Diabetes – important background, causes and symptoms

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that results in high blood sugar levels. When talking about diabetes, a distinction is made between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. While type 1 diabetes often begins in childhood or adolescence, type 2 diabetes only develops later in life.

How does type 2 diabetes develop?

Type 2 diabetes is the result of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that the body's cells respond less well to insulin. The hormone insulin is produced in the pancreas and has the task of transporting the sugar in the blood into the cells.

If the insulin resistance of the cells increases, the organism reacts compensatorily by increasing insulin secretion. This continues until the increasing insulin resistance can no longer be compensated in this way.

The negative consequence: more and more sugar remains in the blood that is no longer absorbed by the cells - the blood sugar level rises. This often goes unnoticed at first, but that does not mean that it is harmless to health. On the contrary, because increased blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, nerves and many organs. The risk of serious secondary diseases increases (including cardiovascular disease, stroke).

The risk of developing insulin resistance can be increased due to genetic factors. However, it is possible to drastically reduce the risk of developing the disease through a healthy lifestyle. It is not without reason that type 2 diabetes is considered a real disease of affluence, as its development is closely linked to people's modern lifestyles.

The following factors in particular promote its development:

• overweight
• Unhealthy diet
• lack of exercise
• Chronic stress
• Smoke
• hereditary predisposition

The former “adult-onset diabetes” type 2 diabetes are also becoming increasingly ill Children and young people.

Although the exact causes of type 2 diabetes are still partly unknown, is becoming increasingly apparent – ​​both in children as well as in adults – who have a rather unhealthy lifestyle, with poor nutrition, too few meal breaks, lack of exercise and obesity, that this promotes the development of insulin resistance.

In particular, the mix of all of the above factors significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Excessive consumption of ready meals, cereal products made from white flour, many animal products, too large meals, foods high in sugar, and a lack of meal breaks not only lead to severe fluctuations in blood sugar, but also increase the risk of becoming overweight.

Internal abdominal fat (visceral fat) in particular significantly increases the risk of insulin resistance. But stress and lack of sleep can also promote cell resistance to insulin. The release of the stress hormone cortisol in particular leads to rising blood sugar levels.

But people's increasing life expectancy is also contributing to the increasing number of diabetes cases, as diabetes cases increase particularly in old age.

How does diabetes manifest itself and how is it treated?

What's particularly insidious is that diabetes can go unnoticed for a long time! The disease is often discovered by chance.

However, there are some symptoms that can be attributed to high blood sugar levels:

• Increased urination
• More intense feeling of thirst
• tiredness and fatigue
• Poor wound healing
• Increased susceptibility to infections

However, since the symptoms mentioned are very unspecific, these points can rarely be associated with diabetes.

To treat diabetes, the first step is to try to optimize the person's lifestyle. In concrete terms, this can mean regular exercise, an adapted diet with more breaks between meals, and regular fasting to allow the pancreas to recover.

The aim of these measures is to improve the sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin, thereby reducing the release of insulin.

If this is not successful, medication can come into play. If these do not have the desired effect, treatment is carried out by injecting insulin.

How do I protect myself from type 2 diabetes?

The best protection against type 2 diabetes is a healthy lifestyle characterized by a healthy and balanced diet, little stress and sufficient exercise.

Diet in particular plays an important role in diabetes prevention. Make sure you consume enough energy to avoid being overweight. Include high-quality, natural foods in your diet and avoid highly processed foods, white flour products and foods that contain a lot of sugar, which can cause severe fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Regular breaks between meals are also very important. Around 5 hours and intermittent fasting from dinner to breakfast (16 hour break) as well as regular fasting cures lead to recovery of the pancreas and of course all other digestive organs.

Dietary fiber in particular is worth its weight in gold because it not only supports digestion, but can also lower blood sugar levels and thus support sugar metabolism. In general, a diet rich in fiber is an important part of daily diabetes management.

According to scientific evidence, a high-fiber diet leads to improvements in blood sugar levels, blood lipid levels and body weight. A lower risk of premature mortality has also been observed when adults with diabetes have followed a high-fiber diet. (2)

Another meta-analysis found that increased consumption of fruit (especially berries), green leafy vegetables, yellow vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, etc.) or their fiber is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.(3) There is also evidence that a combination of vitamin D and a high-fiber diet may help reduce the prevalence of diabetes. (4)

In general, there is also evidence that a diet that consists more of plant-based foods and less of animal foods can reduce the risk of insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

(5) Similar evidence was provided by a study in which animal protein was replaced by plant protein, which led to slight improvements in glycemic control in people with diabetes. (6) Plant-based diets, which provide the body with many secondary plant substances and bitter substances, therefore seem to promise many benefits in the fight against type 2 diabetes, both preventively and therapeutically.

