What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body either cannot produce insulin, or it cannot properly use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas, that controls the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood.

Under normal circumstances, insulin is released by the pancreas to help with the storage of sugar and fats. But when someone has diabetes, insulin doesn’t work as it should, leading to high blood sugar levels and diabetes symptoms.

It is important to note that there are major differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here’s a short explanation of how each type works.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an autoimmune disease where the pancreas produces little to no insulin. This happens because the immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (called islets of Langerhans). Once the pancreatic cells are damaged, insulin can no longer be created (or there is a reduced ability to create insulin).

While type 1 diabetes is rarely reversed, blood sugar levels can be improved with the right dietary modifications. As a result, individuals with type 1 diabetes don’t have to depend on their insulin and medications as frequently as they’d have to without changes to their lifestyle.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, mainly because it is caused as a direct result of diet and lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which means that the body doesn’t respond properly when insulin is released. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, leading to high blood sugar. While the body can keep up for a short period of time by producing more insulin, longer-term, chronic high blood sugar leads to a burn out of insulin receptor sites.According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, type 2 diabetes usually develops because of the following contributing factors:
– Physical inactivity
– Poor diet
– Being overweight
– Having high levels of inflammation in the body
– Family history of diabetes
– Hormonal problems like Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly and hyperthyroidism
– Exposure to toxins, viruses of harmful chemicals
– Taking medications that disrupt insulin production

Whatever the contributing factor, learning how to reverse diabetes naturally will not only help get rid of the symptoms associated with diabetes, but it will also improve other aspects of your health as well.