secreted directly into the bloodstream, and they regulate the level of glucose in the blood. Insulin lowers the blood sugar level and then increases the amount of stored carbohydrate in the liver. Glucagon slowly regulates blood sugar levels if they are low.

When we eat the blood sugar levels rise naturally whether or not you are diabetic, this is a normal part of the digestion process. To deal with this sugar spike the body produces insulin which breaks down the sugars. When normal people eat a diet which is too high in processed sugars found in cola and other carbonated drinks, cakes, biscuits and sweets the body is forced to break down that sugar and it needs to produce more insulin to achieve it.

If this happens occasionally the body can cope, but when excess insulin is produced on a daily basis the body becomes resistant to the insulin and fails to use it to break down sugars, and the sugar levels in the blood stay elevated. Eventually in many cases the ends result of this diabetes.

Because unrefined wheat flours, and fresh vegetables and fruit are lower in sugar than other processed food they are the first line of defense in both avoiding and controlling diabetes. Many people manage to control their diabetes by diet alone.

Another pancreatic function is the distribution of fluids in the form of water around the body. When the pancreas is forced to ration water supply because we have failed to drink sufficient water, it automatically limits the production of insulin as a by product of water distribution. Normal people and diabetics need at least six glasses of water day to prevent the onset of diabetes, or for the control of diabetes.

After you eat, the nutrients in food, the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are broken down into smaller molecules by the digestive system. The nutrients have to be in the form of tiny molecules to be absorbed into the blood stream, which then carries them to the cells for energy to maintain bodily functions. One of these nutrients is a simple sugar, glucose as the concentration of glucose rises; the pancreas releases insulin.

Insulin acts rather like a portal, glucose has to be able to enter the bodies' cells, but they are protected by a membrane that prevents this, the insulin allows the connection to open and releases the energy to the muscles in the form of glucose.

Insulin resistance is when the cells stop responding to insulin, which means it no longer acts as a portal, the sugar is not released to the muscles, it stays in the blood stream.

However the pancreas is aware that the cells need glucose so it keeps on producing the insulin, and the blood sugar levels get higher still. Once the cells are insulin resistant the level of glucose in blood will not go down.

Eventually the pancreas packs up under the strain and this in a lot of cases is the first cause of diabetes. The glucose levels do not go down and the excess glucose has two effects. The first is that the level of tiredness will increase as the cells and the muscles are starved of energy and secondly the glucose levels build up in the kidneys, eyes, heart, and around the nerve endings. If this is untreated it will cause kidney failure and death.

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