Everyone Should Be Educated About Diabetes

On This Page

1. What is Diabetes
2. Diabetes – Symptoms
3. Battle of the Sexes
4. Diabetes Impacts the Heart
5. Supplements That Might Help
6. Diabetes In Conclusion

It is hard to narrow down who is telling the truth and who is feeding you a line of lies when it comes to the facts about diabetes. This article will help to clear up any confusion about the disease and break it down in a clear way that you can understand.

For the most part this information will be about type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, your cells become resistant to the action of insulin, and your pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Instead of moving into your cells where it’s needed for energy, sugar builds up in your bloodstream. It is believed that this build up of sugar in the bloodstream is harmful to the inner lining of your arteries.

Unfortunately, for most people, diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that can have a tremendous impact on your health, well-being and an individuals lifestyle.

What is Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is vital to your health because its an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. Its also your brains main source of fuel. The underlying cause of diabetes varies by type. But, no matter what type of diabetes you have, it can lead to excess sugar in your blood. Too much sugar in your blood can lead to serious health problems.

With type 2 diabetes, your cells become resistant to the action of insulin, and your pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Instead of moving into your cells where its needed for energy, sugar builds up in your bloodstream.

Diabetes – Symptoms

Possible complications and symptoms include: Cardiovascular disease. Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis). If you have diabetes, you’re more likely to have heart disease or a stroke.

Nerve damage (neuropathy). Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward.

Skin conditions. Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections. Some people experience hearing impairment with diabetes.

Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.

There maybe an increase the risk of dementia with this disease. The poorer your blood sugar control, the greater the risk appears to be for both dementia and Alzheimer’s.; There have been theories as to how these disorders might be connected but, none has yet been proved.

Depression. Depression symptoms are common in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Depression can affect diabetes management and therefore have an impact on treatment.

Battle of the Sexes

If a female has diabetes, she is more likely to develop heart disease than a male with diabetes. However, coronary heart diseases are 2 to 5 times more common among middle-aged men than women. In a study done by the world health organization , sex contributes to approximately 40% of the variation in sex ratios of coronary heart disease mortality.

Another study reports similar results finding that sex differences explains nearly half the risk associated with cardiovascular diseases one of the proposed explanations for sex differences in cardiovascular diseases is hormonal difference.

The predominant sex hormone in women is estrogen. Estrogen may have protective effects on glucose metabolism and hemostatic system, and may have direct effect in improving endothelial cell function. The production of estrogen decreases after menopause, and this may change the female lipid metabolism making them more susceptible to cardiovascular disease

Diabetes Impacts the Heart

If you have diabetes, other factors add to your chances of developing heart disease or having a stroke.

Over time, high blood glucose from diabetes can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart and blood vessels. The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances that you will develop heart disease.  People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a younger age than people without diabetes. In adults with diabetes, the most common causes of death are heart disease and stroke. Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as people without diabetes.

Therefore, taking care of your diabetes is important to your health and it is important to your heart. You can lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke by taking the following steps to manage your diabetes to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy.

Supplements That Might Help

Vitamin D is an essential vitamins for type diabetes. It can help to increase the calcium levels which strengthens bones. Shortage of Vitamin D disturbs the level of glucose in your body and can cause low bone density, weak muscles, low minerals in the skeletal system, joint aches, and pains and discomfort.

Cinnamon tree bark contains unique aromatic substances such as cinnamaldehyde and ethylcinamate that add a warm spiciness to dishes. Some of these unique, antioxidant polyphenols improve the sensitivity of insulin receptors so they respond to insulin hormone more effectively.

Gymnema sylvestre is a woody vine used in Ayurvedic medicine, whose Asian name, gurmar or gudmaar, means ‘destroyer of sugar.’  Gymnema leaves are a one of the most popular herbal supplements for diabetes.  Gymnema leaves contain unique gymnemic acids with a similar structure to glucose molecules. When chewed or applied to the tongue, these gymnemic acids bind to taste receptors on the tongue and block the ability to detect sweetness for up to 90 minutes.

This reduces the detection of sucrose, glucose and other sugars, Gymnema also reduces the ability to taste artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame. This can help to reduce sugar cravings and the desire for sweet foods so you naturally select a diet with a lower glycemic index.

There are many effective herbs and supplements for diabetes type 2, including turmeric, bitter melon, fenugreek, Amla fruit and Holy basil. Many of these are Ayurvedic herbal medicines for diabetes that have a long history of traditional use, and are sometimes referred to as an herbal form of metformin. These medicinal plants are often combined for a synergistic effect in herbal supplements.

Many people have improved their cardiovascular health with Cardio For Life.  Cardio for Life is not made for diabetics but it does support the cardiovascular system and as has already been stated in this article cardiovascular disease is a major problem for diabetics!

Diabetes In Conclusion

Skip the french fries and ditch the baked potato – it’s time to replace your carb-heavy side dishes with something that’s actually GOOD for a Diabetic. Salad! I’m not talking potato or pasta salad, they’re both carbohydrate disaster areas. Pick up some lettuce, shred some vegetables, throw on some tomato wedges and a nice light oil and vinegar dressing and dig in!

Eating fresh, non-processed foods is an easy way for a diabetic to keep his or her weight in check and blood sugar stable. By shopping only the outside aisles of the grocery store you will find you’re not exposed to the processed sugary or carbohydrate-laden treats, that can lead to temptation.

People who eat at least two servings of dairy a day are less likely to develop insulin resistance, even if they’re significantly over weight. Even if you’re already Diabetic, including lots of low-fat dairy in your diet will help you to keep your blood sugar levels under control all day.

Make sure to take your diabetes medications exactly as directed. You are NOT a doctor, nor is anyone else giving you advice other than your physician. They tell you how often to take your prescriptions and how much you should take at a time because they know, so follow their directions.

In summary, diabetes is a deadly disease for both men and women that needs to be identified and dealt with as soon as possible. Follow the advice provided in this article to ensure that you are putting yourself in a good position to not only help yourself but also help others become more aware about prevention and treatment.

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