What Causes Diabetes?

Diabetes is caused by either the body destroying the insulin producing cells (Type 1 Diabetes) or by insulin resistance causing a rise in blood glucose to dangerous levels (Type 2 Diabetes)

What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body destroying the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This is an auto-immune response 

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?

Your body isn't designed to cope with large amounts of glucose on a regular basis because this doesn't happen with a natural diet, which is the diet the body is designed for. Unfortunately the modern western diet provides unhealthy large doses of glucose to the blood on a very regular basis from carbohydrates which are digested quickly in the gut from processed and junk foods (See Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load) and from glucose added to sweeten drinks. The continuous surges of glucose in the blood produce constant surges of insulin, and the cells which are sensitive to insulin begin to become less sensitive and don't respond as well to removing glucose from the blood. This is called insulin resistance and leads to a higher level of glucose in the blood, which then causes the pancreas to produce even more insulin, and so the vicious circle begins.

Insulin resistance is the first step towards diabetes. This is where your blood sugar level starts to rise above the normal level, but not to the level of diabetes. This is where your poor health decisions start to get their own back on you. This is where you can start to see the way that different parts of the body work together. Now, insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas (an organ just below your stomach) when the level of glucose in your blood rises. The pancreas detects the rise in glucose in the blood and releases insulin into the blood which does two things to speed up the removal of glucose. Insulin stimulates the liver to store the glucose as glycogen, which is a quick release energy store to supply the blood with glucose in a hurry, such as when you run for the bus. Insulin also stimulates all the fat cells in your body to change the glucose into fat and store it in your fat cells and so insulin resistance causes you to gain weight.

Metabolic Syndrome is the next stage before diabetes is diagnosed.  The vicious circle of insulin resistance causes ever increasing levels of blood glucose and insulin, which have other effects on the body causing other body processed to start going wrong. The most noticeable problem is a fat stomach, but the hidden problems include high blood pressure and high cholesterol (To be more precise high LDL, low HDL and high triglycerides). It is estimated that a quarter of American adults have metabolic syndrome, and the UK isn't far behind. Metabolic syndrome makes all of your body systems unhealthier, and you are at greater risk of developing a whole range of illnesses which can disable you or kill you. Metabolic syndrome is reversible in most cases if a very concentrated effort is made to engage in a healthy lifestyle, but the longer it lasts and the worse it gets, then the harder it is to reverse the problems. Early action is the answer.

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when the blood glucose levels become dangerously high. That is if you see your doctor at this stage and your doctor does the tests. If you don't then you can go around with diabetes for years before it is detected. The problem is that although your health will have gradually deteriorated over time you can still function. The actual damage is accumulating inside your body, and the longer it is left untreated, the more damage there will be. It is estimated that at least half a million people in the UK have diabetes which hasn't been diagnosed, and some estimates have put this as high as a million, called them the 'Missing million', which is 1 in every 50 people in the UK. Now do you see why you need to see your doctor for regular check-ups!

Risk Factors For You Getting Type 2 Diabetes

The risk of you having Type 2 Diabetes is increased by:

• Poor diet , insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome
• Being overweight and  more than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight
• Lack of exercise
• Genetics. A family history of diabetes, and racial or ethnic background from South Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle-Eastern increase your risk compared with the white population