Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels

Many people suffer from diabetes, blood sugar levels that are too high to be considered healthy. When the level is not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, you will generally be told that you have prediabetes or are glucose intolerant.
In order to understand why so many people suffer from these conditions, it is necessary to understand a little about metabolism. This is the bodies function that is used for growth, physical activity and storing fat.
Carbohydrates need to be broken down into sugar and glucose so that they can be transported into the cells as a source of energy and sugars can be stored as a complex carbohydrate (glycogen) in the liver or muscle to act as an energy reserve.
Fatty acids are another major source of energy and like glucose provide instant energy or are stored as fat. In order for the sugar to reach the cells it needs to be carried by a glucose transporter. What you know as the hormone insulin.



Insulin is made in the pancreas by beta cells, which are capable of sensing the blood sugar level. So after you have eaten a meal they will secrete insulin and prevent levels rising too high. Insulin is also responsible for tissue growth and storing energy. If the level drops too low sugar is released instead of being stored and insulin production ceases.
There are two main types of diabetes - type1 and type2 diabetes, where blood sugar levels are high. In type1, the body makes little or no insulin and in type 2 the body is insulin resistant and consequently does not meet the bodys demands for the hormone.
Both types can effect the nervous system, kidneys and eyes and over time even cause kidney failure, blindness and organ dysfunction, as well as increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Type1 diabetes (juvenile) generally occurs in children. The causes are not fully known, but it is the result of the immune system attacking the pancreas and requires insulin for survival. It is not caused by obesity or a unhealthy lifestyle.




On the other hand type2 diabetes usually occurs as you get older. However it has reached epidemic levels in this century and is increasingly more prevalent in children and teenagers, as well as adults. The causes of this type are related to the lifestyle you live, especially as fat cells make chemicals that cause insulin resistance.
Symptoms of diabetes can include increased thirst, excessive urination, weight loss and fatigue and monitoring is needed in order to prevent complications.
If you have prediabetes or diabetes together with high blood pressure and are extremely overweight, you may suffer from metabolic syndrome, which brings a whole host of problems. So whilst you may dismiss the health implications of an increasing blood pressure, rising levels of fat in the blood or gaining a few pounds. It is not wise to ignore it if you have the whole bunch, as there is a strong risk of stroke or heart disease.
The good news is that you can control and prevent this sort of diabetes and as I mentioned earlier, the reason this disease is so prevalent today is due to our modern lifestyle. We eat far more than we need and what's more, the wrong type of foods and we also exercise less.
When making changes in lifestyle it is necessary to set measurable goals, so that you can pat yourself on the back for your achievements, such as when you have taken a walk after each meal or set a goal to lose a set number of pounds in a month.
Naturally these goals must be achievable, so make them realistic so that you are confident they can be attained. Lifestyle changes like exercising and dieting can be hard work and non food rewards will offer positive reinforcement and help you reduce or prevent high diabetes blood sugar levels.

Lucy H writes articles on many varying subjects.
She has a strong interest in home design and decor, take a look at one of her websites on this, where she talks about Kids Comforter Sets