Diabetes is really a well-established problem along with a multi-billion dollar industry. It really is medically characterized by Fasting Blood sugar greater than 126 mg/dL , which ranges between 100-125 mg/dL are thought pre-diabetic and ranges below 99 mg/dL are thought normal. Studies are finding that the fasting blood glucose below 83 mg/dL is actually a better benchmark, as likelihood of heart problems actually starts to increase at anything above that.

IMPORTANT: There’s a difference between Type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune condition) and kind 2 diabetes (lifestyle related). This article refers specifically to Type 2 diabetes.

Some medical professionals make use of an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) to check for diabetes. If you’ve ever been pregnant and had to drink the sickeningly sweet sugar cocktail after which have blood drawn, you’re familiar with that one. Basically, a patient emerges 50-75 grams of glucose in concentrated solution and his awesome blood sugar fact is measured. I’m not really a fan of the test because nobody ought to be ingesting very much concentrated glucose, and also the test is not a completely accurate measure. (Just a side note: an advanced drinker with the “Big Gulp” drinks or huge amounts of soda, you’re putting your system via a similar test daily! Eventually, your system will respond, probably with something such as “Fine, you need diabetes, I’ll explain to you diabetes!)

A OGTT glucose of lower than 140 ml/dl is recognized as normal, with 141-199 being pre-diabetic and levels above 200 mg/dL considered full-blown diabetes. From my research, I believe that OGTT blood sugar levels above 140 mg/dL , especially regularly, can increase likelihood of vision problems, cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease, even without an official diabetes diagnosis.

It’s obvious that diabetes is a huge problem, what causes it? Some maybe have you believe that it is genetics, other claim a lifestyle or dietary cause…what can it be really? Let’s get back to the biology…

Biology 101: Sugar, Carbohydrates, Insulin and Fat

Any food that you ingest is processed and metabolized by the body. Your meals are divided to the various foundations our bodies needs, and what cannot be metabolized or used is processed and removed by the liver. Protein and fats can be used for muscle and tissue regeneration and other processes in your body. Carbohydrates are generally a fast fuel for the body, however when more are eaten that the body immediately needs, they should be stored. An easy explanation from the previous post:

Any form of carbohydrate is eventually divided by the body into glucose, a straightforward type of sugar. Even though the body may use glucose for fuel, levels that exceed what is needed are toxic to the body. Over time, that whole wheat grains muffin, cup of millet, or bowl of oatmeal becomes that a lot as a cup of soda, a donut or even a number of candy.

The thing is, glucose is in fact toxic if it’s just floating around within your bloodstream, in order that body has a defense mechanism. Any glucose that is not immediately used is stored as glycogen inside the liver and also the muscles. This is all well and good except that your system has a small group of glycogen receptors. When they are full, since they almost always are in inactive people, our bodies just has one option left: to hold every one of the excess glucose as saturated fats within your body.

To make matters worse for that inactive, carb addict, when the body senses glucose inside the bloodstream, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin (perhaps you’ve been aware of it?) to signal our bodies to hold the glucose as glycogen. In the event the glycogen receptors are full plus it can’t try this, our bodies thinks that the cells didn’t obtain the message and releases even more insulin.

At these times for a period of time, the cells start to become resistant to the existence of insulin, creating a vicious cycle. The body then releases even more insulin, trying desperately to get the cells to uptake the toxic glucose. The presence of excess insulin inside the bloodstream can also be toxic and further damages the receptors on these cells. Eventually, the insulin permits the glucose use of excess fat cells to be from the bloodstream. In other words- Fat isn’t stored as fat inside the body- Sugar (from carbohydrates) is stored as fat!

So, there it is: excess sugars and carbohydrates increase insulin levels, and when this happens in a period of time, extra weight and insulin resistance occur. Seems easy enough, right? Only if it were… there are other confounding factors involved.

Grains, Sugars and Omega-6 Oils

These three will be the axis of evil inside the nutrition world. They are all new introductions to the human diet, mainly in the forms they’re most eaten in (processed flour, ordinary sugar and Fructose Corn Syrup and vegetable oils).Once we already know, grains (particularly in a very processed form) not just raise insulin levels but could damage the liner with the gut, even just in individuals with no official coeliac disease. Grains also cause inflammation in your body and can initiate an immune response.

Sugars raise insulin levels, and also over long periods of time, damage the pancreas and cause insulin resistance, a precursor for diabetes. Fructose may be the top offender inside the sugar world, as it is recognized as a toxin our bodies and has no proven advantage of our bodies. Fructose is immediately taken up the liver, where it must be processed, and some doctors now suggest that this may be a large element in progression of fatty liver disease. Excess sugar inside the bloodstream also boosts the discharge of cortisol and adrenaline (more on those who work in one minute), slows the immune response, decreases necessary Leptin levels and promotes lipid balance. There are many forms of sugar and sweeteners, and while all ought to be limited, some are worse than others:

Glucose-Found in virtually all carbohydrates along with a precursor to glycogen, which the body requires for energy. It must be limited, but is alright in moderation, particularly for healthy individuals
Fructose- A toxic substance that the body doesn’t need in a amount. If consumed, it must be from fruit and never sources like High Fructose Corn Syrup, which greatly increases likelihood of the aforementioned problems from sugar.

Sucrose- That which you know as ordinary sugar. It features a 1:1 ratio of glucose to fructose and creates an insulin response in your body. Ought to be limited or avoided.

High Fructose Corn Syrup- Highly concentrated fructose that’s dangerous to the body. Ought to be avoided
Honey, Maple Syrup, Agave, Molasses, etc- Natural sweeteners that also contain high amounts of fructose. Ought to be consumed only in moderation by healthy people with good insulin sensitivity.
Sugars in fruit- Fruit contains a great deal of natural sugar, and while the majority are ok in moderation, their juices ought to be avoided since they are concentrated causes of sugar and raise blood glucose and insulin. Best fruit sources are the ones full of antioxidants and relatively lower in sugars, such as berries.
Omega 6 oils will also be a somewhat new addition to this diet, making the look of them in the early 1900s. Oils within this category include vegetable, canola, cottonseed, soybean, corn, safflower, sunflower, etc. Consumption of these oils increased inside the 1950s once they were promoted as a “healthy” option to fatty foods (they weren’t). Studies now showing that usage of these oils increases risk for obesity and can damage thyroid function. They bring about insulin resistance and inflammation, further aggravating the poor pancreas.

Omega-6 fats ought to be consumed in ideally, single:1 ratio with Omega-3 fats. Most Americans consumer a ratio closer to 20 or 25:1, greatly increasing likelihood of diabetes and obesity.
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