Diabetes is a chronic and progressive disease. Maintenance with Drugs/ Surgery is the only way you could go through this life sentence.

FACT

Type 2 Diabetes is completely reversible and Preventable.

The 21st Century Plague

77 Million

That’s the number of people with diabetes in India as of now. Shocking, isn’t it? In fact, India is only second to China in the ranking for the highest number of diabetics in the world.

Diabetes comprises a group of metabolic disorders characterized by chronically elevated blood glucose/sugars or hyperglycemia.

Type 1

• Previously called as Juvenile (childhood) diabetes. However, it may present at any age.
• It is an autoimmune disease – the body’s own immune system damages the cells that secrete insulin (required to dispense sugars for energy and store rest) – trigger cause being uncertain (Genetics, Seasonal variations, sensitivity to cow’s milk/wheat protein, Low Vit D…). Over time, cumulative destruction of the insulin-producing cells cause type 1 diabetes to progress to severe insulin deficiency (giving the sugars no choice but to remain in the blood, thus elevating blood sugar levels). Therefore, insulin replacement through injections remains a successful treatment choice for this type (although posing higher risk of all organ complications over the long run).
  

Type 2

• High blood sugars in this type occurs due to “Insulin Resistance”, rather than the lack of insulin, as in type 1. The failure of insulin to lower blood glucose is called insulin resistance. The body overcomes this resistance by increasing insulin secretion to maintain normal blood glucose levels. However, this compensation has a limit. When insulin secretion fails to keep pace with increasing resistance, blood glucose raises, leading to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes
  

Gestational diabetes

• High blood glucose associated with Pregnancy. Hormonal changes and excess weight before pregnancy often plays a role.
  

Insulin is a hormone produced by Pancreas, that delivers several functions mostly relating to the intake and storage of food energy.

When we eat, foods are broken down in the stomach and small intestine for easier absorption. All foods are composed of 3 main constituents – (Macronutrients) Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, Fats into fatty acids and Carbs into chains of sugars – glucose.

One of the roles of insulin is to facilitate the uptake of glucose into cells for energy by opening a channel to allow it inside (Viz. Insulin is a key that opens up the doors of cells to facilitate glucose to provide us energy).

Once our immediate energy needs have been met, insulin gives the signal to store food energy for later usage.

Food energy is stored in two forms: Glycogen (from carbs, proteins) and body fat (from carbs and fats).

Excess energy whether derived from protein/carbs, is strung into long chains forming glycogen and is stored in the liver (to convert back to energy and use up whenever required – usually several hours after a meal/ during our fasting windows). Liver can only stock limited amount of glycogen, once it is full it turns the excess glucose into fat (triglycerides through lipogenesis) and is exported to be stored in fat cells (to be used up whenever required).

This energy storage – and – release process happens every day and is well balanced. We eat Insulin goes up, we use up energy required, rest is stored as glycogen and fat. We fast (between meals) insulin goes down, we use our stored glycogen and fat (as long as feeding is balanced with fasting).

When the subtle balance of storage-release tips off with excess intake of food (energy) and inertia (lack of physical activity), you force insulin to store excess energy generated, as fat in the fat cells and as glycogen in the liver. When the liver and fat cells exceed their limit of storage (initiating fatty liver & diabesity – diabetic obesity), they no longer listen to insulin (as they cannot take in further storage energy). Resulting in the glucose/sugar remaining in the blood – showing excess blood sugars.

The overflow phenomenon:

Let’s take the example of a subway train.

The cell is like a subway train, insulin is like the door, and glucose molecules as passengers. When the train arrives and door opens, passengers get in.

But, when the train is already full with passengers, even if the door opens passengers cannot get in and remain on the platform.

One way to resolve the issue is to hire “subway pushers (more insulin produced by body or through medication to force glucose in) – they push people into the train forcibly.

This tactic works at first, but as more and more glucose is forced inside the overstuffed cells, overtime this only makes it worse by creating higher insulin resistance.

The actual way out is through Insulin sensitization. To get the already filled passengers out before trying to push more in and later maintain equal amounts of glucose (passengers) enter and leave.

Diabetes unlike other diseases, has the unique and malignant potential to devastate our entire body. Practically no organ system remains unaffected by diabetes, and complications are typically seen in long-standing diabetes.

Conventional interventions focus obsessively on lowering blood glucose. But high blood glucose/ sugar is only the symptom, not the cause.

Until we address the root cause – Insulin Resistance, the epidemic of type 2 diabetes and all its associated complications will continue to get worse.