| What Is Diabetes? |
| Written by Karen Major | |
What Is Diabetes?Are you asking, what is diabetes? For those with a family history, learning about this condition is very important as it has a tendency to run in families. Yet, anyone can develop it, too. Diabetes is a shortened term for the actual condition known as diabetes mellitus. Those that suffer from this disease have a body that is unable to properly regulate the amount of dissolved sugars in the blood. Before you recognize signs of diabetes , first understand the way that your body normally does this.Normal Blood RegulationThroughout your body are tissues that are made up of cells. Each one of those cells is alive and to remain alive they require the right amount and type of nourishment. This nourishment comes in the form of sugar. The sugar is called glucose. Your blood circulates glucose to each of the cells as they can not move and therefore are dependent on your blood for their nourishment through glucose. When the glucose reaches your cells, the process of metabolism happens where the cells use the sugars for nourishment. But, if your cells do not get the right amount or type of glucose, they will quickly die.But, where does glucose come from since you eat food? As part of your body’s normal digestion, the food that you eat is converted to useable glucose for your body to use. Once the food is converted to glucose, it enters into the blood stream where it is dissolved. The level of glucose in the blood stream then rises with the induction of additional glucose. Your blood then moves it throughout your body. But, your cells can not just drink it in; they need help in doing so. For this to happen, a chemical hormone is provided to your body which is called insulin. The insulin has the job of helping the cells to open and allows them to take in and use the glucose in your body. As your blood stream increases in the level of insulin, at the same time the levels of sugar are decreasing because they are entering into the cells to be used. But, what is diabetes? Your body is designed to keep the amount of glucose that is dissolved in the blood stream at the right level as the body needs. Your pancreas is used to produce, store and finally release insulin into the blood when glucose levels rise so that the insulin can help it to enter into the cells and therefore decrease in the blood stream. The problem is, though, those that suffer from diabetes do not have this correct level of transition. Your Diet And Glucose Production The underlying problem for many is the release of insulin into the body. You see, the amount of glucose in your system is dependant mainly on the amount and types of foods that you consume. Some foods are much more difficult to digest and therefore take longer to become usable glucose. Some foods such as sweets and candy become glucose quickly and therefore enter the blood stream very quickly with intense level of glucose. In order to handle this large amount of glucose, the body reacts quickly and delivers an additional amount of insulin to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood stream. If this does not happen, your blood sugar levels are dangerously high and can end up causing a condition called hyperglycemia which is life threatening. When food is consumed over a longer amount of time, there is no rush and strain on the body to deliver the right type of insulin and therefore the process works better. What Happens During Diabetes?To understand what diabetes is, you have to understand the process of how your body should react. When you eat foods that are good for you, these foods take longer to turn into glucose and enter the system slower. This is proper and perhaps the best way for your body. Yet, diabetes happens when there are problems with the production of insulin or in how easily cells will respond to the insulin that is provided to them. When this happens, the body’s balanced metabolism is not working correctly. This means the blood sugar levels will surge far too high and then the body crashes from the amount of glucose. What’s more, destructive damage is done to the body in the process. |
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