Can you answer Supernova’s question about Diabetes?:

I thought my blood sugar is suppose to go up after eating? I’m still feeling quite a bit hypoglycemic. I’ve been a junk food eater all my life so could it be that it’s finally catching up with me and my pancreas is producing way too too much insulin now?

Hyperglycemia Signs

Diabetes is growing at an epidemic pace in the United States, there is no arguing that. Over 20 million Americans have diabetes, with 6 million of them not even knowing it.

Unfortunately, many people have no idea what diabetes really is, or what symptoms to look for. Diabetes is a serious health issue. It’s the sixth leading cause of death in this country, and there is no cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes at this time. Here’s a quick diabetes for dummy overlook to help you better understand.

How do people get diabetes?

When we eat any kind of food, our body takes that food and turns it into energy, or better said, into sugar while digesting it. This is what gives us the energy we need to survive. And during this process, insulin is produced from our pancreas which controls the sugar in our bloodstream. This entire process is what keeps our body healthy.

Without the pancreas producing this insulin, the sugar will stay in our blood and begin to create serious health issues. High blood sugar can cause blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, and other organ function problems. And without treating high blood sugar, it can be fatal. In diabetes for dummy’s, it is vital to get tested regularly to make sure your normal blood sugar levels are safe.

What types of diabetes are there?

Type 1 Diabetes – This type of diabetes usually is associated with adolescents and children. Type 1 Diabetes is found in approximately 1 in every 400-600 children. Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys the cells that the pancreas makes into insulin.

Type 1 Diabetes patients have to have daily insulin injections in order to survive. There is no known cure yet, but new methods are on the horizon.

Type 2 Diabetes – This type of diabetes is the most common, occurring in 90-95% of all cases. With Type 2 Diabetes, the pancreas simply can not continue to produce the insulin that is required, or the cells just don’t respond to the insulin any longer. Most of the time, Type 2 Diabetes can be controlled through a proper diet and exercise plan. But, if that fails, oral medication can be prescribed to get it under control.

Gestational Diabetes – This form of diabetes is only found pregnant women. It is similar to Type 2 diabetes and it usually occurs in 2-7% of all pregnancies. Gestational diabetes is caused from the pancreas not being able to keep up with the required amount of insulin to control the glucose level. Gestational diabetes will usually go away after a pregnancy, but there is an increased risk of both mother and baby becoming diabetic later on in life.

Tests for Gestational Diabetes are usually done around the 26th week of pregnancy, which is the time insulin resistance usually starts.

Pre-Diabetes – This is also called borderline diabetes. Pre-Diabetes is diagnosed when patients are showing the signs of having high blood sugar levels and are starting to have trouble in keeping them down. One of the most important facts to realize in diabetes for dummy’s is that over 40 million people have Pre-Diabetes. That is astounding. If left untreated, Pre-Diabetes will almost always turn into Type 2 Diabetes. Anyone with Pre-Diabetes needs to change their diet and start on an exercise program. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Also, have your blood sugar levels checked frequently.

As mentioned earlier, there is no known cure for Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. The only option available to anyone with Type 1 Diabetes is to have a pancreas transplant. But, that is not a great option with the possibilities of other problems arising such as the body rejecting the new pancreas, not to mention the surgery itself. Science is working feverishly on new ways of treating diabetes including the transplanting of insulin producing cells within the pancreas, and even making an artificial pancreas.

There are even efforts to produce an inhalation device that puts out insulin instead of having to have daily injections. These advancements are on the horizon and will be available in the not too distant future. In the meantime, diabetes for dummy says to check your blood sugar levels, and know what they are. You only have one body and we all need to take care of it as best we can.



Thanks to Terry Edwards for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Adult Onset Diabetes

Brewer’s Yeast: Brewer’s yeast is a wonder food. It is rich in traces of mineral chromium. This mineral helps the pancreas produce more insulin. It is one of the best supports for normal handling of sugar by the body. According to an article by Dr. Richard J. Doisy and others, which appeared in the Medical World News, Brewer’s yeast has lowered the insulin requirements of many diabetes patients.

