Diabetes: A 21st Century Scourge - Causes of Diabetes Continued

As we continue to discuss the causes of diabetes there are two significant contributors that must be discussed. Seldom mentioned in most dialogue regarding this scourge are the massive amounts of medications that is consumed the world over and the staggering result of unmitigated stress on our bodies.

Medications

Watch most any pharmaceutical commercial and you will likely notice that about 20 seconds of a 30 second commercial is about all the terrible things the medicine may do to you. Of those 20 seconds a few sound something like this: “Be sure to tell your doctor if you have a liver condition or poor liver function” or “Liver test may be necessary to check liver function”. There are a multitude of reasons why these pronouncements are important but for the sake of this article we will stick with the diabetic angle.

Poor liver function is a death sentence. This may sound ominous and a bit over the top but consider what the liver does (e.g. cleanse the blood, regulate metabolism) and the picture becomes clear. A Poor liver leads to a poor life and possibly diabetes. Medications can slow liver function by creating the need for continuous cleansing of highly toxic substances. These substances may be specifically toxic to the liver breaking down cellular function which decreases the organ’s efficiency.

Also, some medications can actually slow down metabolic processes in the liver causing it to become fatty and sluggish. A fatty liver has great difficulty controlling fasting glucose levels. A fatty liver also increases the incidence of insulin resistance. It is estimated that some 80% of people suffering from Type II diabetes have fat in their liver.

Stress

When it comes to silent killers stress, in my opinion, is second only to inflammation. Chronic stress is a major health issue these days and it comes from multiple sources. Family and other relationships, traffic jams, even video games can induce stress responses in the body. One of the chief responses is elevated cortisol levels. Cortisol is released into the blood stream to give the body a boost of energy to accommodate the “fight or flight” response to stressful situations by increasing blood glucose levels. When cortisol is constantly released it increases blood glucose constantly and insulin resistance is not far behind because the cells do not actually need the energy. Once insulin resistance sets in Type II diabetes rears its hideously ugly head.

In addition, because the body does not actually need to fight or run the extra glucose in the blood stream has to go somewhere. That is when the body produces visceral and abdominal fight to store the unused glucose. This type of fat is extra special and not in a good way. It tends to adversely affect the metabolism essentially becoming its own endocrine system and affecting the hormones that either stimulate or decrease hunger. The net effect is a downward spiral alternating between unmitigated stress, increased abdominal and visceral fat, and increased appetite. All this leads to continuous elevated blood glucose levels and increased insulin resistance. Combined with the cumulative effect of chronic stress we are left with nothing short of diabetic trouble.

Diabetes: A 21st Century Scourge - Causes of Diabetes

Where and how does one of the most prolific medical scourges of the 21st century begin? Let's start at the table. Whether that be at home, work or your favorite restaurant what we put on it can sometimes be the beginning of the end. Our sugar laden, artificial and bleached foods combined with an abundance of alcoholic drinks, prescriptions and over the counter medications has helped to establish what is and continues to be a tragic epidemic on a global scale.

Artificial Sweeteners - The Zero Calorie Killer

Along with diabetes artificial sweeteners are linked to other adverse health conditions including weight gain. It is one of the most insidious food additives on the market today. The sweeteners cause spikes in blood insulin levels. How is this possible? The body is wired to prepare for the introduction of carbohydrates since carbs are the chief and most energy efficient forms of fuel. When artificial sweeteners wash over the tongue the brain signals the body to prepare for sugar intake. But this is no normal preparation. Consider the fact that artificial sweeteners are up to 300% sweeter than regular sugar. The body thinks it is getting tons of it which drives insulin production sky high. The cells in the body continuously seeing insulin in the bloodstream for seemingly no reason begin to build a sensitivity towards it thus the term insulin sensitivity. This is not the only way cells become sensitive to insulin but it is one of the main reasons. To add insult to injury what blood sugar is in circulation gets swept up by the excess insulin driving blood sugar levels low. The low blood sugar levels are detected by the body and triggers the production of a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone makes us feel hungry and usually we will eat. The weight gain trap is sprung as most people will alternate between artificially sweetened products (especially soda) and eating highly processed foods mostly unaware of the weight gain connection. Zero calorie foods tend to make people consume more calories of other foods and that is a killer both figuratively and literally.