Interesting effects of raw beetroot consumption on metabolic markers and cognitive functions in type 2 diabetes patients

(7) The following study aimed to investigate the effects of raw beetroot consumption on metabolic markers and cognitive functions in patients with type 2 diabetes.

In a quasi-experimental study, 44 type 2 diabetes patients (57 ± 4.5 years) consumed raw beetroot (100 g daily) for 8 weeks. Metabolic markers including body weight, glucose and lipid profile parameters, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, paraoxonase-1 activity, hepatic enzymes, blood pressure and cognitive function were measured at the beginning and end of 8 weeks.

Results: Consumption of raw beetroot resulted in a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBS) (-13.53 mg/dL), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (-0.34%), apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100) (-8.25 mg/dL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (-1.75 U/L), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (-3.7 U/L), homocysteine ​​(-7.88 μmol/L), systolic (-0.73 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (-0.34 mmHg), and a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (105 μmol/L) and cognitive function tests (all P-values ​​<0.05). Other variables did not change significantly after the intervention.

Conclusions: Consumption of raw beetroot for 8 weeks in T2DM patients has beneficial effects on cognitive function, glucose metabolism and other metabolic markers.

Healthy eating for more balance and energy and a lower risk of diabetes doesn't have to be complicated. We at JOY NATURALS want to help curb the rapidly increasing number of new cases of type 2 diabetes by imparting knowledge, raising awareness, offering simple cooking courses and lots of healthy recipes. Let our recipes inspire you or visit us at one of our next cooking:DAY events.

Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes is on the rise – a healthy lifestyle is the best protection against this widespread disease

Unfortunately, poor eating habits, convenience and chronic stress are part of everyday life for many people. All of these factors increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and thus having to live with significant restrictions and health risks.

But it doesn't have to come to that, because even with a hereditary predisposition, it is possible to significantly reduce the risk of disease with a healthy lifestyle.A lot of exercise, no excess weight, little stress and a healthy diet are the factors that can protect you from type 2 diabetes. In particular, a diet rich in fiber with a high proportion of plant-based foods ideally supports your blood sugar management.

Sources

(1)   German Diabetes Society (DDG) and diabetesDE – German Diabetes Aid, “German Health Report Diabetes 2020”, at: https://www.deutsche-diabetes-gesellschaft.de/fileadmin/user_upload/06_Gesundheitspolitik/03_Veroeffentlichungen/05_Gesundheitsbericht/2020_Gesundheitsbericht_2020.pdf, last accessed on 02.06.2021

(2)   Andrew N Reynolds, Ashley P Akerman, Jim Mann, NCBI, “Dietary fiber and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses”, at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32142510/, last accessed on 02.06.2021

(3)   Ping-Yu Wang, Jun-Chao Fang, Zong-Hua Gao, Can Zhang, Shu-Yang Xie, NCBI, “Higher intake of fruits, vegetables or their fiber reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis,” at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26816602/, last accessed on 02.06.2021

(4)   Jung Hyun Kwak, Yoon-Hyeong Choi, Jean Kyung Paik, NCBI, “Vitamin D Status, Fiber Intake, and Type 2 Diabetes in US Adults,” at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32392443/, last accessed on 02.06.2021

(5)   Zhangling Chen, Maria Geertruida Zuurmond, Niels van der Schaft, Jana Nano, Hanneke Anna Hendrikje Wijnhoven, Mohammad Arfan Ikram, Oscar Horacio Franco, Trudy Voortman, NCBI, "Plant versus animal based diets and insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: the Rotterdam Study", at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29948369/, last accessed on 02.06.2021

(6)   Effie Viguiliouk, Sarah E Stewart, Viranda H Jayalath, Alena Praneet Ng, Arash Mirrahimi, Russell J de Souza, Anthony J Hanley, Richard P Bazinet, Sonia Blanco Mejia, Lawrence A Leiter, Robert G Josse, Cyril WC Kendall, David JA Jenkins, John L Sievenpiper, NCBI, “Effect of Replacing Animal Protein with Plant Protein on Glycemic Control in Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials”, at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26633472/, last accessed on 02.06.2021

(7) Aliahmadi M, Amiri F, Bahrami LS, Hosseini AF, Abiri B, Vafa M. Effects of raw red beetroot consumption on metabolic markers and cognitive function in type 2 diabetes patients. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2021 Apr 21;20(1):673-682. doi: 10.1007/s40200-021-00798-z. PMID: 34222085; PMCID: PMC8212206. under: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34222085/