And since type 2 diabetes is skyrocketing all around the world, it only makes good sense to understand what causes diabetes and to practice good diabetes prevention. Even if you've already got the disease, a natural cure for diabetes could save your life.
About 21 million U.S. adults and children currently have diabetes. Worldwide it's estimated to be over 230 million. But here's the really scary part. Diabetes research shows that these figures are expected to double within the next 20 years.
What Causes Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the result of insulin resistance. Your body makes enough insulin, but your 73 trillion cells aren't healthy enough to use it. This causes blood sugar problems.
Over time, diabetes can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, blood vessels and heart.
Based on analyzing diabetes research, it's evident what causes diabetes. Although a tendency towards the disease can be hereditary, studies show that type 2 diabetes is the result of our "modern" lifestyle of poor diet, lack of exercise and overeating.
Every ten seconds someone dies from a diabetes-related cause. And even when the disease doesn’t kill you, type 2 diabetes still greatly increases your risk of:
- stroke,
- blindness,
- heart attack,
- kidney failure,
- nerve damage,
- limb amputation,
- sexual dysfunction.
Symptoms of Diabetes
The two most common red flag diabetes symptoms are:
- Unquenchable thirst. This is due to excess glucose circulating throughout the body and drawing water from tissues, which creates a feeling of dehydration.
- Increased urination. To quench the thirst caused by diabetes, there's a tendency to drink more liquids, which leads to more trips to the bathroom.
- Weight loss, gain or fluctuation. Because of loss of fluids, you may have an increased appetite. This can cause weight gain, but it may also lead to unexplained weight loss or even weight fluctuation.
- Blurred vision. High blood sugar pulls fluid from tissues, including your eyes. This can affect your ability to focus and, over time, lead to blindness.
- Flu-like symptoms. Glucose is an important energy fuel. When your cells don't get enough, you can feel weak, drowsy, irritable and fatigued.
- Frequent infections or slow-healing sores. Diabetes interferes with your immune system's ability to heal cuts and bruises and fight off infection. For women, vaginal and bladder infections can be a particular problem.
- Red, swollen and tender gums. An increased risk of infections can affect gums and the bones that hold teeth in place. You may develop sores or pus pockets and your gums can pull away from teeth, causing them to become loose.
- Dry and sometimes itchy skin. Because of high glucose blood levels and poor circulation, skin loses vital moisture. This can lead to dry legs, feet, elbows and genitals, which are then prone to cracking, peeling and infection.
- Tingling or numbness in arms and legs. Excess sugar in the blood leads to damage of small blood vessels to nerves. This can cause tingling, loss of sensation or burning pain in hands, arms, legs or feet.
Even after diabetes symptoms begin, research shows diabetes prevention and reversal are still possible with a good diabetic diet and the following healthy lifestyle changes.
- Eat a healthy low glycemic diet that includes plenty of high fiber foods.
- Keep your fat intake between 25% and 30% of your daily calories.
- Eliminate trans fats and reduce saturated fats to 10% or less.
- Increase intake of omega 3 fatty acids with EPA and DHA.
- Exercise, such as walking at least 30 minutes every day.
- Eat frequent small, healthy meals and don't overeat.
- Maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Take natural nutritional health supplements.
- Reach and maintain a healthy weight.
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Note: The information contained on this website is not intended to be prescriptive. Any attempt to diagnose or treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician who is familiar with nutritional therapy.