These diabetes inducing sweeteners can be found in almost anything like: prescription medication, cough syrup, aspirin and other over-the-counter drugs, chewing gum, anything labeled 'sugar free', and drink powders to name a few.

Highly Processed Foods and Our Love Affair with Bleach

Walk down the aisle almost any grocery store and pick up a prepackaged item containing wheat. These would be your breads, cereals, cookies and pastas. Read the list of ingredients on the back. If it is not organic some of the first words you will see are bleached or enriched. This is code for 'we have stripped the goodness out of this product and added what we think you would like to taste'. Why would anyone do this? To make us eat more and eat more often. Bleached and enriched foods undergo chemical processes that converts them from complex carbohydrates (good) to simple carbohydrates (really bad). Once this happens the producer of that food experiences an increase in profit because you will eat more of it and you will eat it more often. As their profits increase so does our waist lines and risk of diabetes. I am sure that there will be some who read this and decide this is a conspiratorial view but consider the chart from the previous article. As food distribution around the world increases (usually simple carbs) so too does the incidence of diabetes.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): Americans consume an astounding 60 lbs. of HFCS every year. What's so astounding about this? Consider the fact that fructose is metabolized in the liver into fat more readily than glucose. When bombarded with fructose all at once the liver becomes sluggish and fatty itself. Fatty livers usually precedes insulin resistance which can ultimately lead to the development and persistence of Type II diabetes. The reason Americans can consume 60 lbs. of HFCS on average is because it is found in many processed foods and is often one of the first three ingredients in a product. Some of the products include soft drinks, pancake syrup, yogurt, canned fruits, barbecue sauce, pasta sauce and fruit drinks that are not 100% juice just to name a few. HFCS is a metabolic nightmare that many of us are unaware of including diabetics. Are you or do you know someone who is diabetic or pre-diabetic? Have you or they ever been warned to stay away from HFCS? If not, please consider this a warning.

Diabetes: A 21st Century Scourge - Part I

The Introduction

Sadness is staring an avoidable tragedy in the face and blinking. Have you had the chance to ponder the chart above? In each block are a group of numbers representing various regions of the world. The number at the top of the box represents the number of known Type 2 diabetics as of 2003. The number under it is the projected number of diabetes cases in 2025 with the correlating percent increase under each. By 2025 it is projected that there will be a 62% increase in diabetic patients worldwide. The cynic in me says to invest heavily in diabetes medications and paraphernalia. The optimist in me says I should lend a hand. Digressing to my better nature and refusing to enrich myself on the backs of those who suffer by causing suffering I offer the beginning of my multi-pronged diabetes project (more information will be given on the project at a date sometime in the future). 

Sadness is also having to witness triple digit increases projected in parts of the world that are already stressed and void of much hope. It is interesting that shortages of the most basic needs (food, water, medical attention) in these areas abound but a metabolic syndrome often associated with indulgent eating or consuming way more sugar than the body can handle would become a scourge. More on this point and why it is happening in a later article. 

Type 2 diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a metabolic disorder that occurs when the cells in the body become so resistant to insulin that blood sugar levels can no longer be controlled by the body (this is a simplistic definition and will be expounded upon later). Often medical intervention is undertaken and treatment can include having to take insulin shots, prescription medications and the need to check blood sugar levels often. The American Diabetes Association estimated that diabetes treatment in the U.S. alone cost more than $245 billion in 2012. If price levels remain the same that would mean an increased expenditure of $140 billion bringing the total to $385 billion annually by 2025 just in the U.S.! That would be more than the GDP of the Federated States of Micronesia (in other words a small country).

Sadness surrounds us but it does not have to remain or persist. We have the power to change it and ourselves. There is a growing contingent of well informed and well-meaning people who are helping to either prevent the scourge of diabetes or bring balance to those who have the condition reversing it and freeing would be lifelong diabetics from their conditional prisons. Let the word go out, if it is not already known, that diabetes is a condition not a disease. It is not something you catch but something you develop and what is done can be undone no matter what the cynics and robbers of joy and health say.

This series will focus on some of the causes, health implications, and modalities concerning diabetes mellitus and is designed to offer and inspire hope for what is a seemingly overwhelming epidemic. Have faith, be strong and let us share this ride together!