Broccoli: Broccoli, a close relation of the cauliflower, has long been a popular food in Europe. This vegetable has proved to be an effective anti-diabetic food. It is rich source of chromium, a trace mineral that seems to lower blood sugar. This trace mineral regulates blood sugar, thereby often reducing the medication and insulin needs of diabetes. In cases of mild diabetes, chromium may prevent the onset of the full-fledged disease. If a person’s glucose tolerance is on border, chromium can help control it. Even low blood sugar levels can be brought to normal with chromium.

Curd: Curd injects friendly bacteria in to the digestive system that stimulate the pancreas. It also washes the pancreas of its acids and wastes. These cleansing actions enable the pancreas to perform much better and thereby help in the production of insulin.

Garlic: In scientific trials garlic and its constituents have been found to lower blood sugar in diabetes. This vegetable is rich in potassium, which effectively replaces the large quantities of potassium lost in the urine of diabetics. It also contains zinc and sulphur, which are constituents of insulin. Some authorities believe that low levels of zinc may be one of the factors responsible for the onset of diabetes. Garlic also contains manganese, a deficiency of which can contribute towards diabetes.

Garlic constituents appear to act by blocking the inactivation of insulin in the liver. The result is higher blood insulin levels and lower blood sugar.

Garlic has other benefits for diabetes besides lowering blood sugar. It prevents arteriosclerosis, which is a common complication of diabetes and relieves body paid. Diabetics can take the equivalent of one or two cloves of garlic a day in any form they like, either raw or cooked in food or as capsules. Garlic milk, prepared by adding four cloves of crushed garlic to 110 ml of milk, is one good way of taking garlic. The best way, however, is to chew raw garlic thoroughly first thing in the morning.

Bengal Gram: Bengal gram, also known as chickpea, is a widely used important component of Indian diet. It is a valuable anti-diabetic food. Experiments have shown that the oral ingestion of the water extract of Bengal gram increases the utilization of glucose in diabetics as well as normal people. In a study conducted at Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore, the requirement of insulin of chronic diabetes patients decreased from 40 units a day to 20 units, when kept on a diet which included liberal supplements of Bengal gram extract.

Diabetic patients who are on a restricted diet, which does not severely limit the intake of carbohydrates but includes liberal amounts of Bengal gram extract, have shown considerable improvement in their fasting blood sugar levels, glucose tolerance, urinary excretion of sugar and general condition.

Bitter Gourd: The bitter gourd is a common vegetable cultivated extensively. It has excellent medicinal virtues. This vegetable has been used as fold medicine for diabetes from ancient times. Research has established that it contains insulin like principle designated as plant-insulin, which has been found beneficial in lowering blood and urine sugar levels.

Bitter gourd is thus and effective anti-diabetic food and should be included liberally in the diet of a diabetic. Juice of three or four bitter gourds taken every morning on an empty stomach has been found more effective than eating fruits. The seeds of bitter gourd can be powdered and added to regular meals. A decoction prepared by boiling chopped bitter gourd is water is equally effective, as is its dry powder mixed with liquid foods.

Bitter gourd is rich in all essential vitamins and minerals especially vitamins A, B1, B2, C and iron. Its regular use, therefore, prevents many complications associated with diabetes including hypertension, eye complications, neuritis and the defective metabolism of carbohydrates.

Black Gram: Black gram is a highly prized pulse in India. It is an anti diabetic food. Germinated black gram taken with half a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice, forms and effective remedy for treating mild types of diabetes. It should be taken once a day, for three to four months, with a restricted intake of carbohydrates.

In severe diabetes, regular use of this combination is an effective complement to other treatments. It is also a useful health food for preventing complications due to malnutrition in diabetes. Milk prepared by grinding sprouted whole black gram is also recommended for diabetics.

Groundnut: Groundnuts are valuable in diabetes. Eating a handful of groundnuts daily by diabetics will not only prevent malnutrition, particularly the deficiency of niacin, but also checks the development of vascular complications.

