Real cause of Diabetes | Does Insulin Resistance Causes Diabetes

Real Cause of Diabetes | Type-2 Diabetes And Insulin Resistance 

In the last 2 blogs, History of Diabetes - Part 1 | डायबिटीज का इतिहास and History of Diabetes - Part 2 | The Discovery of Insulin | इन्सुलिन की खोज, we discussed about the History of Diabetes. How Diabetes originated and what were the possible treatments and management of Diabetes thousands of years back. In today's blog, we will talk about the real cause of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

In today's fast-paced world, health issues like diabetes have become increasingly common. Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent, affecting millions worldwide. One crucial concept underlying Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. In this blog, we will break down insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes in simple terms, helping you grasp the key points and make informed decisions about your health.

What is insulin?

Before diving into insulin resistance, let's cover the fundamentals first. The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas, a small part of your body situated near the stomach. Your increased blood sugar levels are maintained by this hormone insulin. When you consume carbohydrate-rich food, first it gets into the stomach and then converted into sugar. This sugar from the stomach goes into the bloodstream. As soon as the sugar level in the blood starts to increase, insulin comes out of the pancreas and carries the sugar inside the cell, which results in the normalization of blood sugar levels. 

Glucose alone cannot enter to the cells. It requires insulin to open the doors of the cells. When glucose enters the cells, it either serves as an energy source or is stored as fat, for later use. 

What is insulin resistance?

In our previous blog, we already mentioned that around 90% of diabetic patients are Type 2 diabetic.

In search of the real cause of Type 2 diabetes, a professor named Dr. Gerald Reaven from Stanford University has been working in the field of diabetes for a long period. He was a renowned scientist known for his research work and publications. He worked for a long period to discover how a normal level of insulin in the blood did not decrease the increased level of glucose.

After extensive research, he published a paper in 1989. He mentioned that Insulin resistance is the main cause of Type 2 diabetes, not the deficiency of insulin.

Let's explore insulin resistance now, in simple terms the cells do not open the doors for the sugar to enter the cells because a sufficient amount of sugar is already present inside the cells. Now the cells do not need any more sugar so they are not opening their gates thereby showing resistance. Now Insulin in huge amount forcefully breaks the doors of the cells and allow the entry of sugar. This process continues until the pancreas gets tired. This can initially maintain normal blood sugar levels. However, your pancreas needs to work harder and produce more and more amount of insulin as insulin resistance worsens.

Similarly, there is another type of resistance that is not related to diabetes but it is very important to understand the meaning of the word resistance.

Antibiotic resistance, where bacteria develop resistance to the antibiotics. Consider antibiotics to be a weapon against pathogens. Antibiotics worked well at first, eliminating the harmful bacteria that caused illnesses. However, certain bacteria have developed and learned how to escape these attacks over time.

This occurs because bacteria can change their genetic makeup or they share defensive features with other bacteria. Misuse of antibiotics, such as not finishing a prescription or using them when they are not needed, promotes this process. As a result, there are fewer effective antibiotics available to treat illnesses.

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide issue because it makes diseases more difficult to cure, resulting in longer illnesses, more hospital admissions, and even death. To minimize antibiotic resistance, it is very important to use antibiotics after consulting a doctor, maintain proper hygiene, and continue research and development in antibiotics.

Vicious cycle

This is where the issue starts to get out of hand. Your cells become even more resistant to insulin as your pancreas produces more insulin. The vicious circle of increasing insulin production and insulin resistance persists, finally resulting in high blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes

Your body reaches a breaking point when insulin resistance causes your blood sugar levels to remain high all the time despite of lot of insulin available in the blood. Type 2 diabetes arises when your pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin to overcome the resistance.

The most common sign of type 2 diabetes is persistent elevated blood sugar. It can cause major health issues like heart disease, kidney issues, and nerve damage if left untreated.

What happens in type 2 diabetes

As type 2 diabetes is caused due to insulin resistance, the question is how insulin resistance is developed. Let’s figure it out.

Normally insulin resistance takes time to develop in an individual. Insulin resistance can develop due to genetic factors, a family history of diabetes, a high carbohydrate-rich diet, or obesity.

The increased level of sugar in the blood signals the pancreas to produce and release insulin in the blood. With an increased amount of insulin in the blood, glucose levels can be kept normal for a while.

Source

As glucose level increases in the blood, it travels to the kidney and gets out from the body through urine. In scientific terms, this process is known as Glucosuria.

Glucosuria i.e., the elimination of glucose from the body through urine leads to Polyurea, which is the increased rate of urination.

• As the frequency of urination increases the water level decreases in the body. Which causes dehydration.
• The brain detects the loss of water from the body which results in polydipsia, which is excessive thirst. Prolonged dehydration may lead to kidney failure.
• As glucose cannot enter inside the cell, further loss of glucose through urine increases the high energy demand in the body. To meet this requirement a feeling of extreme, insatiable hunger which is called polyphagia occurs. 

The whole cascade is interconnected with each other. One is responsible for triggering the other. Without treatment, these classical symptoms (glucosuria, polyurea, polydipsia, and polyphagia) become worse as time passes on.

Causes of insulin resistance

As we have discussed the fundamentals of Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, now we are going to explore the causes that are responsible for insulin resistance and they are: -

1. Genetics: Some persons are susceptible genetically to insulin resistance, making them more vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes.
2. Sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary choices: eating a lot of carbohydrates or a fat-rich diet, could raise the risk of insulin resistance.
3. Obesity: Excess weight, particularly around the belly, is a major risk factor for insulin resistance. Fat cells, particularly abdominal fat, produce chemicals that can disrupt insulin activity.
4. Inactivity: A lack of regular physical activity might reduce insulin sensitivity, causing cells to be less responsive to insulin.
5. Age: As people get older, their cells may become less responsive to insulin, increasing their chances of developing insulin resistance.  
6. Hormonal Changes: Insulin resistance can be caused by conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and hormonal abnormalities.

Managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

1. Low glycemic load eating: Eat a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Always check the ingredient label on the food products you buy. Lower the carbohydrate content in the food item, more suitable for you as a diabetic patient. You can choose a wide range of products with low carbohydrate content, rich in proteins and fibers from Diabexy.
2. Glycemic load calculation: Glycemic load can be calculated by the simple formula, Glycemic index multiplied by the total carbohydrate content of food divided by 100. For your convenience, we provide a glycemic load chart containing 300 food items that can help you reverse your high blood sugar level.
3. Supplements: Along with a carbohydrate-restricted diet it is also advised to take supplements that will accelerate your diabetes reversal without any side effects. 
4. Weight Loss: If you're overweight, even decreasing a small amount of weight will increase insulin sensitivity. For personalized advice, for your diet plan and consultation, you can reach us.
5. Exercise: Avoid intense exercise in the early morning if your fasting blood glucose is high.
6. Monitoring: Check your blood sugar levels regularly, before and after 2 hours of meals.

Conclusion

When it comes to Type 2 diabetes, understanding insulin resistance is critical. It's like a missing or damaged puzzle piece that might cause major health problems. You can control insulin resistance and lower your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes by making positive lifestyle changes and seeking expert help. Remember that tiny measures toward a healthier lifestyle can add up to great results in the long run. Your health is priceless. If you find anybody claiming that diabetes is incurable then avoid them because diabetes can be reversed. All you need is knowledge and patience to achieve the results.

So, start from today itself with a positive mindset by setting a target first and then achieving it.

Stay tuned for more information related to Diabetes and its management. See you in the next blog, Cure Diabetes Without Medicine Permanent Naturally | Eradicate Diabetes like Polio