Find complete diabetes information, diabetes supply, diabetes treatment, diabetes diet, diabetes causes, diabetes types. More on Diabetes Mellitus Information and Treatment Supply. Also see Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Cure for Diabetes.



Thanks to Dr John Anne for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Managing Hypoglycemia

Can you answer megamom’s question about Diabetes?:

I have type 2 diabetes, and severely high tryglycerides, and chronic pancreatitus. I have already had to have a portion of my pancreas removed. I just want to know how it all ties together, and what exactly do tryglycerides do?

Adult Onset Diabetes

As most people already know, diabetes is on an incredible increase in the United States. While most people have heard the term diabetes, few really understand what diabetes is, and more importantly, the symptoms to look out for. Over 25 million people have diabetes and 6 million more have it and don’t even know it. Diabetes has become a very serious health issue. There is no cure for Type 2 Diabetes at this time.

How does one get diabetes?

Whenever we eat our food, the body goes to work in its natural process of taking the food and changing it into energy. It does this by turning it into sugar, or glucose, while digesting it. This is what gives us energy. During this process, the pancreas releases insulin which controls the amount of sugar in our bloodstream. This is what keeps us healthy. Without this insulin, the sugar remains in our bloodstream, creating several health related problems. Among them are possibility of blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, and other organ function problems. If diabetes is left untreated, it will cause death. That’s why it’s so important to be tested on a regular basis and know what your blood sugar levels are.

Discover how to fight Type 2 Diabetes and win! Managing Diabetes

What are the different types of diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes - You may have heard of this form of diabetes as “juvenile” diabetes since it is usually found in young children. Type 1 Diabetes is found in only 5-10% of all diabetic cases. It is diagnosed when the pancreas fails to produce any insulin at all, or too little of an amount to do the body any good.

With Type 1 Diabetes, patients must have a daily injection of insulin medicine. Without these daily injections of medicine, they will not survive.

Type 2 Diabetes - This form of diabetes is the most common, with 90-95% of all forms of diabetes being Type 2.

With Type 2 Diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t continue to produce enough insulin in a natural way, or the cells no longer respond to the insulin any loner. In many cases, Type 2 Diabetes can be controlled through diet and exercise. If this fails to produce the necessary results, oral medication can be prescribed.

Gestational Diabetes - This form of diabetes is found only in women who are pregnant. Similar to Type 2, it usually strikes 2-7% of all pregnancies. It is caused by the pancreas not being able to keep up in delivering insulin to control the glucose level. This form of diabetes will most always go away after pregnancy, but there is an increased risk of both mother and baby becoming diabetic later on in life.

Doctors will generally test for Gestational Diabetes around the 26th week of pregnancy, which is when insulin resistance usually starts.

Pre-Diabetes - Also known as borderline diabetes, this is diagnosed when patients are showing signs of increased levels of blood sugar and are beginning to have difficulty in keeping them down. Pre-diabetes affects over 40 million people, which is incredible when you stop to think about it. If left untreated, pre-diabetes will turn into Type 2 Diabetes in most cases. Those with pre-diabetes are urged to alter their diets and begin to get on an exercise routine of some kind. In addition, they should have their blood sugar levels tested at least every 3 months.

As mentioned earlier, there is no known cure for Type 2 Diabetes. The only cure available for those patients with Type 1 Diabetes is to receive a pancreas transplant. Of course, this can lead to other problems such as rejection by the body, and the effects of the surgery itself. Science is continuing to work on other ways to treat and prevent diabetes including the transplanting of insulin producing cells within the pancreas, and even making an artificial pancreas.

Other medical programs going on to prevent and treat diabetes include producing an inhalation device that will put out insulin. This would take the place of daily insulin injections. These, and many more advancements are on the horizon for those who suffer from this awful disease. I would encourage you to monitor your blood sugar level at least once a year. By knowing what it is you can help prevent the onset of diabetes.



Thanks to Alien for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Cure For Type 1 Diabetes